The brief
Our client was looking for a total make over / redesign so we went along with designer, Kate Carr to see the potential. It was a perfect blank canvas for a really special area to be created for relaxing, listening to music and enjoying sunny days. There was no real need for grass as long as it was a fun space for client, grandchildren and to be dog friendly. We were able to repurpose some of the Blue Lias flag stones to create a courtyard / walled garden feeling with central spaces for informal dining and comfortable lounging. Incorporating natural stone centrally into this space was a great way of visually connecting the garden to the house, further offering the feeling of an outdoor room and genuine extension of the home. Due to a curious young spaniel, some plants needed to be in raised beds. Subtle level changes throughout the space helped to create interest and create a sense of journey and destination.
The garden has been created to appeal to all senses, filled with colour and vibrancy, drawing in wildlife and offering an enjoyable outlook from the dining room.
The main tasks
- Clearance and preparation
- Lay foundations and build retaining walls
- Build stone steps using existing Blue Lias as risers and paving slabs / cobbles as copings.
- Create sleeper step / perching area
- Herringbone clay cobbled areas
- Create paving, gravelled areas with edging
- Soil prep and condition
- Planting with a colourful palette in mind
Planting
3 specimen multi stem Cercis ‘forest pansy’ trees that look wonderful under planted, with dark foliage of balls Pittosporum ‘Tom thumb’, Astrantia ‘roma’ and Nepeta ‘walkers low’. We’ve also got central beds of Dianthus carthusianorum and Allium sphaerocephalon for soft movement between grasses of Stipa tenuissima, Molinia ‘Karl forester’ and Seslaris Autumnalis.