Katrina went to present our garden design in Hackney on Tuesday and by the time she got home the clients had committed to the build. As the garden is quite shady the design is full of woodland plants. Katrina has produced an elegant family garden, incorporating a sandpit and integrated storage boxes beneath a decked platform, a fixed bench seat, a bike store and rendered raised beds. The build is due to start in late June if the persistent rain we are currently experiencing ever ceases!

Katrina then went to present a Walthamstow garden design. The client was looking to achieve a desirable family garden, including a children’s play area and bike store, on quite a tight budget. The space is small but has poor access and needs a bespoke bike store due to the limited space in the garden. Katrina worked hard to design something for the client which ticked all the boxes for both her and her children, and as a result the client commissioned the build the day after the presentation. The build is due to start in late August.

Katrina also went to conduct a design consultation for a client in looking for garden design advice in Chingford. The client has worked piecemeal on the garden herself for a few years, but recognises that she needs to follow a plan in order to get the most out of the space. She has 2 young sons and a huge trampoline to consider in any design. Her husband is very good at DIY and they plan to carry out the proposed works themselves over the coming years. We designed a sunken trampoline (with possible cover), a fixed bench seat and raised bed, as well as a series of archways to accommodate swings and other play equipment. An artificial lawn solves a waterlogged/muddy site and the raised beds will help to contain banked soil down each side of the space.

We are still plodding away with our updated garden design portfolio – Matt needs to sanity check Katrina’s efforts and then hopefully it can go to print next week.

Unfortunately Matt has been unable to get a lot of work done again this week due to the continuing bad weather. The site is still a mud-bath, which makes working with heavy railway sleepers quite difficult. Matt has been using the time to catch up on office based work instead.

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We have suggested large rendered block raised beds run to give the garden height and help to define a pathway running through the space. Constructed from black slate and polished pebbles, the path would lead from the house to the lower section of the garden, doglegging around a central patio laid with a light coloured Indian sandstone to contrast with the dark slate. A pergola or similar timber structure constructed over the patio will provide further height and give the client the option of including a stylish architectural swing seat.

Shallow steps give access to the lower area. This area will be laid with black slate paving in a formal grid pattern and  would be large enough to accomodate a dining table and chairs. The patio will be bordered on three sides by flush planting beds, with specimen trees at each corner to give the area structure and definition.

If you would like some free design tips for your outdoor space, please get in touch.

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Garden Design Kent Before Shot 1

Garden Design Kent Before Shot 2

This design aims to create a sense of size and space in this small urban garden, using a series of ellipses and ovals to create the impression that the garden is longer and wider than it actually is.

Directly outside the patio door a large oval patio, laid with Indian sandstone paving in a random lay pattern and edged with black granite setts, will provide the main seating area for the garden. This patio will benefit from a curved bench seat constructed from 50cm wire gabion cubes topped with sandstone slabs and filled with sandstone setts for a decorative effect. The bench will be backed with an ornamental semi-screen, comprising stained new railway sleepers set vertically in concrete, and will be complemented by an elliptical railway sleeper table.

A slight sense of privacy and enclosure will be given to this section of the space by a decorative tension wire feature running overhead. This feature will comprise a series railway sleepers installed vertically at intervals around the oval patio, between which stainless steel tension wires will be installed. One post will act as the ‘lynchpin’, to which the wires run from.

The other posts will attach to create a ‘sun burst’ pattern. This post will also feature a simple stainless steel spout installed approximately 1 metre above the ground from which water will pour into a decorative aggregate covered pebble pool below.

The aggregate covered pebble pool will form the start of a sweeping curved pathway running around the ellipse patio and along the left half of an oval lawn in the middle section of the space. The decorative aggregate will gradually give way to sandstone setts laid in a stretcher-bond pattern, which will continue until the path terminates in a second, smaller elliptical sandstone patio on the left hand side of the garden. Pairs of vertical 4 inch wooden posts installed around this patio will allow the client opportunity to display a variety of materials – outdoor canvas, decorative mesh, coloured perspex panels – at a later date.  .

The odd shaped area down the side of the house will become a children’s play area. Separated from the rest of the space by 50cm high railway sleeper raised beds into which screens constructed from rusted will be installed, this area will include a triangular railway sleeper bench and table and will benefit from a large triangular shade sail installed between posts in the railway sleeper beds.  The flooring in this area will consist of screeded concrete painted a colour of the client’s choice.

Planting in the garden is aimed at providing year-round interest and will comprise a mixture of evergreen shrubs and herbaceous perennials with a large selection of climbers for the back wall.

Garden Design Kent Perspective Visual

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The client has lived in the house for several years with her two six year old twin girls. The existing garden is overgrown and fairly unusable. It has very little to offer in terms of interest and the client is keen to develop the space into an extension of the home, to make it a functional space for all the family to enjoy. She would like somewhere for the kids to be able to play as well as bike storage. In such a small space, positioning and design will be paramount and the challenge will be to deliver the requirements while retaining the aesthetic appeal of the space.

The solution

The design seeks to deliver something for everyone, answering the practical  requirements     as well making the 5m x 4m space appealing to the eye. The side return will be given over to the children. Although a very small area it will be packed with several features to entertain the kids. An archway marks the entrance onto which a variety of things can be hung, from a swing, to beaded curtains  – it can change as the girls grow. Inside the area, a blackboard allows for a creative streak, whilst a sail will fuel imaginative play, where accessories can be added over the years.

Returning to the garden proper, directly outside the backdoor a raised railway sleeper bed allows for vegetable growing whilst additional pots can be added if more veg growing is required. The flooring directly outside the backdoor will be a mixture of Indian sandstone slabs, pea shingle and creeping thyme. A bespoke timber storage unit, big enough to house an adult bike, will be constructed directly under the kitchen window. As it is a large structure in the space, it will masked as much as possible with planting and made more attractive with the addition of a living sedum roof.

Flooring in the space will be on the form of an Indian sandstone circle measuring 3.6m in diameter. Asection of the outer ring will be elevated to form the a seat fronting a raised planting bed in the bottom left of the space.

The existing walls will be rendered and painted and the fence panel mended.

Planting in the space will be rich and romantic with deep plums and soft pinks set against zingy limed green varieties. A mixture of shrubs and herbaceous perennials, with several climbers will maximise the planting space, while a specimen Acer atro purpureum will take centre stage in the raised bed, adding height and a focal point.

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The clients are expecting their first baby soon and also have a new puppy, so the space needs to made more user friendly and suitable for all members of the family. It contains 3 mature trees, a gnarled Eucalyptus which arcs over the back gate, a large silver birch close to the house and a Sorbus on the other side boundary. If possible the client would like to retain the eucalyptus and birch in the final design. The biggest issue to overcome are changes in level in the current space. The client would like to make the transition from house to garden much easier and more comfortable. However to a certain extent the level of the trees and possible root network will dictate the finished level any raised beds and excavation for the lower garden.

So to the design for a shady garden design

The area directly adjoining the French doors will be laid with patio using a combination of the existing York stone and red brick, interspersed with Japanese black pebbles and mossy ground cover plants. A single chair, using a strong architectural form or colour, will help to give definition to this section of the space. The area will also house a bbq on the right hand side. The patio will lead between two rendered raised beds (the one on the left accommodating the existing silver birch) to open out onto an area of artificial lawn.

To the left of this area, set within the raised beds, will be an L-shaped decking bench, which will allow for formal dining. Again we would recommend a statement piece of designer furniture give the garden the ‘wow’ factor.  A wire gabion wall, filled with a selection of red brick, slate tiles, logs (ideally from the felled Sorbus), and wine bottles, will form the backdrop to the garden.

This decorative wall will serve to mask a bike store from the main garden. In bottom left of the garden, a raised decked platform area will serve several functions. A sunken pit beneath the platform will be suitable for sand, play balls or water, providing plenty of opportunity for child play in the space. This pit will be covered by a removable decking lid, allowing the client to turn the structure into a lounge space for all the family. Sunken deck boxes with hinged lids will allow the client to store weatherproof cushion to be used on the decked platform.

Further interest will be provided by a timber arch constructed towards the back of the garden, creating a frame for the rear of the space which will also allow the installation of a swing suitable for both adults and children.

Planting in the space will be in elegant tones of white and green, helping to illuminate this shady space and whilst retaining its romantic woodland feel. Leafy greens in a variety of shades provide interest throughout the year, while colour can be added by painting the raised beds.

Lighting will accentuate architectural forms, with uplighters for the trees, decking lights for the platform and angled adjustable light for the gabion wall.

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The garden design in Hackney is nearing completion and is set to include a ingenious storage cum kids play platform. This decking platform will also serve as a daybed, with sunken storage and a sandpit. Elegant and stylish green and white planting will help to maintain the garden’s existing verdant charm. Katrina is due to present to the clients next week, after which the full presentation will be published on the blog.

Drawings are also progressing on the garden design for Walthamstow. Matt completed the site survey on Monday and, as the garden is fairly small and the budget quite low, Katrina and Matt are able to push it through the studio quite quickly. This garden features a paved circle, bike storage and children’s area, all in a very compact space. Katrina is due to present to the client next week.

Katrina went to visit a potential client in Muswell Hill today. Nick and Fermin had a typically art deco house and were looking for a modern garden design to compliment their house. They had renovated and decorated the inside and were now turning their attentions to their exterior space. Although a north facing garden, they did have sunny patches and the garden also backed onto an old railway line and woodlands. The site is quite challenging as it is on a steep slope and will need terracing. Whilst there is side access it is also stepped and there is a tight turn to consider. The design concept was very bold and the clients are giving it careful consideration before committing to the design process. Watch this space.

Katrina also went to visit a property in Parliament Hill, opposite the house in which George Orwell lived. The client had lived in the property since the 1960s, spending the last 30 years in the top flat with her partner Peter. Several years ago the client divided the garden in half and now wishes to develop the bottom of the garden into somewhere attractive to it and enjoy the sunshine. Since a large tree was removed the area in question is now much more exposed and they are looking for ways to increase the privacy without losing the late evening sunlight. The area on the way down to the terrace is grassed and quite natural in style and the client is a keen gardener. The area is also bounded by red brick walls down one side. Storage in this area is also an issue with the distance to the flat quite substantial and currently being no storage in garden at the moment. The design needs to be sympathetical with the current garden, yet fulfil the clients requirements

Unfortunately the continued very wet weather has put paid to any plans Matt had to expedite his site in Leyton. The lower area of the garden, which Matt excavated wth a mini-digger last week, is now underwater, which will make any work in the garden difficult and possibly dangerous. As the ground is exposed clay and mud, it will probably take a few days to drain and dry after the rain finally abates so it is unlikely that the team will be returning to site this week.

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Katrina has been busy winning  garden  designs this week!

The first was contracted with a client looking for a garden design in Wembley. They moved into the house a year ago and have now decided to renovate the garden.  There are a few existing plants which are worth keeping in the final redesign, other than that the unusual shaped plot has little of interest. The client wants a contemporary, social space which will grow with them as their requirements change.

Our second design commission was confirmation by family that Katrina visited last week that they would like to go ahead with a garden design for their East London garden. The clients, who live in Hackney, met with Katrina last week. They subsequently called to confirm that they would like to proceed with a design, with a couple of amendments to consider. Matt will undertake the survey shortly, so Katrina can start drawing the plan.

The third design is a small garden design for a client in Walthamstow. The client has been saving to get her garden redesigned and wants to create a versatile space for herself and her young twin daughters. The garden is very small, and the client has a lot of requirements that need consideration in design, including an area specifically for her girls. Matt is due to complete the survey next week.

Katrina also completed a garden design voucher for a client in Palmers Green. The client was approaching retirement and looking forward to enjoying gardening with the extra time they will have. The house was their family home for many years and now that they are on their own in the property they feel that the garden needs a bit of re-landscaping to give it a new lease of life. Requirements include a vegetable garden, flowers and a greenhouse. They plan to undertake the build themselves.

Katrina went to our site in Brentwood to help Matt lay out the planting. The rain was very much against them, however in between raindrops they managed to put the final touches on the garden and the client was delighted with the result.

Matt has been battling the weather to complete the clearance and preparation at our new site in Leyton. The rubble and debris (a considerable amount) has been removed from site, piles and piles of soil shifted, and the mini-digger has been returned to the hire shop. We took delivery of the sleepers and other materials mid-week, but unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worse and the site became a mud bath. Despite their best efforts, the team was forced to abandon site for health and safety reasons.

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See what has been growing on in our London Garden Design Studio

Katrina went to visit a client in Victoria Park this week. They have lived in their house for over a year.  The interior had already been renovated by the previous owners, but the garden is a bit ramshackle and dated, so they are now looking to get this Hackney garden designed. There are a few mature trees in the garden which will require consideration in the re-design.  They definitely wish to retain one of the trees in the re-design, with another which they would prefer to retain if possible. They are seeing another couple of designers but seemed quite interested in our ideas, so fingers crossed we will win the design commision.

A Garden design voucher client in Richmond met with Katrina this week to get some horticultural advice for his maturing garden. Since retiring the owner has found time to develop an interest in gardening and wanted some advice of what to plant where. He had made a great start with some spring flowering shrub and bulbs but felt the garden lacks interest in the summer months. A mature mulberry tree dominates the back of the garden, which also features a mature magnolia tree. Katrina spent nearly 2 hours in the space advising on plants that have a long summer flowering period as well as suggeting a few design tricks they could employ to help with privacy and hiding their bins.

Katrina is putting the final touches on our new garden design portfolio, and is now trying to decide which of her front cover designs to opt for – she has put it to the vote on our London garden design and build Facebook page. If you have the time, please pop over to our page and cast your vote.

Matt has been busy clearing our new garden build in Leyton. There is a huge amount of concrete and rubble to remove from the garden, and then a good few cubic metres of soil to shift around. He has several labourers on-site to speed things up and has been having fun with a mini-digger. The team have made good progress.

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As a result, the range of types available – and the uses to which it is put – have grown considerably, with many garden centres and timber merchants now stocking a reasonably good selection and on-line specialists able to supply exotic hardwoods at affordable prices.

Part of the reason for its popularity lies in the variety of effects it can create, while its relative ease of use places it firmly within the ability of the average DIYer to produce a good looking outdoor area in a fairly short time. Moreover, the range of types and finishes available means that there is sure to be something to suit any garden design, whatever the overall look.

The first thing to consider when building your deck is location. You will probably want to site your deck in the sunniest spot in the garden, unless it has a particular purpose (such as extending dining space on the back of the house, for example). Think before constructing decking under a large leafy tree, as it will be covered in slippery leaves in the autumn and winter, and if permanently in the shade it may be colonised by algae and moss.

In October 2008 planning regulations changed regarding decking, which means that for many installations you may now need to obtain planning permission. If your decking falls into one of the following criteria, it is worth checking whether you will need planning permission with your local authority:

• Where the deck is situated within 20 metres line of sight of a highway.
• Where the deck is more than 300mm (1ft) from the ground.
• If the structure or its use would affect the amenity value or privacy of neighbouring properties.
• If the deck is attached to a listed building or situated in a conservation area or National Park.

Once you have decided on the best location for your decking, think about its design. Do you want straight edges? Curves? Will it be rectangular or circular? What direction do you want the boards to go in? Plan it out and draw it on paper, including dimensions. It is never a good idea to ‘wing it’ with any construction project.

Your choice of decking may well be based on your budget. However bear in mind that opting for a cheaper softwood can sometimes be a false economy as it is likely to have a shorter lifespan than hardwood. Even if you are employing professionals to build your deck it may be worth getting a cost comparison for soft and hardwood decking, as apart from the boards themselves the materials and labour costs should be the same whatever grade of wood you use. Whatever type you choose it is essential to make sure your decking is from a FCS supplier and a reputable company. If you decide to use a professional always check their credentials and make sure you are happy with them. If you are not sure, ask to see some of their previous work.

In our next post we will look at installation of the decking.

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Essex Garden Design Before Shot 1

This Essex garden design takes inspiration from 1960s motifs, seeking to divide the garden into three separate areas with a recurring circular theme throughout.

Flooring in the space will take the form of three interconnected rectangular sections. Each section will be edged with black limestone setts laid in a stretcher pattern (end-to-end) and will contain a mixture of black limestone paved circles and hoggin circles of various sizes, to create an ornate and visually stimulating  focal point to the garden. Each circle will be edged with black limestone setts to create clear definition to the design. The space around the limestone and hoggin circles will be planted with creeping thyme, that will spread to over time to create a soft sea of colour and fragrance around the hard surface areas.

The paved areas will also benefit from three stunning stainless steel sphere water features (3 different sizes). Each sphere will be installed with a black sett circle edge to surround and finished with a mulch of blue glass chippings around its base.

 Essex Garden Design Before Shot 2

The garden will be given a sense of privacy and intrigue with the addition of 6 bespoke screens installed at intervals around the patio  areas. Constructed from blue perspex panels installed on timber posts, these screens will create an impressive and colourful backdrop to the space.

The timber pergola will be given additional screening with a series of funky ’70s disco-inspired hangings installed on the overhead beams. The pergola will further benefit from a suspended 60s styled rattan ball chair.

Lush, tropical planting will help screen the garden from the houses beyond. A large Cordyline australis in a tall zinc planted will take pride of place in the centre of the large hoggin circle. Three 80cm box balls will continue the circular theme through the planting beds, interspersed with tall grasses and a selection of herbaceous perennials.

Essex Garden Design Perspective Visual

Essex Garden Design Plan

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