Garden Design - Bethnal Green, London E2
This design uses a series of circles and curves to unify this long, thin, multi-level space, creating a garden that is both aesthetically pleasing and suitable for small-scale entertaining and al-fresco dining and relaxation. The left hand boundary will be fenced with attractive willow hurdle screens and the existing shed re-painted dark brown.
Directly outside the back door the space will be paved with an Indian sandstone circle with gravel and planting surround. The existing steps up to the next level will be clad with Indian sandstone paving. The next level will feature a mixture of flooring types and textures. Directly at the top of the steps will be a 1m diameter pebble mosaic circle, surrounded with a decorative edging consisting of several tapering half-rings of reclaimed yellow stock bricks (client to supply) around two thirds of the circle, with a tapering arc of Indian sandstone paving around the 3rd segment. The Indian Sandstone sweeps out to the left from around the mosaic circle, to become a widening pathway which continues through the centre of the space. The yellow stock flooring sweeps to the right, and is bisected by the sandstone path, to continue along the right hand side past the shed.
In the centre of this section of the garden will be a decking circle laid with attractive and durable Massaranduba hardwood. Bisected by the curved Indian sandstone pathway, this area will provide sufficient space to place a small café style table and chairs suitable for informal dining or drinks. A railway sleeper retaining wall will stretch across the width of the garden to make up for the difference in height between the rear of the garden and the middle section of the space. The sandstone pathway continues into the upper section of the garden (with necessary step) widening and curving round to become an oval patio in the right hand side of the space. This area - path and patio - will be enclosed by a raised bed, comprising a curved, painted, rendered block retaining wall along the exposed edge with railway sleeper retaining walls along both fenced boundaries and back boundary wall.
Planting in the space will be soft and flowery with a strong woodland theme. Chosen for year round interest, the scheme will feature a variety of feathery ferns, interspersed with herbaceous perennials in a colour palette of purples and blues. The boundaries of the space will be softened and obscured with the addition of a mixture of different varieties of climbing clematis.
The design will be complete with the installation of a subtle lighting scheme, designed to enable continued use of the space when the sun goes down. The main paved area will benefit from ample yet gentle illumination in the form of a series of stainless steel hooded eyelid lights installed at intervals in the side of the rendered raised bed wall. The lower areas will be lit by two adjustable stainless steel spotlights installed on the side of the house, while further illumination will be given to the decked circle with the inclusion of two stainless steel bollard lights on the railway sleeper retaining wall running across the space, one either side of the step to the upper area. Finally, a series of low voltage spotlights installed throughout the planting beds will caste a gentle overall wash across the space whilst serving to illuminate individual specimen plants.