Garden Design - Clayhall, Essex IG5
The Brief
- Client has a large rectangular family garden, effectively a blank canvas, which is surrounded by new fencing and laid almost exclusively to patchy lawn
- Client is Indian and would like to use Indian Sandstone in the space
- He would prefer the space to remain open, with the inclusion of a large area of lawn
- The garden is currently underused and it would be nice to encourage the family back into the space
The Solution
We have taken our influence from strong Indian architecture in carving out a design for this garden. The key points for an Indian landscape are:
- A square or rectangular enclosure, often a walled compound
- The presence of a dominant focal feature, a temple tower, tomb, pond or palace
- A quartering or other division of the near landscape, often along the cardinal directions
- The use of water as both an ornamental and as an essential ablutionary feature
The design will feature the shape of a traditional Indian archway on both the vertical and horizontal plane. An area of pink Indian sandstone paving laid directly outside the main part of the house will follow the curved lines of an Indian archway, and will feature a sandstone circle placed centrally within a random lay pattern of slabs. Where this paving comes to a point it will continue out into the garden in the form of curved pathway sweeping to the left to terminate in an Indian sandstone circle. The paved areas and pathway will be edged with beige sandstone cobble sets for greater delineation and to help develop a sense of fluid unity.
The progress of the pathway will be defined with the addition of a series of bespoke painted steel Indian archways measuring 7ft high, 4ft wide and 2 ft deep. These will become a dominant focal feature, imparting a strong sense of drama and magnificence to the space when viewed from all angles.
The central area of the space will be laid with lawn, bisected by the pathway and sculpted sculpted into the recurring archway shape. To either side of the path, stunning water feature, will provide a further focal point to the garden. This will comprise two tall monoliths of purple schist set into layer of small rocks atop an aggregate bed. Water will gush from the top of the monoliths and cascade onto the rocks below. The aggregate bed will be laid in the Indian archway shape and edged with sandstone setts to bring definition to this elegant and formally appointed feature.
The pathway ends at a circular patio measuring 3.6m in diameter and edged in sandstone setts. Large enough to accommodate al fresco dining, the patio is placed to make the most of the sun throughout the day, making it suitable for sunbathing, entertaining or contemplation The planting will be sumptuous and luxurious, with a backbone of hardy evergreen shrubs to provide form and colour throughout the seasons. Showy beds of purple, red, pink and orange will create a rich tapestry of colour from March right through to October. Height will be introduced to the space with the addition of two trees, together with tropical palms such as 'Cordyaline australis' and 'Trachycarpus fortunei'. A visual delight, this scheme is sure to provide a talking point at any time of the year.
The lighting will be comprise low voltage spots situated throughout the beds to highlight the colours and strong leaf form of the planting. Step risers will create a gentle wash on the lawn from the patio directly outside the house. Indian-style lamps suspended from the archways will light the pathway below, whilst similarly styles wall lamps will grace side of the house.