Garden Design - Highgate, London N6
This design, which takes a 'shabby chic' theme, aims to make maximum use of the limited space the garden has to offer. The layout will allow the client to include architectural salvage and object d'art over time to give the garden personality and a sense of quirkiness.
Directly outside the back door a m diameter sandstone circle will allow the client to accommodate a small café style table and chairs. Curving round one half of this circle a rusted steel mesh arc creates a sense of enclosure, slightly masking the garden beyond to build a sense of intrigue and depth, while allowing the user to see through to the remainder of the space. The client can choose whether to plant the area adjoining this screen extensively with climbers and tall planting to provide much denser screening or to leave it open to allow an unfettered view of the space beyond.
To the right of the space, visible from both house and circular patio, will be a simple water feature comprising a wall mounted spout (this could be mounted on vertical railway sleepers) from which water will pour into a stone trough or stainless steel tank (client to choose) below.
A pathway, constructed from reclaimed Victorian bricks interspersed with Victorian tiles, curves from the paved circle down through the right of the space to arrive at a second, smaller (approx m diameter) sandstone circle in the bottom right hand corner of the garden.
This paved circle will benefit from the inclusion of a Victorian-style arched metal bower, adding drama and height to the space, to provide a quiet, secluded area suitable for relaxation, reading and contemplation. The difference in levels at this end of the space is tackled with the addition of a low retaining wall and step running across the width of the garden, as per the design.
Planting is chosen to provide maximum interest to a small garden. A multitude of climbers will adorn walls and fences and the inclusion of a 'Prunus Amanogawa' will add further height and vertical interest in the summer months.The remainder of the planting concentrates on year round interest in the form of evergreens and long flowering shrubs. A few herbaceous perennials pepper the planting, with room included for the client to add annual bedding, herbs and vegetables amongst the backbone of permanent planting as required.
The design will be complete with the addition of a simple yet effective lighting scheme, incorporating fairy lights and low-voltage lighting to avoid over-kill to such a small space.
Exterior fairy lights will adorn the mesh screen around the main paved circle, with further fairly lights covering the bower at the end of the garden (the client may choose to suspend a bespoke wrought iron chandelier from the centre of the bower, around which fairly lights could be wrapped - the details of chandelier manufacturers can be supplied if required). It is recommended that professional quality fairy lights be used (such as those used in commercial or municipal Christmas displays), as they have a greater durability and longevity than the standard lights available from most DIY shops and garden centres.
Additional lighting in the space will comprise a pond light within the water feature trough, positioned to uplight water falling from the spout above, and a series of low-voltage lights throughout the planting beds to create a gentle wash across the garden while serving to highlight individual specimen plants.