Garden Design - Loughton, Essex IG10
The Brief
Client has inherited a very scruffy garden with a failed landscaping project.
A line of conifers along the back gives the garden a lush green backdrop although they are somewhat imposing.
The client would like to include a children's area in the design.
They would also like the garden to be on one level, as it is currently very uneven with little structure or definition.
The Solution
The design works along a cottage theme, using railway sleepers and natural slate to bring a rustic feel to the space. The garden is divided into sections, with plenty of room for planting, and is given a greater sense of structure by eliminating the fussy wall stretching the width of the garden in favour of an open lawn.
The area directly outside the house door will be laid with sleepers and gravel, interspersed with slate tiles and creeping thyme to create an informal and attractive pattern - this flooring will be run across the width of the garden. Angular raised beds constructed from new railway sleepers will frame a dining area to the back left of the space. This dining area will see a continuation of the slate and sleeper flooring, and will feature two large integrated sleeper benches and a sleeper table for alfresco dining. Three sleepers wide, the benches will be deep enough to allow for lounging and long enough to comfortably accommodate 10 - 12 people.
The back right hand corner will become a play area for children. Separated from the rest of the garden by railway sleepers topped with trellis, the area will have a trellis gate allowing the client to screen the area off when not in use. This area will be laid with play bark to provide a safe environment for children, and at this stage will be left fairly neutral - however, additional activity items can be added at a later date.
Below the play area, towards the house, will be another railway sleeper bed along the right hand wall. This will jut out across the garden to enclose the area directly outside the conservatory, providing a secluded area for relaxing and intimate entertaining. This area will also contain a railway sleeper bench, the back of which will feature railway sleepers of various lengths upended to create an unusual and attractive tiered effect. A selection of scented plants will also be included in this area.
The area to the right middle of the space will be laid with new turf, to create a large, pentagonal lawn. Planting in the space will feature evergreen shrubs and trees to create a space with year round interest. The planting scheme will follow a colour palette of principally claret and blue plants, with the odd flash of yellow and white. Flora and foliage will take on a cottage-style theme, with a definite contemporary twist. Finally, the existing conifers will be trimmed and tidied by a professional tree surgeon to give them better definition whilst making them less imposing.
A herb garden featuring a selection of culinary herbs and consisting of block planters constructed from railway sleepers will be positioned outside the dining room door for ease of use.