Garden Design - Peckham, London SE15
The garden will be transformed into a Victorian Curiosity, with the area directly outside the back door laid with slate paving in a random pattern. This paved area will be inset with an assortment of Victorian tiles (those belonging to the client will be supplemented with additional tiles), interspersed with a tapestry of dark paddlestones set in mortar. Trellis will screen this area from the rest of the garden, effectively creating two separate spaces within the whole.
The area to the left of the back door will feature a raised pond constructed from used railway sleepers. This will boast a medusa head fountain mounted onto an upended sleeper, from which water will gently spout into the pool below. The pool itself will be constructed so that it is at the right height for sitting, allowing one to perch at the edge of the water, and with the simple inclusion of a filter, the client could stock the pool with ornamental fish at a later date. A wide channel of gravel between the pond and the paving will provide definition to the area and will be adorned with object d'art and decorative pots. This will be mirrored by a second area of gravel (minus the water feature) on the other side of a short slate pathway running down the centre of the garden.
The area down the side of the house will see the slate paving thin out to single slabs laid within a sea of gravel, with the occasional plant or object d'art adding further decoration to the space. A flush bed running the length of the sideway will feature tall bamboo to afford the client extra privacy.
The second half of the garden will be laid mostly to lawn, with a new shed in the bottom right corner and a small stepped area of slate paving in the bottom left corner beside the gate. Flush beds will run the length of the garden down both sides, and will be packed with a planting scheme of cottage style planting in a variety of colours designed to bring year round interest to the space.
All the boundaries will be replaced with new 6ft fences topped with 1 ft trellis, upon which evergreen climbers will be trained. A 'Prunus Amanogawa' to add a touch of height and drama to the area near the gate, and the garden will be filled with the contemporary style of 'shabby chic' planters, containers and object d'art ranging from Victorian hoppers and chimney pots to tree roots, old teapots, enamel jugs and saucepans.
The lighting in the space will be simply and yet effective. The beds will contain a series of low voltage spots designed to illuminate the foliage and give a soft and atmospheric feel to the garden. The main lighting will be on the patio with the addition of two spots angled to shine down from top of the trellis, with an underwater light situated in the pond to create an attractive nocturnal feature in the space.