Garden Design - South Hackney, London E9
This design seeks to make maximum use of this overgrown and tired yet spacious split-level garden, creating a multi-functional space suitable for entertaining, relaxation, dining and play.
The sunken area directly outside the patio doors will be extended to create a below-ground dining area. This will entail excavating an area of approximately 4.5m x 3m and constructing new rendered retaining walls to enclose the area on three sides. The fourth side will be enclosed by deep terraced steps, constructed from attractive and durable Yellow Balau hardwood decking. Flooring in the sunken area will also consist of Yellow Balau decking, which will be complimented by a U-shaped Yellow Balau 'suspended' deck bench. This area will also benefit from a removable weatherproof shade sail installed at the top of four tall Yellow Balau posts erected around the bench. The main focal point of this area will be a bespoke water feature, consisting of a 600mm wide stainless steel water blade mounted on the side of the retaining wall, from which water cascades into a decorative aggregate covered reservoir installed in the decking below.
The main section of the garden will feature low (500mm high) rendered block raised beds enclosing the sunken area below, with a further raised bed running down the length of the right hand boundary. A decked walkway running between the raised beds leads one down the space, past a central lawn area, to the bottom of the garden. Featuring a series of custom-made timber and steel wire arches installed at intervals along its length, this walkway will dogleg left at the bottom of the garden and run past a small rectangular raised bed on the right to terminate in a small decking patio in the bottom left hand corner. This decked patio will benefit from a decked box-bench seat.
A bespoke timber screen, comprising horizontal dark-stained timber slats, will be constructed to obscure the ramshackle garage wall at the end of the garden. The top of the right-hand boundary wall will be cleared and installed with an effective, non-injury intruder deterrent.
Planting in the space is chosen to be long flowering and low maintenance, with year round interest in shades of purples and lilacs. Scented climbers will be planted to train over the timber arches. Two tall brushed zinc planters placed at the top and bottom of the main steps will contain
A comprehensive lighting scheme will complete the design and allow continued use of the garden when the sun goes down. The risers of each decked step will be subtly lit with micro LED deck lights, to safely guide the user up to the garden proper, with further micro LEDs installed in the decked walkway leading one through the space. Stylish stainless steel eyelid lights installed in the side of the raised beds along the walkway will give ample light to the central area, while fairy lights installed over each timber arch will give the space a magical, twinkly quality. The lower area will benefit from adjustable stainless steel spotlights installed at the top of each shade sail post, while the water feature will be up-lit with a submersible pond lights installed below the water blade to throw an undulating light across the space. To finish the scheme, a series of low voltage spotlights installed throughout the planting beds will give the garden a gentle ambient glow while serving to highlight individual specimen plants.