Garden Design - West Hampstead, London NW6
This design makes maximum use of the limited space by framing the garden with fixed seating around its boundary, interspersed with planters of various dimensions to add height and privacy.
Flooring will consist of stylish and durable black slate tiles, laid in a formal grid pattern, inlaid with strips of contrasting bamboo slate. A 'floating' fixed bench constructed from sturdy new railway sleepers, complimented by a freestanding railway sleeper and stools, provides the main seating area to the space. Large enough to provide ample seating for dining and entertaining, this area will be given a sense of seclusion with the addition of a tall, rendered, block-built raised bed behind the bench seat and rendered block planters framing each end.
Further block rendered planters of various sizes will continue down the right hand boundary, with a railway sleeper sofa-style seat enclosed by a 1 m high railway sleeper raised bed, providing an alternative, informal seating area. The left hand boundary will feature flush beds to give some low-level planting in contrast to the raised beds along the right hand side An elegant, 'weeping willow' water feature, beautifully sculpted with a mass of copper leaves from which drops of water flow light light summer rain, will take centre stage in a cut-out in the middle of the paving to create a stunning focal point to the space.
Finally, a simple yet comprehensive lighting scheme will allow continue use of the space when the sun goes down. Rope lighting will illuminate the underside of the bench seat, drawing one's eye to the back of the space, while the railway sleeper sofa will benefit from two stainless steel bollard lights mounted on the raised bed behind. Two stainless steel adjustable spotlights mounted on the back wall of the house will allow the client versatility to light various areas of the paving if required, or train the light on the water sculpture to make it a nocturnal feature and talking point. To complete the scheme, a series of low-voltage, low-wattage spotlights will be placed throughout the beds, casting a gentle glow throughout the space while serving to highlight individual specimen plants.