Project Briefing
This was a fairly large and wide space, with high, imposing boundaries, and a line of very tall, mature conifers running along the entire bottom boundary. In its current state it was quite scruffy, with several different levels, and a failed concrete pond/waterfall project that the clients had inherited from the previous owner. The clients had few stipulations, other than that we create an attractive space with the useable areas on one single level, to include some lawn and an area for entertaining.
The Solution
The size of this space and its boundaries demanded a reasonably robust design to avoid the finished garden becoming 'lost' in its own size and height. The design sought to create a semi-rustic feel, using sturdy railway sleepers to create high raised beds and natural slate, timber and gravel to create an informal flooring pattern.
The area directly outside the house was laid with a flooring of sunken sleepers and gravel, interspersed with slate tiles and creeping thyme. Metre high raised beds constructed from new railway sleepers frame a dining area to the back left of the space, with the back bed running at an angle across the back of the space to the right hand boundary. The dining area itself sees a continuation of the slate and sleeper flooring, and features a large sleeper table and two integrated sleeper benches, deep and long enough to comfortably accommodate 10 - 12 people. The right hand side of the space features a second, large, triangular raised bed, with the centre of the space laid with a spacious area of lawn.
Planting in the space comprises perennial plants and evergreen shrubs and trees to create a space with year round interest in a colour palette of principally claret and blue. Flora and foliage was chosen to impart a cottage-style theme with a definite contemporary twist. A herb garden was planted in several railway sleeper block planters of various heights, positioned as close as possible to the kitchen for ease of use.
Testimonial
"We would highly recommend Earth Designs to anyone considering re-designing their garden space. They have been professional, creative, hard-working and friendly from the outset of the design process through the build and into the after-care service.
When we originally met Kat we felt she listened to what we wanted and what we did not and merged those ideas with her own creative thoughts to come up with a design that met all our needs and aspirations but was something we probably could not have thought of on our own.
Matt and team worked immensely hard to complete the garden. They were friendly and dedicated throughout and showed flexibility in tackling the kind of problems that inevitably arise during projects of this scale. The workmanship and planting is first class.
When we bought our house the garden was an utter wreck. It is now a space where we can relax and entertain and we are looking forward to many summers in the future to enjoy it."
