This was a tired family garden in need of a little inspiration and rejuvenation, and had dilapidated boundaries that required replacement. The brief was fairly open - to create a family space with a patio and some lawn.
This garden was loosely inspired by Victorian gardens to create a fairly formal and symmetrical space split into two distinct areas. A paved area was laid directly outside the back door, featuring natural slate in a hand-cut random pattern that was inlaid with an assortment of Victorian tiles interspersed with a tapestry of dark and white paddlestones.
Flush beds to the left and right of this patio serve to frame the space and soften the appearance of the newly installed fencing. A trellis screen and archway divides the patio from the rest of the garden, effectively creating two separate spaces within the whole.
To the left of this patio we constructed a raised pond from used railway sleepers, featuring a medusa head fountain mounted onto an upended sleeper, from which water gently spouts into the pool below. The pool itself was constructed so that it is at the right height for sitting, allowing one to perch at the edge of the water. A wide channel of gravel between the paving and the trellis screen provides an area for the display of various planted pots, urns and tubs.
The second half of the garden was 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 were dug the length of the garden down both sides, packed with cottage style, year round, planting in a variety of colours.
The space was simply lit with a series of low voltage spots dotted throughout the beds, while the patio area was illuminated with two stainless steel spots angled to shine down from top of the trellis and an underwater light situated in the pond.
