A Modern Garden Design Essex – All decked up!
Brief
This large garden in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex is overlooked on all sides, particularly by houses adjoining the end boundary. The client’s have recently had composite decking laid directly outside the patio doors.
They have commissioned Earth Designs to create a modern garden design, focusing on the lower area of the garden, although they would also like to create some sort of a barrier along the edge of the decking to prevent people falling off into the main garden below. As the property is on a hill the garden slopes away slightly. The bottom of the garden gets the most sun so should be the main focus of the design.
Solution
Although the area directly outside the back door is finished, this modern garden design proposes adding a panel of coloured Perspex to the back of the existing pergola to create a more attractive backdrop.
A row of tall tapered planters placed along the edge of the decking on either side of the existing steps will create a safety barrier. The lower garden will feature two intersecting circles of artificial lawn in the centre.
An oval shaped planting bed will be formed where the two lawns overlap, within which a large stainless steel sphere water feature will be surrounded by a sea of fragrant lavender. Bisecting the two lawns, arcing around the central bed, will be a curved pathway constructed from rows of 150mm square York Green sandstone setts interspersed with gravel and creeping sedum. The path will terminate in new decked area in the bottom left corner of the space, positioned for relaxing and enjoying the summer sun. A large timber arch will span the width of the new deck from which an illuminated polyethylene sphere will be suspended.
Planting beds around the boundaries will feature groups of decorative screens/panels nestled amongst the plants. Each set will comprise three panels installed on timber posts– one of Perspex, one of stainless steel mesh and one of vertical composite deck boards at various widths and heights. Each set of panels will also feature a decorative sphere at the base – one stainless steel spheres, one box ball and one illuminated globe per group. As privacy is a major issue in the garden the boundary will be planted with pleached trees. The trees will be 3m tall in total and 1.8m wide, to provide ample screening from the gardens beyond and will complete this modern garden design in Leigh-on-Sea.
