projects

Town garden, Ross-on-Wye

Once rather unloved and uninspiring, this long and narrow garden has been transformed into a series of plant-filled rooms bordered by weathering steel to create a calm refuge near the centre of town.

A limestone patio runs seamlessly through the different areas, creating continuity through to the summerhouse, positioned at the top end of the garden and enclosed by planting to create privacy.

The once steep slope up to the fence, has been retained by weathering steel and planted with a variety of scented shrubs including Deutzias and Philadelphus together with pollinator attracting Lavender, Salvias, Phlox and Scabious in a variety of pinks, whites and lilacs.

The once over-powering fences have been painted deep grey and planted with climbing roses, honeysuckle, and clematis helping them to fade into the background and contrast with the pastel planting scheme.

New build garden, Herefordshire

When I first visited this new garden, within a new development built on former agricultural land, there was simply a shed, a sloping patch of weeds and a view of a large brick garage gable end.

The owner was keen to attract wildlife and wanted to be able to access all parts of the garden with ease. By terracing the garden with simple gravel platforms, positioned at an angle to the house, the newly designed garden appears deeper, wider and the eye is diverted away from the brick wall to the newly created gravel seating area.

A corten steel pond, now filled to the brim with water plants and nestled amongst the herbaceous planting which surrounds each of the terraced areas, provides an interesting feature. A native hedge of crab apple, guelder rose, spindle, hawthorn, beech and field maple covers the fence, softening the angular nature of the new garden and provides cover for wildlife.