THE BRIEF
We were asked to come up with a garden design for this large, detached town house in Winchester, to solve a few problems and enhance a very tired planting scheme. The main issue was with the front garden, where the broken up tarmac driveway sloped down from the road and during very wet weather, became a torrent of rainwater that flooded the house periodically. The clients also wanted a family friendly garden with a generous lawn for playing football, a large vegetable garden with greenhouse and formal layout for ease of maintenance.
THE PROCESS
Adjusting levels & drainage: The process entailed adjustment of levels within the front garden, the addition of drainage channels, the driveway surface material being changed to porous limestone chippings and a substantial new soakaway being installed to the front of the house – all these measures have ensured that the house should not flood again, to the relief of the owners.
Further enhancements include a new brick retaining wall for the central bed, new metal railings on the roadside and granite sett detailing.
PLANTING
These are set off by a contemporary planting scheme, including ornamental grasses, Pittosporum, Perovskia, Aster, Nepeta, Phlomis and Euphorbia. A new yew hedge forms a backdrop to the low maintenance scheme, that provides year-round interest and thrives in the shallow free draining soil.
Within the back garden, the existing borders have been given a complete overhaul by reducing their widths and replacing most of the overgrown planting with shade loving shrubs, climbers and perennials that will flourish under the existing large tree canopies.
Gravel paths had been introduced to define the existing central lawn and provide easy access to the swimming pool and kitchen garden beyond. A lavender hedge and metal work pergola, planted up with scented climbing roses and colourful clematis, separate the swimming pool from the new ornamental kitchen garden. A dark grey painted Hartley Botanic greenhouse forms a beautiful focal point, with a simple rectangular stone edged lily pond centrally positioned within the scheme. This attracts newts, frogs, dragonflies and other aquatic insects into the garden. The stunning Corten steel raised vegetable beds provide practical, well-defined spaces for large quantities of salad crops, herbs and vegetables – more than enough for a hungry family.
A Harrod Horticultural Pavilion fruit cage has been planted out with raspberries, currants, gooseberries and strawberries. A south facing raised brick edged bed provides space for cut flowers and the lowest section of the garden contains the all-important practical elements: a potting shed, a netted leaf collection area and compost bins. The rest of this shaded area is given over to nature, incorporating wildflowers, grasses and wood piles; perfect habitats for butterflies, bees and other insects, small invertebrates and hedgehogs.
