THE BRIEF
After a complete renovation of this elegant listed Regency London house, we were asked to redesign this relatively large garden from scratch. Our clients were very keen to have a good sized lawn, as well as a spacious paved terrace for entertaining. They also wanted some screening from neighbouring properties and plenty of colour and scent within a relaxed planting scheme – a taste of the country within the city.
CREATING THE DESIGN
The resulting design accommodates the awkward wedge-shape of the garden by the clever use of intersecting circles and deep flower beds. Light coloured tumbled limestone paving has been used for the terrace, laid in a random coursed pattern. The paving has been neatly edged with brick to emphasise the circular shape. The lawn has been edged with low evergreen Euonymous hedging that further emphasises the circular theme and maintains a structure to the design throughout the winter. Trellis has been added to the top of the beautiful old brick walls, to provide further screening, and a lighting scheme brings the garden to life after dark.
PLANTING SCHEME
Planting includes many scented shrub and climbing roses, existing camellias, clematis, a cut leaved purple elder, Japanese maples, hydrangeas and summer flowering perennials. Evergreen star jasmines cling to the wall behind the elegant zinc water feature, filling the air with scent during summer evenings.
The sound of the fountain distracts from the urban soundscape and white painted metal benches positioned around the garden draw the eye and provide secluded seating areas for reading and relaxation. The resulting garden is an oasis of calm within the hustle and bustle of urban life.
