We were called in to redesign this garden as the customers were in a state of desperation. With a dilapidated, overgrown space that was beyond their ability to maintain, they were looking for ideas.
With their children having grown up and left home, they were ready to move into the next chapter of their lives and a garden that could be used as a social space was high on their agenda. She loved our idea of a firepit and seating area whilst he had his mind set on an outdoor kitchen. They also wanted a place to grow herbs and vegetables and a larger patio to be used for dining and entertaining guests.
As the plot was wide and relatively shallow, we designed the social space to sweep down one side, connecting the firepit to the kitchen and dining area. These two areas were linked not only by the paving between them but also by the duplicity of materials used. In particular, the hardwood used as panelling for the kitchen and seating for the firepit area. Taking our lead from the circular seating area, we introduced circles in the opposite corner in the form of three raised beds, left empty ready for planting.
Atmospheric and functional lighting was clearly going to be a key feature as the garden would be used mostly in the evenings. Hidden LED strip lighting enhanced the curve of the seating whilst the feature was backlit by uplighting amongst the spiky plants in the border behind. This created striking shadows, contributing to the inviting nature of this space.
As the project progressed, it became clear that there was a space that wasn’t satisfactorily filled by the planting alone. The introduction of a large slate monolith framed by planting and lit by LED’s proved to be just the right choice.
We had a full design and build service from New Gardens; the whole experience was a pleasure. The team were friendly and efficient. They paid great attention to the details. They were always keen to listen to what we wanted whilst at the same time adding the value of their experience and expertise. L. Townsend
