Tranquil Garden, Helensburgh

The brief

To create an inviting, informal garden that offers a place to relax and dine, maximises the space and seamlessly connects the house to the outdoors. Privacy is to be considered through new boundary treatments.

Problems to overcome

• There’s a disconnect between the house and the garden, that is amplified by wall to wall hard landscaping and insufficient planting.

• The garden doesn’t attract or sustain wildlife.

The space

North-facing, courtyard-like space. 110 square meters in size.

The design solution

Inspired by the canopy of the new extension with cues from Japanese courtyards, we have designed an attractive, plant-rich space that presents a place to relax and dine, and a place that offers year-round interest.

From the living room, a timber walkway leads to the larch deck terrace, an area that offers a place to relax and/or dine in the sunniest part of the garden.

Over the deck stands a light-framed bespoke black metal pergola, delicately constructed to elevate the far end of the garden, harmonising with the canopy outside the kitchen. Serving as a focal feature in the garden, this pergola also establishes an intimate "room" while doubling as a shield from neighbouring houses.

Further planting at ground level will, in time, cover this area further enriching the space. The shady garden is perfect for woodland and woodland edge plants with the deck area for more sun-loving plants.

large stepping stones set in gravel lead you around the garden, creating a relaxed gentle path that links the different areas.

Plant-filled pots will add more planting to the mini-courtyard between the kitchen extension and the original house, adding interest to enjoy from within and to this otherwise dead area.

To maximise the functionality of the garden the rotary drier can be set aside, creating a space to enjoy an evening fire.