Coastal Garden
The Brief
To create an informal, lower maintenance garden with lots of planting that makes the most of the garden’s location.
Problems to overcome
The front garden was a deep rubble pile from previous demolishing work onsite and exposure from winds.
Award-winning planting design
This garden was awarded the Prolandscaper’s Small Project Big Impact award in 2020 for planting design. This award recognises an understanding of the setting of the garden, the careful use of plants and planting combinations, which offer year-round interest, and of course the client’s requirements.
The design solution
We used the existing builders rubble as an infertile planting substrate for plants that will thrive in a low fertility medium, are happy in an exposed location, and enjoy the sharp drainage afforded by the material.
An informal, naturalistic design was created that links the house and garden to the wider natural landscape of the Cowal peninsula and Isle of Bute. Paths meander through the garden mirroring the rolling mountains and ebbing and flowing of the sea. The planting is inspired by the forms, style and subdued tones of the mountains, moors and coastline of the west of Scotland.
Large boulders and smaller rocks were ‘planted’ into the sloped garden to add height and interest, to add to the naturalistic feel, and offer planting pockets for alpine plants.
Gravel mulch was used to dress the builders rubble, retain water in this exposed location and suppress weeds to help create an attractive but lower maintenance garden.
“Rachel transformed our challenging front and side garden, taking it from an area with very poor soil, sloping sections and differing land levels and heights into an informal garden where connected areas compliment each other and contribute to an overall garden design, which mirrors the colours and textures of the hillside opposite. The siting of a summer house and decking matched our requirements and contributed to the design.
Great care was taken in ensuring that quality materials and construction contributed both to the overall design concept, and for the mature garden to require low maintenance. The garden has interest and colour right through the year, changing like the surrounding landscape, with season. Plants have established, grown and merged into each other and informally situated themselves around the framework of paths and rocks, softening edges and creating an environment to naturally develop with time.
We could not have asked for a more eye-catching garden, fully matching our design brief.”