Family Garden
The brief
To create an informal garden with an enhanced courtyard area for relaxing and entertaining, a vegetable garden and enchanting woodland dell. The garden will be used year round so must have year-round interest, lots of greenery and plenty of colour. The garden should also be wildlife-friendly.
Problems to overcome
The garden was disjointed and unattractive with nowhere to grow vegetables and other garden plants. It had overgrown conifers that cast a lot of shade and the garden was overlooked from neighbours.
The space
Medium-sized garden of 27 m x 14 m
The design solution
The design for this garden distinct areas that were connected through the layout and the planting. These areas offered spaces to entertain and sit during varying times of the day incorporating plenty of planting to give year-round interest and to offer habitat for wildlife, especially birds. A patio, which was softened by planting, was situated adjacent to the house and offers a sheltered place to dine or sit in in the late afternoon.
The main path takes you on a journey down the garden past the newly created kitchen garden to the woodland garden beyond, which was opened up by removing the conifer trees and in which a BBQ hut is now nestled beneath two existing yew trees and amongst woodland-style planting. A dining area with fairy lights offers a place to eat on a warm summer evening.
The kitchen garden includes a greenhouse, a small storage shed, raised beds and a perennial edible border offering a variety of growing spaces and fruit and veg year-round.
“Rachel was a star! We started working with Rachel a year ago when we met with her to discuss our garden design. From the start we couldn't have been happier. She listened as we talked, using the information to put together our plan. She then visited the garden at different times of the day and incorporated her further observations into the design. She then took care of the whole project, keeping us well informed along the way. We now have a beautiful garden that fulfils all our requirements, including planting for wildlife. eating and seating areas, maintaining a woodland feel and an area for growing fruit and veg. And all within budget. Rachel also used locally grown plants and fair trade products. Perfect. Thanks Rachel.”