I had the pleasure of designing a garden for a close friend in Milton Keynes. It’s an example of how the same space can have a completely different feel to it once redesigned, even before plants have been put in.
The previous owners had small children, and the garden was entirely designed as a child’s play paradise – slide, swings, Wendy house, soft surfaces to fall on, a willow arch to hide in and a shady nook at the far end as a den. Unfortunately the play area split the garden down the middle – and it was a narrow longish garden anyway, so it felt cramped and crowded.
The new owner had one grown-up son and wanted a place to look at when working from home in her first-floor study, and to sit outside in at leisure, with some outside entertaining. Her son needed a bike shelter, and the shed at the far end needed some renovation. The house dining area was in the conservatory facing the garden, and views were important. “I want to sit and look at greenery” she said.
I could see that the garden would feel much more spacious once the play area was taken up, and the space could be used in a different way, with more of a flow from one area to another, and planting to emphasise the flow and to provide privacy and lushness. The plan we agreed on had a curved lawn and path, which helped the narrow garden feel wider as it drew the eye from side to side. Curves also meant that eventually the planting would conceal some of the garden from immediate view, making it seem bigger and more interesting. The area near the house was shaded ,but this was preferred to sitting in the sun, so the patio was kept there.
We spent several months finding a landscaper, as they are in short supply because of the lockdown increasing the popularity of gardens. I had produced a specification for the landscaping, to help brief landscapers and to compare their quotes.
The garden only had very narrow access down the side of the house and Chameleon were able to use smaller equipment – a digger and dumper truck. There was a lot to clear away, including things that were only discovered once the deck and play area were removed – remnants of many patios and paths gone before! They also had to create a soakaway under the patio and lawn to deal with the downpipe from the conservatory.
As the house faced north-east, the patio would be in shade most of the time, which suited the clients. A stone patio in this situation would need a lot of maintenance to stay clear of slippery green algae etc, as it would not dry out easily, so we chose a porcelain slab instead. Porcelain doesn’t absorb moisture and is easy to maintain. Here is the patio laid, with the metal edging providing a rough guide to the path laid out on the earth. The edges will be hammered into the ground to provide a smooth edge to the lawn that can be mown over.
Here are two pictures of the finished design, before new plants have been added. The utility area at the back has been hidden by a trellis, with plans for a climbing rose in front of it. There will be seats in the ‘shady nook’ at the back under the apple tree, and also at the end of the lawn, to make the most of the changing light and the new planting to sit among. A tree will be planted on the left side, to help screen the view of the house at the end. There’ll be more to show you when the plants come – the client is exploring a purple, blue, white and pink colour scheme.
The client said: ‘Even though we haven’t done the planting yet, I am already using the garden a lot more and I’m delighted with the design and the peaceful atmosphere of the space. There are a lot of choices to make in designing a garden and for a novice like me it was great to be able to talk through my ideas, get a second opinion and advice, and particularly to see the computer generated mock-ups that really brought the design to life. Jane quickly understood what I wanted and was able to produce a design that captured my vision. It also made briefing the landscapers far easier. The garden will give me many years of entertaining, relaxation and interest , so definitely money well spent.’
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