gardens

Below is a selection of the gardens I've created with my clients.  They range from large informal family spaces to smaller city courtyards but they've all been designed to ensure that they relate to the architecture of the house, the landscape beyond the boundaries and to inspire the people they have been created for.

A hot tub, outdoor kitchen and naturalistic planting

This garden in Monmouthshire was designed for relaxation and entertaining. When I first met Sarah and David, they needed a home for their new hot tub and at the time the space that you see here was just an old farmyard.

We used natural materials to create a series of garden rooms that are sympathetic with the beautiful buildings. Swathes of naturalistic planting provides a space that is most definitely a garden but also very much immersed in the surrounding rural landscape.

my own garden

Our garden redesign has been a long time coming and, although it’s still very much work in progress, we do finally have what resembles an inspiring place to sit. To be honest, it was never a hardship sitting out looking at the mountains, but I can’t tell you how great it is to be able to walk out barefoot without the need for wellies!

We planted around the seating area last April and the planting has really come into it’s own this year. Phase two is about to start. We’ll be creating the wildlife pond which I’m very excited about and somewhere more formal to sit further out into the garden. We’ll also be tackling the other areas around the house as well as the front garden.

a GeorgianTown House

This new terrace for a London town house in Wandsworth was created following a house renovation project.  The design had to create a new space for relaxation which connected the new kitchen extension to the rest of the garden.

Inspired by woodland walks, Victoria and Andrew wanted the planting to remind them of the landscapes that they love so we chose ferns and plants with rich foliage.  

The star of the show is the Acer Griseum (Paperbark Maple) with its gorgeous copper-coloured bark that lights up when it catches the sun.

Large family garden with warm & vibrant planting

This large informal garden was designed to bring more light into the garden. My clients wanted to open up the space so that they could get a better sense of the countryside beyond the end boundary.  

A long sweeping lawn gives plenty of space for the children to play alongside some more sophisticated adult space for relaxation and entertaining closer to the house. 

Spring bulbs give way to tall perennial planting giving colour and texture throughout the summer.  The box balls, grasses and perennial seed heads give structure during winter.

Classy courtyard garden for a professional couple

A small courtyard garden, designed for a professional couple who worked long hours but wanted a clean and contemporary garden space where they could relax in the evenings and weekends.

Clean crisp lines and simple planting give this garden an air of sophistication which looks pretty much the same all year round, even in winter when the trees lose their leaves.

At the front the design is simple and elegant with storage for the bins and space to park two cars.

Maintenance is low without the need for constant maintenance,  A couple of sessions in the garden a year is all that's required to keep this garden looking amazing.

A new garden for a restored Victorian family home

Peter and Amy contacted me after they'd finished the renovation of a large Victorian house.  Having previously been a bed and breakfast, it's now been restored into a beautiful family home.

One of the main challenges of the garden was that the house sat in the middle of what, for the size of house, isn't a very big plot.  This made the garden look and feel tiny when viewed from inside the house, although there was actually a lot of space.

I love this garden and the way we've made it feel part of the new house.  The planting is still quite new, but it will soon fill out and feel as though it's always been there.  Painting the fences black always works a treat, making them almost disappear and it also gives the garden more depth. I always think the plants somehow come to life too.

Terraced garden with informal planting

A new garden for a family who, following a house renovation project, wanted to bring their garden back to life.  The steep levels made it difficult to use and they wanted to open up the space to allow more light in.

Terracing the garden has made it much more usable and the decked terrace at the top of the garden not only provides a great place to sit, it also enhances the view from the house.

The amazing willow tree now takes centre stage with its weeping branches casting dappled shade on hot summer days.