THE BRIEF

To combine two unloved and overgrown gardens to create a naturalistic family garden for the client and their four young children. The client wanted the garden to feel comfortable and ‘lived in’ with a large patio and built in BBQ for entertaining, a flat lawn for play, fruit trees and herbs for the kitchen, and year-round interest.

The site was challenging with different levels, drainage and privacy issues and the project was part of a larger architect led house renovation which meant it was also a building site.

The design set out to make a feature of the level changes, to use planting to define different areas of the garden and screen neighbours and to use hard landscaping materials that felt organic, namely stone and wood. Most important however, was to make every possible area robust enough for the children to run through, climb on and jump off, and to involve them in the plants and planting themselves, making them integral to the design and development of the garden for years to come.

We loved creating this garden and can’t wait to see it mature.