Queen’s Drive
Our client’s brief was simple, to create a garden that felt modern, yet immersed in foliage and specifically they wanted to include big leaved plants. The space needed to have a good-sized entertaining space and provide a stunning canvas of year-round, visual impact from the open plan living and kitchen area. They have two small children and the garden also needed a place for them to play.
The Solution
The garden was split over two levels with over a metre difference so we wanted to open this out and laid it out as a series of deck ‘pads’ varying in height to create a visual and physical journey through the garden. Varying sizes and heights of the tree ferns, Dicksonia Antartica, Tetrapanax papyrifer, bamboo, Cycas revoluta and hakonechloa macra are used to accentuate the effect of depth through the space. Oiled IPE decking to give a mellow contemporary back drop to the dramatic planting. A pergola with horizontal timber screening shades the seating area to seamlessly blend into the contemporary fence cladding around the garden. Black slate contrasts well with the decking to offer strong geometric lines for the seating, whilst providing age and character to the scheme.
The Outcome
This previously unusable space now offers an outdoor extension of the home and a practical garden for entertaining as well as a fun play area for the client’s small children. The garden is filled with atmosphere and even from the front door as you glimpse through the house you are drawn to discover the garden. The impact of the foliage provides a stunning back drop to the modern extension and glass doors of the kitchen all year round, in both the day time, as gentle breezes animate the planting and at night, when soft lighting shows off the dramatic canopies of the planting.
“We are delighted with the garden, we can’t believe it’s the same space, what a transformation! Our children love exploring and having adventures in the garden. The planting is stunning, it almost feels we are on holiday. Thank you so much”
Josh LWindermere
