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Front Corner Plot
Before
The garden had previously had raised beds for growing vegetables but had become quite neglected over time. The paths were all very straight and directed the eye towards the corner, emphasising the shape and not making the most of the whole area.
The clients requested a cottage-style garden, with lots of flowers but needed to have easy access for maintenance. A group of hedgehogs were in residence, so we had to try and manage their habitation and limit disturbance.
The clients wanted to re-use the existing materials and incorporate other reclaimed pieces as much as possible.
We had a very productive collaboration to incorporate their ideas and evolve the design.
After
The design involved a curving border along the outer border, using old block pavers in a dry-stone wall effect. Further curving paths of gravel break up the area into smaller planting beds which allow access to care for the new plants, making watering and weeding easier.
By having paths going across the space, instead of straight down the garden, the eye is drawn to the sides and the whole area feels much bigger.
The old timber from the raised beds has been re-purposed into a taller bed and seat by the shady patio area, under the cherry tree. Other timbers have been used as vertical sculpture and will have holes drilled into them for solitary bee nesting sites. The rest of the timber has been used to make a hedgehog shelter by the Aucuba shrub. A quiet spot where they can sleep in the daytime and hibernate in over winter.
New planting, with a mixture of perennials, evergreens, climbers, flowering shrubs and ferns will encourage wildlife and provides the cottage garden feel that the clients were looking for. Over the next couple of years the planting will develop and fill out, helping to screen the garden from passers by and increase the sense of privacy.