Jane McCartney
The clients and their two dogs live in part of a converted school building, which dates back to the eighteenth century. The upper secluded walled terrace provides a tranquil garden space, ideal for entertaining or for just sitting outside and enjoying the environment. The orientation of the terrace is in an East/West direction and it is relatively sheltered from all but the worst of the winds. In the summertime it enjoys full sun throughout the day.
Initial work on transforming this space was carried out a number of years ago, when bespoke wooden planters, benches and trellises were added. However, it had now started to look a little unloved. In calling me in, the clients were keen to find out what could be achieved in order to “liven it up” a little.
What was clear was that the basic framework of the garden was good and pleasing to the eye. A combination of wooden trelliswork and London Brick gave a homely, cottage garden/Arts and Crafts feel. However, much renovation work would be required.
The clients expressed a desire to retain some of the planting, including the established wisterias. However, a lot of the existing greenery was very overgrown and tended to dominate the space, so needed to be removed. In order to extend the life of the woodwork, it was necessary to strip down and oil or paint it and to restore the garden store.
New decorative ceramic planters, in aqua and copper, were added. The space was replanted with fuchsias, camellias, miniature flowering cherries, bays, fragrant coral climbing roses, agapanthus, English lavender and a mixture of colourful annuals (to provide a pretty, year-one, display). The garden was fully restored, giving a tranquil ambience. The watering system was tweaked and the lighting checked out. The result was that the clients were delighted with their new outdoor space!
Examples are provided of the terrace before and after the completed design.
Garden Design