The garden challenge ahead

Larger than their previous garden, the haphazard plot had little flow or scope for seating, entertaining and relaxing. A tired, uninspiring patio, scant planting, an open lawn and the odd tree dotted throughout the garden offered little to no depth, light or character - something that the owners and Haywood Landscapes were keen to rectify.

The front garden was serving its most basic purpose and followed a simple house builders template for parking and pathway, but little more. Lighting would create warmth and ambience and an over-spilling urn water feature awaiting installation would add visual and natural interest.

Armed with the homeowner’s wishlist of “clean, simple lines and order”, the landscaping should create a manageable outdoor living and entertaining space, improved parking and access to the front and hold an exuberant young dog in mind with the consideration of surfaces and features.

In tune with the garden brief

Drawing on an important thread of their discussions with the homeowner, Haywood Landscapes set about envisaging and designing an outdoor space that would feel like it naturally flowed from the house, extending the home style into the garden itself.

“From the outset the team at Haywood’s were very responsive. We had thought about what our requirements were prior to meeting with Andy and when he left, we were excited to see what he would suggest for us.”

Creating a natural flow from house to garden

The garden was relatively untouched since the homeowners had moved in some years earlier and lacked cohesion and forethought. A single open space, laid to lawn, old hedges, an informal orchard and a few tired garden features detracted from views of the surrounding countryside. The nearby dual carriageway noise was also a landscape consideration.

The existing patio needed to be not just replaced but rejuvenated, with the client wanting a better quality finish and more contemporary styling for their first glimpse from house into garden. Haywood Landscapes carefully created this by working with the lay of the land and setting a large porcelain-paved patio at 45 degrees to the house.

The generous paved space would allow the couple to enjoy both their own company and that of friends and family whilst entertaining. From the patio, framed by a sitting wall to delineate, the garden leads to a raised composite deck, aligned at the same angle and joined by a stepping stone path. Just beyond, the overspilling urn cascades and adds to the relaxing character.

Softening the angular and built elements, a curved lawn is accompanied by generous planting frames. The border planting palette ensures a continuum of changing colour, foliage and structure through the seasons and has combined repositioning of existing shrubs with a balanced combination of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, flowering perennials and grasses. For example, one of the grasses, the ethereal Molinia caerulea 'Dauerstrahl', is repeated to visually link the patio and deck areas.

Conscious to extend the house into the garden seamlessly, the design picks up on the grey detailing of the bifold doors and window frames and reflects this in the greys of the porcelain walls and deck. A contemporary aluminium pergola extends this theme yet further and allows for extended use of the deck in more inclement weather.

The front garden now enjoys wider, realigned porcelain paths and a brick-framed landing step to create a more inviting approach to the front door and this is flanked by new fresh planting.

"Andy took on board our wishes and created a design which more than fulfilled our brief. The seating wall was so clever in design and has proved fabulous as a place to sit and as a transition element between the patio and the grass areas.”

Designer and Project Manager Andy Wiggins said:

“What a pleasure it was to transform a very unremarkable garden into something very stylish and contemporary. The new garden provides great spaces for entertaining, relaxing and outdoor living in general”.

In summary: A contemporary sleek-lined garden