The clean lines of the hard landscaping contrast with the soft, romantic planting in this south west facing garden. Porcelain paving keeps the terrace modern and bright. But it’s sandstone characteristics give the garden a touch of tradition. Careful consideration was given to the planting, to create a low maintenance, but maximum impact scheme that is a haven for birds and insects.

This beautiful Arts & Crafts, Quartermain house, within the John Innes conservation area, needed a garden refresh.

The existing, narrow, crazy paved terrace was replaced with a generous terrace for entertaining. With curved steps down to the lawn and raised brick beds.                     A mix of herbaceous planting and evergreen structure frame and soften the terrace to make the most of the gardens South West aspect. A restricted calm, palette of planting, hold the scheme together. Views from the house are composed with the careful positioning of the steps and seating areas.

Any outside space for properties off Clapham’s Northcote Road needs to be used to maximum effect. So it was necessary to create a multifunctional space for this young family. Somewhere to entertain friends and family, but also where young children can play. But it also needed to look modern, stylish and interesting throughout the year. A seamless transition from kitchen/family room to courtyard was achieved by matching the tiles as they ran through the bi- fold glass doors. Structural evergreens and low maintenance perennials, teamed with clever lighting means there is interest all year round.

A pretty cottage in this conservation area, needed a modern cottage garden to create the right atmosphere. Soft and colourful planting frames the generous, limestone terrace with granite sett detail. Stepping stones surrounded with cottage garden plants lead to the lawn area with a mix of evergreens and herbaceous planting for all year interest and structure.

This garden needed to be a contemporary space for entertaining, while also catering for the needs of a growing family. The owners wanted to enjoy the space but did not have time to spend tending it.
It was important to create a continuous ow from the family room/kitchen, so matching tiles lead out to a terrace with built-in seating area. Raised beds create levels and divide the garden into two distinct areas. A hardwood deck and astro turf lawn provide a durable place for children to play, and a hidden sand pit under the deck adds to their enjoyment. Structural, evergreen, low maintenance planting with spots of seasonal herbaceous colour keeps the garden looking good all year round and subtle lighting means that even in the Winter months, there is a beautiful

After extensive renovations to their Victorian house. My clients wanted a garden to reflect their new home. The garden needed opening up to reveal a view from the house. The large limestone terrace has plenty of room for entertaining. Modern hard landscaping with more traditional planting softens the edges. While an oak pergola with colourful, fragrant climbers provides shelter from the sun.

A modern, glass extension to the house, meant it was necessary to create a stylish view as well as a practical space. The contemporary water feature introduces the relaxing sound of running water. While a sheltered sunken seating area allows people to sit and not be overlooked by neighbours. While the raised terrace with pleached trees, maximises the evening sunlight.

This enormous roof terrace with far reaching views needed careful planting to create different zones. Modern planters with silver birch trees frame the view from the penthouse apartment, to the meadow roof beyond. With a combination of plants that provide interest in these challenging weather conditions.

Starting with a reinstated classic tiled path to the front door. The clients wanted a more garden like space to view from the living room. So a strong asymmetric design of sandstone setts and hedging creates a separated space for colourful perennials to soften the hard landscaping.

With a grown family and having no more need for an old raised swimming pool, my clients decided they wanted
to replace it with a sunken garden. Forming part of a large, established garden, the area was transformed into a secluded seating area off the terrace.
Using existing York stone from the garden, and London Stock brick it was possible to create a space that linked with the existing terrace and lawn, making a seamless transition from one space to the next. An evergreen planting framework allowed for the addition of seasonal planting to provide bursts of colour and interest.

The challenge was to create a modern, Mediterranean garden with more traditional English planting! The outside space was a blank canvas. As the house had just had a major renovations and improvements. So, mature olive trees in raised white painted beds, gave reference to sunnier climes – with colourful planting to soften the look. Zones were introduced with a built-in seat, lawn and dinning terrace to maximise the space and views through the enormous glass doors.

The opportunity to make the most of this south facing space with the client’s love of mediterranean plants, gave the direction for the planting scheme. But they also wanted a contemporary, low maintenance garden to lead from their family room. Black limestone paving contrasts beautifully with clipped box hedging and lavender to give the courtyard a calm, elegance.

My clients wanted their tired block work driveway renewed introducing a garden space with parking for two cars. The addition of a large planting bed in front of the living room window, and angling a stone path and permeable bonded gravel, softens the area, while keeping it modern. Box hedging frames a colourful mix of herbaceous plant- ing and bulbs to bring texture and interest throughout the year.

As with so many of my projects – this started with a blank canvas. The client had plans for a modern, copper clad extension to her property, with bi fold doors allowing that ‘inside, outside, living’ feel. So I was asked to reflect this modern classic build with a new garden.

Although only a small, city space, the client wanted it to be a multi functional space for entertaining, relaxing, growing fruit and vegetables, storing bikes and somewhere to look beautiful all year round. The old Victorian rear wall remained and raised beds with standard olive trees were used to add height and maturity. Pale porcelain paving contrasts with the turf lawn and a mix of evergreen structure, flowering shrubs, herbaceous perennials and grasses softening the crisp edges to add texture and movement.

A group of residents, living in a converted Victorian villa wanted to create a garden, from an unloved and unused space. It needed to be beautiful to look at, have shelter from the road, have somewhere to sit, and be very low maintenance. A large Indian sandstone terrace on three levels, helped create different areas within this sloping site. Two large beds, centred by standard trees, align with the grand bay windows. A mix of shrubs and perennials means there is colour and interest all trough the year.

There is no need to compromise style or functionality in a tiny garden space. This courtyard works as a valuable ‘outside room’ where you can sit and relax, or entertain. The contrast of old London stock walls and pale grey, bat- ten fencing combine with white rendered raised beds and built-in, hard wood seating to produce a secluded and calm haven. Grey sawn limestone provides a sophisticated surface with pockets of low level planting to add dimension and interest. Buxus balls provide structural planting, offset by soft herbaceous colour and masses of spring bulbs to soften the raised beds.

My clients wanted to give this large garden a new lease of life, and change it’s usage from family play area, to an entertaining and relaxing space. They wanted somewhere modern, while harmonising with their Victorian home. A large, diagonal terrace was built, to accommodate a generous eating area and also allow for lazing in the sun. A red brick detail links the the terrace to the house’s facade. Large cubes of yew introduce important structure into this garden and groung the terrace into the existing garden with it’s mature trees and shrubs.

With a depth of nearly 200 feet, this narrow plot needed careful division. The essential elements required by the clients were a path leading from the house to a shed at the rear of the garden, and a lawn. By concealing the paths under a pergola and connecting them with a series of paved areas, a practical path was incorporated into the scheme without it becoming an intrusive part of the design. The distinct garden rooms section the space making it impossible to see the whole of the garden at once.

When the families’ brief is a cottage garden feel, with room for two teenage boys to play football and cricket all year round, you would normally expect acres of ground. But this plot is 10m x 12m. By changing the axis of the garden layout, we were able to maximise the lawn area allowing more space to play. But this also allowed for more areas of planting. Built in seating, outdoor kitchen and pergola in cool grey colours, create a sense of unity, while drawing your eye around the garden. A soft palette of purple, mauve, pink and white blur the edges of the play area. With the addition of box balls, that act as buffers to the flying footballs!

Surrounded by fields, this large, new family home needed a front and rear garden to integrate the house into the garden and garden into it’s surroundings.
A large circular pool, with water running over granite boulders became the central feature to the front garden. The raised edge to the pool provides somewhere to sit and observe the surroundings amid the Mediterranean planting. An ornamental orchard was introduced to flank the long drive while mixed hedging of holly, hawthorn and hornbeam strengthened the boundaries without concealing the views. A large terrace wrapped around the rear with steps leading to lawns and fields. Pyramid yews with soft herbaceous plants provides all year structure and interest with the softness required for this country space.