A small modern garden.

The brief:

Turn this small garden space into a low maintenance garden, which would be a haven to relax in after a long day at the office. The client wanted the garden to be stylish with a modern feel.

Site problems:

The existing concrete was only one brick course below the DPC and covered half the air bricks, so it was likely to cause a damp problem in the living room. Not only would the concrete have to go, but a large amount of digging out and soil had to be removed which would eat into the budget. Lowering this level would make the garden even lower than the gardens on either side, so retaining walls along the boundaries by the paved area would be needed. The manhole covers were the most dominating features in the garden, not helped by a concrete plinth supporting the top one. Houses surrounded the garden and there was no practical way to completely screen them. The soil was very heavy clay.

Solutions:

The steps were to become not just practical but also one of the most eye-catching elements of the garden, by being over-sized and like shelves with room for pots, and keeping the much need retaining walls at bay so they did not dominate the space. The manhole covers were hidden under the steps but were still accessible by removing the steps.

We wanted to use organic materials which would change and weather. Wood seemed a natural choice, along with gravel instead of the high maintenance lawn. Gravel is one of the softest of the hard-landscape materials and allows plants to grow in it, softening the whole look.

The overlooking houses could not be screened but a sense of privacy could be given to the garden by a pergola. The calm, relaxed, 'oasis' feel was enhanced by the overflowing pot water feature and by lots of lush green planting.

Landscape work took 6 weeks.

Garden 3 years on.