DATE: 2023 - Present Day

SIZE: ~ 400sqm

SITE: The site consists of a large L-shaped garden that wraps around a newly refurbished Edwardian villa and its contemporary extension - work undertaken by Baynes and Mitchell Architects. The site offered a diverse mixture of light levels and benefits from borrowed views of mature trees.

CLIENT: The client is a knowledgeable plant enthusiast who sought to create a series of quiet contemplative spaces with varied vantage points. They were particularly interested in encouraging wildlife and implementing sound ecological practices. The client wanted to blend classic British floriferous planting with contemporary combinations and design attitudes.

AIM: The original tree specimens, large neighbouring trees and borrowed canopies, provide the garden’s primary structure. Our ambition was to introduce density, colour and texture through layered planting at eye level, enhancing the sense of enclosure and providing a quiet escape from the city.

RESULT: The space is organised into three distinct sections: a shady woodland featuring Asplenium, Hackonechloa, and Edgeworthia under a canopy of mature Acer and Prunus spinosa; a sunny floriferous bed with dwarf conifers, amelanchier and vibrant herbaceous perennials bordered by a pond; and a stepped courtyard garden enclosed by hydrangeas, roses and a mature magnolia.

photos by Iona Sherwood