Residential Gardens

The dramatic sculpture focal point of the garden is a steel rendering of an imaginary wind scattering a life-size woman into leaves

Situated in a prominent location within the South Downs National Park overlooking the City Of Winchester, this luxury house enjoys expansive views over the city and into its beautiful surrounding countryside

Once downstairs the existing rear terrace is extended out from under the house with an outdoor fireplace, with in built seating and 3 flights of steps down into the garden

A mixture of structural hedges and columns throughout the planting help soften the hard landscaping elements

A restrained palette of plants, block planted for the most part, with areas of more complexity give interest to the scheme while not making the garden too labour intensive

Grass pathways lead down the garden either side of a new level lawn

Defying conventional thinking the house was designed upside down

“Skyfall” Modern Family Garden, Hampshire

Structural planting helps soften the hard landscaping elements

“SKYFALL” is situated in a prominent location within the South Downs National Park, overlooking the City Of Winchester. This luxury house enjoys expansive views over the city and into its beautiful surrounding countryside.

Defying conventional thinking the house was designed upside down to take advantage of those views, with access at the front of the property taking you straight into the living quarters on the upper floor. This genius concept has created an amazing living space, but when it comes to the outside it meant the garden was very much removed from everyday life, however all the main living areas of the house do look down onto the garden. This meant that the plan view of the space was very important, alongside creating a strong connection between the two.

Structural planting helps soften the hard landscaping elements

3 views had been created in the living space upstairs, which are the key connection to the garden. The central living room and balcony, one from the dining room and the final one from the kitchen. Aligning features and statues to these views helps tie the house and garden together. Once downstairs the existing rear terrace is extended out from under the house with an outdoor fireplace, with in built seating and 3 flights of steps down into the garden. Grass pathways lead down the garden either side of a new level lawn. A mixture of structural hedges and columns throughout the planting help soften the hard landscaping elements by screening walls and notes of height.

A restrained palette of plants, block planted for the most part, with areas of more complexity give interest to the scheme while not making the garden too labour intensive.

Overhead view of terrace and seating area

Beyond that the bold structural feature plants and blocks of clipped topiary form the backbone of the garden

The terrace outside the kitchen forms the main entertaining space, raised to internal floor level to create a sense of flow and reduce the need for excavation and export of spoil off site

The main driver for the design was to address a steep and badly planted section of the garden, creating a more visually appealing feature that is incorporated into the rest of the garden and its flow

The main terrace and view out is framed by industrial steel beams that form a climbing frame for plants

The planting throughout the garden is designed on multiple levels. First and foremost, the planting is about diversity, bringing in a wider selection of plants to enhance the biodiversity of the garden

A functional garden for the clients and wildlife alike, with stunning views out over Royal Winchester Golf Course

The design also needed to address the overly exposed sunny rear elevation of the house by creating much needed dappled shade for the ground floor windows

“Spectre”Biodiverse Contemporary Garden, Hampshire

This project was all about crafting a functional garden for the clients and wildlife alike, while negotiating a steep slope with stunning views out over Royal Winchester Golf Course.

The main driver for the design was to address a steep and badly planted section of the garden, creating a more visually appealing feature that is incorporated into the rest of the garden and its flow. The design also needed to address the overly exposed sunny rear elevation of the house by creating much needed dappled shade for the ground floor windows. The newly crafted spaces need to take advantage of the internal and external views alongside making the most of the sun and shade.

The terrace outside the kitchen forms the main entertaining space, raised to internal floor level to create a sense of flow and reduce the need for excavation and export of spoil off site. The main terrace and view out is framed by industrial steel beams that form a climbing frame for plants, framing the view out of the kitchen to the wider landscape with planting on ground level being brought right into the house on both sides.

First and foremost, the planting is focused on biodiversity

Off to one side creating part of the connecting pathway and access to the side gate a separate terrace sits amongst the planting outside the back door. This terrace is created as a smaller more intimate space for casual use, taking advantage of a sunnier position. From this side terrace a feature set of steps lead you up and out of the garden. This set of steps is not only a functional feature, granting year-round access to the side gate, but helps to break up the mass and dominance of the bank. Surrounded by planting on all sides the new steps allow the bank to be regraded to soften the gradient to further reduce the impact of the bank.

To the rear corner of the garden, tucked into and surrounded by planting is a secluded area designed for parents only. With access via a bark mulch path through the planting this quiet corner is designed for escaping with inbuilt seating for convenience and space for a firepit on the terrace. The planting throughout the garden is designed on multiple levels. First and foremost, the planting is about diversity, bringing in a wider selection of plants to enhance the biodiversity of the garden. Beyond that the bold structural feature plants and blocks of clipped topiary form the backbone of the garden, giving much needed height, shade and textural contrast to an overlaid planting scheme that is softer, grass and shrub based, echoing the wider landscape, helping to bring the wider landscape into the garden.

The design breaks the garden up into areas of designated use, creating short views within the space to and from the house and creating smaller framed views outwards

Habitats for wildlife will be increased alongside a wider variety of plants throughout the garden

A palette of materials inspired by the local vernacular were used for the hard landscaping with a modern twist alongside a planting scheme that blends and balances a traditional garden setting with the more wilder landscape beyond

a more cohesive existence with highly cultivated gardens blending with the wider landscape and creating havens for wildlife

BBQ area and evening entertaining lights

Distinctive triple brick pathway runs alongside deep flowerbeds

Private Residence Privacy Conscious Entertaining garden, Hertfordshire

The planting scheme blends a traditional garden setting with the wilder landscape beyond

Set within the Chilterns AONB, a Green Belt Zone, a Conservation Zone and adjacent to special wildlife sites and SSSI’s this garden came with a few challenges, which ultimately helped define and drive the design.

With the prospect of the fields to the rear of the property being built on the clients having lived with a very open garden orientated around the view across the fields, wanted to create a garden that was more inward facing whilst retaining the view. This ‘Open & Closed concept for the garden needed to function in multiple ways with entertaining spaces for different times of the day whilst increasing biodiversity and wildlife.

The planting scheme blends a traditional garden setting with the wilder landscape beyond

The design breaks the garden up into areas of designated use, creating short views within the space to and from the house and creating smaller framed views outwards. A palette of materials inspired by the local vernacular were used for the hard landscaping with a modern twist alongside a planting scheme that blends and balances a traditional garden setting with the more wilder landscape beyond.

Habitats for wildlife will be increased alongside a wider variety of plants throughout the garden.

As humans our lives and interactions with the earth have always left a mark on the landscape, but through careful and considered design we can look to achieve a more cohesive existence with highly cultivated gardens blending with the wider landscape and creating havens for wildlife.

leading out the house an informal entertaining seating area overlooking lawn

Formal pond with industrial water feature

Trees and potted planting break up the hard landsacaping lines

What outwardly looks like a clean, contemporary and modern garden is also a place for children to play

Private Residence Modern family garden, Surrey

A perfect balance to entertain adults and children alike

This garden was a tale of 2 halves with an existing large terrace at the rear of the property and a large lawn on the lower level accessible only by steep steps. The clients brief was short and succinct; to create a modern garden for entertainment but not to exclude the children!

A split level terrace addressed the issue of height, staggering the decent from the house to the lawn, while providing multiple spaces for entertaining, taking advantage of access to the house in difference locations and a mixture of sunny and shady spots. The children's needs where then addressed and mixed into the hard landscaping elements of the garden.

A perfect balance to entertain adults and children alike

What outwardly looks like a clean, contemporary and modern garden is also a place for children to play. The central feature on the main terrace is the heated plunge pool primarily for the children, followed by a feature concrete wall at the end of the garden. This feature wall doubles up as a focal point and houses a frame for an ariel hoop and trapeze for the children. A large area of lawn was retained along with football nets. The perfect balance for a garden fit to entertain adults and children alike.

Extensive formal pond with feature standing stones and water lillies

A new summer house and terrace dominate the left hand corner creating the main entertaining area

A small yet formal lawn sits in the centre of the garden, with a simple refection pool flanking the rear

Clipped Buxus balls untie the planting scheme throughout with swathes of grasses and herbaceous plants giving movement, height and accent to the scheme

Set within Royal Clarence Victualling Yard Gosport, Clarence House was the former residence of the Chief Clark

A garden which is sympathetic to its historic surroundings and the impressive Georgian architecture, while being a modern garden based on entertainment

“FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE” Contemporary formal Garden, Hampshire

Formal design is broken up by dramatic and luxuriant planting

“FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE” is set within Royal Clarence Victualling Yard Gosport, Clarence House was the former residence of the Chief Clark, built 1830. The original walled garden was twice the size containing formal lawns and an orchard, but was calved in two when Berkley Homes purchased and redeveloped Clarence Yard.

The clients brief required the garden to be sympathetic to its historic surroundings and the impressive Georgian architecture, while being a modern garden based on entertainment.

Formal design is broken up by dramatic and luxuriant planting

A small yet formal lawn sits in the centre of the garden, with a simple refection pool flanking the rear, visually carrying the eye from one side of the garden to the other. A new summer house and terrace dominate the left hand corner creating the main entertaining area, with a secondary deck, pergola and outdoor fireplace in the opposite corner.

The formal design is then broken up by the dramatic and luxuriant planting dominated by the existing Arbutus Undeo. Clipped Buxus balls untie the planting scheme throughout with swathes of grasses and herbaceous plants giving movement, height and accent to the scheme.