URBAN - Social Space
This garden is located in a residential tree lined area between Preston and Blake’s Parks behind a Victorian terraced house. Our client needed a complete clear out and redesign, the outdoor space was left derelict and never used.
The brief was to make it a glamorous, stunning socialising space for drinks, BBQs and dinner parties for both our client and any AirBnB guests staying when the owner was renting it out.
Most importantly, this garden needed to be beautiful and simple. Also, it needed to be easy to look after with the owner, in his own words, “not particularly green fingered”.
We needed to include:
Entertaining space
Inbuilt seating to maximise the use of space
More privacy with screens
BBQ area
Shading from a drought tolerant specimen Olive tree
New custom gate
New custom seating
New raised beds
Low maintenance, seasonally interesting, drought proof and pollinator friendly planting
The existing garden was split into 3 levels stepping uphill but the lack of formal zoning made it feel muddled and unloved. There were also big problems with damp at the rear of the building, a problem which needed urgent attention.
Our design turned an unloved wasteland into a contemporary, simple outdoor entertaining space with a Mediterranean feel. We created three distinct zones:
Lowest level: Shaded calming seating area with evergreens
Middle level: BBQ, cooking and entertaining
Top level: Seating and dining in an private but sunny space
We used a light colour palette for a fresh modern look:
rendered raised beds with drainage
resin bound gravel to create a smooth sophisticated finish
large porcelain paving slabs for the dining area to elevate it
slatted screens and fence made using pressure treated timber
custom made gate and inbuilt seating using durable scaffolding boards which were sanded and waxed for a beautiful sheen
With our client a keen cook and entertainer but on regular trips away, planting needed to be performing in all season with minimal maintenance required.
Herb garden: Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Lemon
Planting: Drought tolerant and sun loving perennials such as Hylotelephium, Salvias, grasses areas
Planting: Shade tolerant shrubs such as Fatsia, Choisya and ferns in shady areas
