Coastal Garden, Bude

The design for the coastal garden at Bude....the aim, to make the most of the lawn, add to the planting with new borders, replace the overgrown hedges, and create different seating areas within the garden.

 

The garden before work started was dominated by a poor quality lawn.  It had no planting borders and was enclosed by huge overgrown hedges of diseased Escallonia and blocky conifers. 

 

 

 

The client wanted a good quality lawn, with new areas of interest through planting, and paving, with some sculptural features. 

 

The garden cleared and areas being defined....

 

 

A sculptural circular seat/viewing platform to make the sea views more accessible...with inbuilt slate steps.

 

 

The tumbled granite sett edging for the borders, with the new sculptural fencing behind framing and screening the garden....

 

 

Steel edging for the lawn to give a crisp, clean and contemporary look....

 

The plants going in....

 

The finished lawn is a half circle and maximises the space in this long elongated garden....

 

 

A patio of slate crazy paving works well with the sculptural timber and organic curving lines of the borders and lawn.....

 

 

The stone faced viewing platform/seat is enclosed by a curving sculptural screen of spaced timber uprights,

 

 

with planting in front...

 

 

The planting is a mix of Mediterranean and coastal planting in the hot and sunny borders...

with some soft woodland style planting for the bank and borders in the shade of the wooded area behind the garden.

 

 

This area is now a fantastic sunny space for relaxing or entertaining, surrounded by beautiful and vibrant planting.  I can't wait to see how the borders develop over the summer - more photos to follow progress later in the season.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woodland Border

An additional border has been created and planted up around the back of the pool in the Woodland Garden near Blisland.  It has been planted with some shrubs but mainly ground cover plants, with foliage and flowers that give all year round interest and will give colour and light to shady spots....

The white Bleeding Hearts or Dicentra, gives a shady spot brightness...

 

 

as does the Wood Spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides...

 

 

and the forget-me-not 'Jack Frost'...

 

 

the foliage of Hellebores, Skimmia and ferns all add interest...

 

 

 

Spring Colour

I love this time of year, especially in my own garden.  It's amazing how just a few colourful plants, blossoms, and foliage can transform a garden....

Tulips caught by the sun in a shady corner...

The early blossom of  the Amelanchier tree...

Periwinkle in a shady corner is fantastic for providing colour and interest....

 

The lovely blossom and woody frame of Quince....

 

 

A Contemporary Cottage Garden at Blisland

The front garden at Blisland has now been completely transformed.  The design includes an enclosed slate seating area within the garden, with raised beds for lavender and herbs.

 

There were three natural levels within the garden that were utilised to create the top garden area and two lower grass terraces. 

The client wanted simple curving lines, and low maintenance planting. 

 

 

The mulch of slates paddlestones will cut down on weeds, means less planting is needed and what planting there is is shown off to greater effect.

 

This whole area had been just a dirt and weed patch.  It is now a very beautiful and useable contemporary cottage garden.

 

Walled Garden, Gerrans

This is a new design for a lovely old walled garden in Gerrans which needs completely renovating.  

The garden currently consists of a rectangular lawn and planting bed with a narrow terrace running along the house.

The design aims to create a beautiful space with more usable seating and different areas or 'rooms' for the family.  The client wanted curves and colour, with low maintenance coastal planting in blues, purples, lime greens and mauves.

Woodland Garden North Cornwall

The recent dry and sunny weather enabled good progress to be made with the Woodland Garden near Blisland.

The aim of the design was to create a garden in keeping with its setting, that was natural, beautiful  and somewhere for the clients to spend time in.

A central circular and curved sweeping lawns make what is quite a narrow space seem much more spacious.  Bark paths are in keeping with the setting, and sculptural stone uprights act as a gateway to the lower part of the garden.

A large tree fern and pond were already there but hidden away in the undergrowth, so two more ferns were added to complete the look along with planting suitable for a shady and damp site.

The garden had been completely overgrown and almost hidden away, with difficult drainage problems.   This is before any work was undertaken...

 

and after...an absolute transformation

 

 

 

'before' looking back up the garden...

 

 

and after....

 

 

the new tree ferns...

 

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a timber screen provides privacy, and a backdrop for the whole garden as well as screening  off a very useful compost and working area behind...

 

 

spring woodland planting by the pond

 

 

 

It will be exciting to see the planting fill out and establish as the season progresses....more pictures to follow later in the year.

 

 

 

 

Blisland Gardens

The build for the front and rear gardens of the cottage near Blisland is now underway.

The plan for the front garden....

 

Clearing the site... 

 

Footings for patio and walls...

 

Preparing the curving grass terraces....

 

 

 Walls going up for the raised stone planters enclosing the patio...

 

The plan for the rear woodland garden...

 

 

The woodland garden is cleared but the weather has hampered

 progress in this part of the garden...

 

 

 

Steeply Banked Garden in Jacobstow

This very steeply sloping garden in Jacobstow was completely overgrown and neglected.  A huge rhododendron dominated the only level area and the whole site was dangerous to walk over as it was completely uneven underfoot.

 

The garden before...

 

 

 

 

The clients wanted a useable level area of lawn for their young daughter to play on with easily accessible paths through the garden space, with minimal low maintenance planting.  A lovely variegated holly was to be kept as well as the pergola clothed with honeysuckle, and two camellias.  The large rhododendron and bamboos were removed to free up the level area.

 

It was a difficult site because of the steep slope and the very wet clay soil, a lot of which needed to be removed and new topsoil added.

 

The garden during the build...

 

 

Timber has been used to created the paths and steps with bark, to be in keeping with the woodland setting of the garden, and the clients budget.  Keeping most of the garden to lawn will provide safe play areas.  The planting has yet to go in, but will be low maintenance evergreen shrubs and hedging with ground cover plants and some fruit trees.

 

The finished landscaping, before planting...

 

 

 

In the clients words "It looks amazing...".  What had once been a huge headache and worry for the family is now an attractive,  safe and useable garden.

 

 

Bude Coastal Garden

This is a new design for a tucked away garden close to the coastal path at Bude.  The garden is currently mainly lawn and the clients want to keep two thirds of this for the grandchildren to play on. They want to add paths through the garden with enclosed seating areas and planting borders. A water feature of a large round water bowl with water lilies will be surrounded by a curved border of Hostas and Lilies.  One of the seating areas will be encircled by a sculptural timber screen, the other by a curved border to be planted with tall grassed and perennials.

Walled Garden in St Tudy

Getting great feedback always makes the job worthwhile, and these words from recent clients do just that....

"Thank you so much for our beautiful plan.  We are so thrilled and can not wait to make a start on it.  We are so grateful for all the guidance."

The clients' walled garden in North Cornwall is a lovely space which has been kept mainly to lawn for the children and pets.

 

Now the children are older the clients want to give the garden a new lease of life.  The plan is designed to keep a decent sized lawn but add different areas of interest as well, with more seating areas, defined pathways, additional (but not too much) planting, and a greater sense of enclosure within the garden as the space is quite open and a little exposed to the weather.

Curving lines have been used to reflect the line of the existing curved retaining wall which is to stay, and to soften the look of the stone wall that surrounds the garden.

 

Looking forward to taking some progress photos later in the year and next spring.....