Mid-Century Modern Detached Home

Overview

This 1960’s property had recently undergone a sympathetic modern refurbishment, and the semi-retired clients were looking to update their garden in keeping with this modern aesthetic.

The Brief

The homeowner driving this project is a keen gardener, that enjoys regular pottering sessions. So, the brief included good sized borders of planting as well as the creation of areas, where they could entertain friends and family whilst enjoy being in nature and watching the birds.

Design & Process

As is often the case, the garden of this detached house was wide and shallow, so creating a feeling of depth was important to balance out the proportion of the space. We did this by unifying the long back fence with a baton screen, allowing it to blend into the background. The clients wanted an area with a sense of enclosure so we created a raised pergola area in one of the sweet-spots in the garden, for relaxing in the evening. This pergola and a selection of small multi-stem trees creates visual interest, helping to pull the eye into the space giving the illusion of depth.

We also added a large patio enveloping the rear of the house, using porcelain borders with recycled pavers from the previous patio. These recycled pavers were also used for the paths to the seating area and shed as well as a mowing edge for the lawn.

A palisade screen was added in order to hide the raised vegetables beds however, it has the duel function of casting interesting shadows throughout the day and this combined with the Cornus hedge add seasonal interest too. We placed the client’s existing garden sculptures into pockets of gravel, in order to allow them to stand out as well as creating negative spaces which balance out the maximal border planting.

Testimonial

“Last year we engaged Carole to transform our weed-infested, featureless garden into a bird-friendly space that we can enjoy. The process was very thorough. After the initial consultation, Carole took us through a detailed design brief; covering what we wanted in the garden and, more importantly, how we wanted to use it. The whole process was very collaborative, Carole listened carefully to our opinions and wishes and compromises were made, where necessary.

She naturally considered the garden’s aspect and soil type and our requirements for year-round interest and a very natural look. She expertly chose the most appropriate plants.

Now we have a truly gorgeous garden. We are delighted with the end result. I can’t stop looking at it! Every day, rain or shine, I look at the garden from my windows, or take a walk around it to see how it’s doing. I love it! It was a big investment but very well worth it as it will give us years of pleasure.”

Amanda & Ken