From start to finish

Finished garden cat view
Finished garden
Finished garden
Finished garden cat view
Finished garden cat view
Finished garden cat view
Finished garden cat view
Finished garden from patio

Multi-level, Artist Garden in South London

Overview

The owner of this garden is a graphic designer and very artistic. Her home in South London is a visual feast of plants and beautiful objects, displayed wonderfully, the garden needed to do the home justice. Initially the garden was SO overgrown, the clearance and some of the landscaping had to be undertaken before I could even start the survey and design process.

The Brief

This brief made me laugh out loud – A Witches Psychic Garden!

The client wanted to be able to access and sit in various areas of the garden and the planting had to be colourful, with no variation or white!

The lower patio and concrete retaining wall had been done by the builders, who did the extension, and weren’t part of the brief. Although I did suggest some Moroccan style tiling for a later date.

Design Concept

The small urban garden was on a steep slope, raising away from the house and overlooked by the adjacent buildings so we needed to think about screening. This was achieved using a pergola which also adds a bit of a cosy, inclusive feeling to the space and a Prunus serrula to block the view from windows as well as giving seasonal interest.

We added a spiral pebble pathway amongst the beds in the upper area and a teak boardwalk in the mid-terrace area which allows for access to almost the whole space in all weathers.
Adding an upper retaining wall and the granite steps we found on site. I love to re-cycle materials!

The Result

The lower level had to bring seasonal interest via planting, however the upper level is all about colourful perennial planting. It was such a pleasure to go back to this garden and see how the client has put her mark on it with quirky bird sculptures and pots.