Site
A garden that wraps the house, open to the wider valley yet closely edged by its immediate surroundings.
Brief
We were invited into this garden, where the structure had already been set, to work with planting as a means of bringing cohesion and quiet resolution.
Response / Design
This is an ongoing project shaped as much by what lies beyond it as by what sits within. The intention is to hold a sense of seclusion while allowing the valley to remain present. Beech and hornbeam hedges form a loose screen, filtering movement from the nearby footpath and softening the presence of cars. Our work is to knit the garden together; inking spaces, adjusting tone, and allowing each area to find its own character. Meadows open out around lightly placed orchard trees, while planting at the margin borders encourages diversity to settle and expand. Views are gathered and held with yew dome topiary, and drought-tolerant herbaceous planting responds to the exposed conditions. Closer to the house, the atmosphere shifts: sheltered courtyards, sun-warmed borders, climbers that trace the walls, and pockets of shade that carry early spring. All provides year-round interest. The meadow will be quietly structured mown paths and trees; native trees are studded to create zones for family life as well as corridors for barn owls and bats to swoop through.
Status
Work in Progress
