New cottage pathway and planting
I was asked to redesign a back garden area for a client in Bradford. One of the main features running through the garden was an angular pathway leading from the access point to the back door. There was a small paved patio and straight narrow planting bed but other than that no other areas for plants. The owners wanted to get rid of the straight pathway in favour of a ‘crazy paving’ type meandering path edged with some planting leading through the garden. They also wished to add a small seating arbour, an arch and a water feature and have some fragrant and colourful cottage favourites growing.
The redesign
The design I created involved completely removing the straight pathway and introducing a new curved path traversing the garden. I decided to make the most of the space created on removal of the path by replacing the old path line with 3 large new curved and shaped planting beds. There was a large area of lawn that I decided to intersect using a stepping stone pathway from the existing patio which the owners wished to retain, to the new curved pathway passing through a beautiful archway. An arbour seat was placed as a reading nook overlooking one of the planting beds in an area where it would receive lovely summer evening sunshine. A line of suitable climbing plants was introduced down the long right hand wall of the garden to cover the wall with year round interest. Climbers were also situated along the back wall facing the house to eventually cover this with flowering interest all year round. A small gravel area was also created to house a beautiful bubbling water feature.
The Hard Work!
On completion of the design the task seemed quite straightforward! Local builders were on hand to lift the old pathway, break up the stones and create a new curved crazing paving style path and I was poised to dig over the vacated soil, add new soil conditioner and plant up some beautiful cottage planting. Simple! But Mother Nature and the previous builders put paid to that idea very quickly. When the pathway was lifted it revealed huge blocks of concrete and thick heavy clay soil. Also this build took place over two of the wettest weeks in June that we had seen for a few years. So sadly each morning we arrived all the previous days digging was full of water. But resolute we continued!
The end result!
After a long hard slog (and some long awaited improvement in the weather!) the build was finally completed. The old straight pathway had been dug up, broken into random pieces and relaid as a beautiful crazy paving cottage pathway making access to the garden look much more inviting.
A journey through the garden
A stepping stone pathway was laid, also created from the old pathway, leading through a beautiful ornate metal archway leading from the new path to the retained patio. Vigorous climbing vines and plants will be rambling over the archway come next spring and summer making it a lovely feature.
Cottage planting
The plants for the three new planting beds and the existing bed, along with all the climbing plants and two small trees, were carefully chosen with the client. The site had its challenges as the area nearest the back door is in complete shade for the majority of the time so specimens such as Vibernum tinus ‘Eve Price’ as well as Hosta, Fatsia japonica and Vinca minor were chosen to suit the conditions. However further the garden there is plenty of sunshine so sun-loving cottage favourites such as Echinecea, Eryngium, and Cosmos were well suited. Fragrant plants and herbs such as Lavendula, Thymus and Rosmarinus were placed in the existing bed nearest the patio seating area. Although the planting is in its infancy, I look forward to revising this garden in years to come where hopefully it will have matured into a beautiful cottage garden.
Pathway before and after
One of the main features of this garden build was the pathway changing it from a straight uninviting and featureless path to a curved inviting meander through the new garden. Planting will eventually spill from the beds over the edges to forge the link between the planting and the path in true cottage garden style – gorgeous!
