Garden Redesign
I was asked to redesign this back garden of a new build house in Otley. The owners wanted an area where they could entertain guests and spend time in the evenings after work. They are not gardeners so wanted a very low maintenance area. They also wished to retain the decking for barbecues and additional seating/dining.
The Hard Work!
The design I created incorporated a patio to the rear of the garden removing the lawn and slope. This area was dug out in preparation for the patio to be laid and a small retaining wall to be erected connected to the existing decking. The small apple tree was also removed and re-sited to a nearby orchard.
Patio Laid
The patio was laid and wall constructed which would act as additional seating. The garden owners also have a dog whose urine damages the edging of the lawn so a strip of lawn edging was installed on all sides of the grassed area where the dog would urinate so the lawn was not damaged.
Refining the colour scheme
The red brick wall at the back of the garden was, at the time, the only focal point from the house and was not very exciting nor in keeping with the house and the other materials in the garden. The wall was painted grey and batons erected which would support slatted fencing.
Scandinavian style battens were used to create a contemporary slatted fence. These redwood battens were painted grey to match the patio and the effect the couple wished to achieve in their garden
Garden Furniture
Some carefully chosen garden furniture and a chimenea completed the modern garden patio and new seating area which blended perfectly with the house and the effect the owners wished to achieve.
A work in progress
This garden is still a ‘work in progress’. The owners are completing sections and purchases as and when they can afford it and I am happy to be involved when required. The most recent purchases have included some tall pots to compliment the style of the garden and some structural evergreen planting which is easy to manage (pictures show Phormium ‘Maori Queen’ and Festuca glauca ‘Intense blue’). Circular stepping stones are also being sunk into the lawn to form a straight path to the new patio and seating area.
Further updates on the finished article to follow – watch this space!
Fast forward two years and no more grass!!
As with many new build properties, the drainage at this site is fairly poor and the lawn became waterlogged during rainy periods which was frustrating for the owners. Therefore after a couple of years they made the decision to replace the lawn with decorative aggregate which provides a solution to the drainage problem and also looks great! The fence was painted grey to match the colour scheme and some random paving stones laid to provide a path across the garden to the rear patio. Here are a few pictures of the second transformation and how the garden looks now.
