Garden of the Week
This sophisticated central London garden mixes traditional elements with modern style to create a relaxing green oasis
With historic Chiswick House just a stone’s throw from this garden in west London, it’s not surprising that owners Meyrick and Louise Chapman have been inspired by the elegant Palladian villa and its famous landscaped grounds. But their garden avoids looking too formal, as they’ve successfully blended elements, such as shaped yew hedges, heritage camellias and old-fashioned roses, with a contemporary green wall and a modern pool bordered by pale grey decking.
A restrained, yet sophisticated space, it’s a total contrast to what the couple found when they moved in. “The garden was completely overgrown,” recalls Meyrick. “It was also dominated by a massive bay tree. We’ve changed almost everything, including the levels of the ground, the hard landscaping and the beds. However, we were obliged to keep a large yew tree because it has a preservation order on it, although now we’re glad to have it!”
The Chapmans didn’t rush to make the changes, however. “I don’t really like the notion of instant gardens,” explains Meyrick. “We wanted to get used to the environment and our ideas evolved over about three years.”
The whole design has been meticulously planned and represents four circles within squares. “The design was dictated by what we wanted to emphasise. We had a too-wide lawn for instance, and the obvious solution to that was to create a circular one. By coincidence, the old yew tree formed another circle, where we created woodland planting, including snowdrops, ferns, cyclamens and hellebores. This is linked to the third circle which is much less formal, where we’ve made a camellia and azalea garden.”
While this has been influenced by Chiswick House, which contains the most historic camellia collection in the country, the seating area just outside the Chapman’s home is a nod to their time spent living in Australia. Here, a large tree fern forms a dramatic feature, with its frond-like branches curving over a pool. A ‘bargain buy’ from B&Q for just £40, the tree fern is underplanted with ferns, and hostas, such as ‘Giant Blue’ and ‘Sum and Substance’.
The living wall, planted with ferns, heuchera and grasses, softens the space and adds to a feeling of tranquillity. An electronic, built-in irrigation system keeps the vertical planting hydrated and lush. “The deck and pool were my wife’s input,” says Meyrick. “They adjoin the large glass windows at the back of the house and bring a sense of the outdoors inside.”
The deck is bordered by a white rendered wall, against which Meyrick has grown a fig tree, which fruited abundantly last summer, a ‘Climbing Iceberg’ rose in a tub and three lemon trees. “We didn’t protect them last winter and they lost a few
leaves, so we’ve been more careful this season,” he says.
Other exotics have proved problematic. “In the past, we’ve lost a New Zealand black tree fern, and our proteas, but sometimes you just have to take a chance.”
In the winter garden, camellias provide a feast of colour, flowering from New Year’s Day to early June. “Our soil is neutral, and they do well here, although I do feed them with camellia food from August or September, until they set buds.” Crocus and cyclamen are other seasonal highlights.
“Although we like to be in the garden in summer, often hosting large garden parties and barbecues for family and friends,
it was also designed to be enjoyed in the winter. When it’s frosty, it looks very pleasing.”
The formal elements of the space are key to emphasising the whiteness of winter, and nowhere is it more impressive than in the yew hedge, where a series of uniform arches have been cut into the foliage along one of the boundaries. Modern white planters have been placed inside each arch, to highlight the shaping. “I do like yew; it’s robust, dense and a lovely dark green. I would say that it’s easier to grow than box, which might do a similar job but has become a challenge with box blight and also box tree moth.”
Meyrick attributes his love of gardening to his parents, who were horticulturists, combined with time living in Australia, “where it’s possible to grow almost anything”. With three or four neighbours who also open their gardens for the NGS in summer, the street has become a hub of horticultural interest. “Our gardens are all very different, but people are very proud of them and there’s a healthy sense of competition!” says Meyrick. “I enjoy the whole process of gardening, not just the plants, but the architectural and structural interest, too.”