Grasslands
Ornamental grasses and a geometric path create a calm space in this London garden designed by Sophie Walker
Behind a 17th-century house in west London, designer Sophie Walker has created a modern interpretation of a knot garden using ornamental grasses and geometric paths
No lawn, no bright flowers and limited maintenance was the brief from Christopher and Sheila Richards when, in 2014, they asked Sophie Walker to redesign the garden of their west London home. Their once-pretty cottage garden had become increasingly shaded by trees they had planted 20 years earlier; the lawn had never amounted to much and, when honey fungus claimed a majestic acer and several fruit trees they decided it was time for a change.
Sophie’s solution was radical. Using the clearance of the trees and the light that was let in as a starting point, she set out to create something completely different to what had gone before. “Unusually for London, the house is a 17th-century cottage and I wanted the garden to feel like a field or a meadow,” she says, “very soft and engaged with the wind and the sky.” Sophie decided that ornamental grasses, with their swaying forms, were the answer.
Now fountains of miscanthus, clouds of deschampsia and stands of Calamagrostis x acutiflora rustle and swish, animated by the breeze and the light. Taller grasses such as Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ and M. sinensis ‘Professor Richard Hansen’ are situated further from the house, while lower-growing species GRASSES FROM THE GARDEN 1. Bothriochloa bladhii Delicate looking grass, produces masses of silvery pinkish flowers to create a light and airy effect. Beautiful autumn foliage. 1.2m. 2. Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ Distinctive vertical habit and wide, blue-grey foliage that turns yellowy orange in autumn. 1.8m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b†. 3. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Flamingo’ Feathery inflorescences that open pink and take on a silvery colour in late autumn. 2m. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b. 4. Chasmanthium latifolium ‘Golden Spangles’ A beautiful grass with arching stems that bear flattened, aubergine-tinged flowers. 1m. USDA 3a-8b.
such as Eragrostis spectabilis mingle with herbs by the back door. The space now feels free and open, yet mysterious. The same stands of grass that appear so ethereal in the sunlight also act as effective screens, concealing parts of the garden at first glance.
To discover them, you must follow the angular, aluminiumedged path, a stark contrast to the tickling grasses around it. “I like the idea that you go into a garden to have a journey of some sort, even if it’s to come back to where you started from,” says Sophie. “You could walk anywhere across the lawn before, but this garden helped me learn the power of the path; that the garden maker can set out that journey and give that direction.”
The owners are delighted with the result, describing it as mesmeric. The path is proving a revelation too, especially for selfconfessed ‘geometry nerd’ Christopher, who walks in the garden every morning. “I like to vary my route, though,” he smiles. “I get up and think ‘Today I will go this way, and see where it leads’.” USEFUL INFORMATION Find out more about Sophie’s work at sophiewalkerstudio.com GRASSES FROM THE GARDEN (continued) 5. Stipa calamagrostis Show-stopping grass with masses of long, fluffy, silverywhite flowers that mature to a biscuity buff colour. 1m. RHS H4, USDA 4a-9b. 6. Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Herbstzauber’ Attractive grass with fluffy white flower plumes that likes a sunny, well-drained spot. 1.2m. RHS H3, USDA 6a-9b. 7. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’ Elegant, low-growing miscanthus that takes on a glorious orange and yellow autumnal colour. 1.5m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b. 8. Deschampsia cespitosa Dark-green leaves with feathery panicles of silverypurple flowers on arching stems. 75cm. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b.