SLICE OF PARADISE

Lynn and Gavin transformed their Edinburgh garden into a tropical scene that wouldn’t look out of place in one of the exotic locations to which they’ve travelled

are around 2,000 botanical gardens across the world, and Lynn and Gavin Mcmurray have big plans to tick off the top seven. ‘We were visiting Kirstenbosch in Cape Town when we saw a sign about the other six main gardens, one of which was Edinburgh,’ says Lynn. ‘Singapore, New York, Missouri, Rio and Sydney were on there too. We’d love to get to them all. We’ll hopefully start with Singapore, then maybe New York the year after!’

Lynn and Gavin’s love for travel is the inspiration behind their garden makeover. Once their sons had grown up and left home, the couple planned to turn their garden into a tranquil, grown-up space where they could relax and entertain. ‘Travel gave me lots of ideas for the planting,’ says Lynn. ‘I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well some of the exotic specimens I had my heart set on have grown and flourished.’

The original garden was dug up for an extension in 2012. This gave the couple the chance to design a space from scratch. They roughed out the patio in breeze blocks and concrete as part of the house extension and lived with the bare structure for over a year, deciding on the final finishes and details using 3D sketching software. Stephen Ogilvie, a local landscaping company, installed it. ‘They did exactly what we wanted,’ adds Gavin, ‘and added helpful ideas of their own.’

The result is a zen-like space with a hint of Japan, punctuated with hot, tropical colours. The road Lynn and Gavin live on slopes down from their house, so the garden is elevated, giving them views over Edinburgh.

‘We definitely wanted a contemporary rooftop feel, as you might get in an urban garden in Manhattan,’ says Lynn. Grasses and bamboos swish in the wind, adding another sensory element to the garden and year-round texture. Here’s how the couple got it done…