Season of colour Rich, deep hues are the backdrop to this autumn winner
A RICH PALETTE OF DEEP PURPLE AND FIERY RED PROVIDES A BEAUTIFUL BACKDROP FOR OUTDOOR LEISURE
When David and Sue bought their home more than a decade ago, they were thrilled that the property boasted a majestic European beech tree. Soaring higher than 25 metres, the deciduous tree’s striking purple foliage created incredible impact and its silvery branches played a part in many outdoor games when the couple’s children, Elise, 16, and Nick, 14, were little. So when the family decided to re-landscape the garden with a pool four years ago, everyone agreed the tree had to stay.
Enlisting the expertise of landscape architect Lewis Marash from Out From The Blue, the European beech sets the tone for a planting palette in shades of red, burgundy and deep green. A variety of shapes and textures gives the garden wonderful warmth and depth, and a beautiful autumnal vibe. “Rather than a strict structure to the scheme, the plants are more free-flowing with contrast between strappy-leafed plants, clipped hedging, pretty forest pansies and weeping Japanese maples, which create softness and offsets the hard structures,” says Lewis, of the layered garden beds and leafy privacy screens which wrap around the property’s perimeter.
A tennis court already occupied the back of the home, so the pool was placed in a nine-metre wide gap alongside the house, underneath the tree’s canopy. “One of the most important aspects of the design was to minimise fencing, so views across the garden weren’t impeded and the pool didn’t look hemmed in,” says homeowner David. The solution was to terrace the area and incorporate subtle level changes, so the elevated body of the pool became the compliant barrier, cleverly doing away with the need for standard fencing.
The result is a grown-up haven that can be enjoyed by the entire family. “Now we’ve renovated the house and created such a great outdoor space, I can see us living here a lot longer,” says David.