A perfect plan
Flat dwellers Karen Howden and Tom Gandey doubled their living space with this low-maintenance garden designed for relaxing, dining and gathering with friends
Turning an overgrown garden into a versatile and low-maintenance space
Karen Howden and her husband, Tom Gandey, knew that flat-hunting in London usually involves compromise, but, for them, a garden was a priority. ‘We’d been living in Canada and enjoyed entertaining and relaxing in our garden there,’ says Karen.‘we wanted outdoor space here, even if it was tiny.’
New beginnings
The couple found a raised ground-floor flat, which has its garden accessed by steps from a balcony off the living room. It didn’t look promising – a mossy lawn edged with shrubs and overshadowed by trees.
But the couple were prepared to strip it all out to turn it into a multifunctional extra living space.‘we needed it to be low maintenance and were keen to have a water feature for the lovely sound.’
Expert help
A local landscaping company, Belsize Gardens (belsizegardens. com), removed most of the trees to let in light. Its designer, Miles Raybould, helped them to plan a paved garden, broken up with clusters of plants that would add height and texture but require little attention.
Karen kept it simple, focusing on interesting foliage and white flowers, and hydrangeas now form the backbone of the planting scheme. The bulk of the work was done in a couple of months and the space has evolved into a sheltered oasis.