Make an entrance

Front gardens have to work hard. Most of us walk through them at least once, if not twice, a day, 365 days a year. Not only do your hard landscaping materials have to be practical, your planting has to be well dressed too, especially in the British climate, when we have a lengthy ‘flower downtime’ in winter. The choice of materials in this garden perfectly suits the property’s traditional feel, which is echoed by the topiary in the planting. Steps are wide and shallow, making them easy to navigate and the entire effect is just pleasing to the eye. Although there will be downtime in the planting, the topiary and evergreen shrubs add bulk and backbone, and with a mass planting of spring bulbs, this garden will have a great deal to offer at all times of the year. For those of you thinking topiary is old fashioned and time consuming, it really isn’t. Clipped forms have stood the test of time for millennia and really only need a clip twice a year.

Try at home

1 Tie your hard landscaping elements to those used in your property. Older properties benefit from natural stone while more modern builds benefit from a broader range of materials.

2 Build steps in easy increments. As a rule, a tread is three times the dimension of a riser for most normal gaits.

3 Add structure and form. Topiary and evergreens are the backbone of any garden scheme. Without them there will be a great deal of bare earth on show in winter.

4 Consider adding spring bulbs. They are inexpensive and add a splash of colour early in the year.