THE RIGHT LINES
A combination of Corten steel and softly textured turf defines the graphic feel of this practical and modern city garden
WHAT WAS THE GARDEN OWNERS’ BRIEF?
The priority was to create a luxurious, contemporary family garden that would complement the owners’ newly refurbished 1930s property. They asked us to put in plenty of seating so they could eat and relax outside, and they also wanted to have a large lawn area and trampoline for the children. The garden is next to a busy main road, so we needed to create privacy and reduce the traffic noise as much as possible.
WHAT IDEAS INFLUENCED YOUR DESIGN?
The plot is on a slope and wraps around the house in a U-shape, so it was certainly a challenging site to design. The original garden was terraced, with high retaining walls separating the different areas, but there was little to unify the design and I felt that the walls were too dominant. I wanted a composition that would flow seamlessly around the house, without any heavy-looking walls, and to create visual links between the various areas for dining, relaxing and playing. We kept the beautiful magnolia tree and two large mature lime trees, which stand on the boundary, all of which help to mask the road.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE FINAL LAYOUT?
The garden is a gently sloping site into which I have set wide, grass steps that are shored up with Corten steel risers to add colour and drama. I also designed a modern sculptural feature, using Corten panels, to provide a focal point that is visible from the owners’ study window. Together with a line of yew hedging, the two features help further shield the garden from the road. To the left is a gravel path edged with herbaceous borders that create the entrance to the garden and the house, while to the right is a hardwood deck. Beyond that is a terrace for dining and the children’s trampoline is sunk into a large lawn at the back of the house (not shown).
WHAT DICTATED YOUR CHOICE OF PLANTING?
I wanted the area close to the trees to have more structure and year-round interest. The plants here also have to cope with some shade, which influenced my choices. The final plan includes textural grasses, such as Hakonechloa macra and Anemanthele
lessoniana (pheasant’s tail grass), together with hardy geraniums, ferns, euphorbias and Tellima (fringe cups). I have also used lavender and Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ (red bistort) in the sunnier spots. We planted the pheasant’s tail grass on an S-shaped mound, which runs through the middle of the flower bed, to create a wave of fountain-like leaves that rises above the other plants. I used spoil from the basement extension and the area we dug out for the trampoline to make the mound; it is a perfect way of using excess top soil.
HOW DID YOU CREATE THE GRASS STEPS?
Each of them is like a mini terrace, held up by risers made with pressure-treated softwood boards that are pegged into the ground and faced with Corten steel. I love Corten because it ages so beautifully; the patina and colour change constantly over time. We also used a tough grass, known as Rhizomatous Tall Fescue
“Each of the grass steps is like a mini terrace, faced with Corten steel, which ages so beautifully as the patina changes over time.”
turf, which is a mixture of shade- and drought-tolerant species and copes well beneath mature trees.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR CREATING FOCAL POINTS IN A GARDEN?
Whether you use a sculpture, furniture, a water feature or a plant, it should complement the style of your garden and the materials you have used. I frequently place focal points where they draw the eye from inside the house out into the garden, creating sight lines through the windows and doors. You can also use a focal point to punctuate the end of a path, drawing visitors to the end.