EASY ON THE EYE
A low-maintenance garden that looks fabulous all year round
Gardens can evolve dramatically and in the 18 years since Sarah and Graeme Oxby moved to a detached 1930s home in north London, theirs has changed from a children’s playground to a contemporary living space. ‘As our two young children grew up, they became less interested in the garden, and we eventually decided to reclaim it as a more adult space we could look out onto from a new extension,’ explains Sarah. The garden designer took on the task of transforming her own 20m x 15m south-east-facing plot, combining a strong geometric layout with a soft, calming planting style. ‘I found it surprisingly difficult to be the designer while also being the client!’ she adds. She and Graeme bought the property in 2002, attracted by its large, light rooms. At the time, the garden had almost no plants, just steps down to a square lawn and a long, thin strip of patio that resembled a corridor. They put up some swings and, apart from when the children played there, the garden was rarely used. ‘That changed in 2015 when we built an extension for an openplan kitchen and dining area that overlooks the garden,’ says Sarah. ‘It highlighted the importance of having an outdoor space that’s both lovely to look out on, and that you feel drawn into. I wanted planting to create a good structure throughout the year, so chose lots of evergreens, such as bay and laurustinus standards, yew, hebes, Japanese holly, pittosporum and osmanthus. Sadly, there’s no box, because box caterpillars are causing havoc in this area!’ Sarah has always liked modern, linear garden designs – ‘one of my favourites is the Mien Ruys Gardens in the Netherlands’ – the style of which complements the new extension perfectly. ‘Inside, we’ve decorated in grey tones, with wood doors and furniture, so we continued this theme into the garden, creating a seamless
transition between the indoor and outdoor spaces,’ says Sarah. ‘For the hard landscaping, I chose granite that’s similar in colour to the kitchen tiling, while also being hardwearing and practical as it’s less likely to stain than other natural stones such as sandstone. Visually, the expanse of paving is broken up by a deck built from Iroko, a hardwood I love. The garden took three months to build in the autumn of 2016 and, after thoroughly digging the beds and adding lots of compost to the London clay, I planted it in 2017.’ As she’d lived there for so long before tackling the garden, Sarah had an excellent knowledge of the plot and how to improve it. ‘We’re overlooked by neighbouring houses, and had little more screening than a mature whitebeam and purple-leaved cherry. To add privacy, I positioned the main dining area lower down in the garden, hidden by a line of olive trees underplanted with ‘Dwarf Blue’ lavender, a compact variety with wonderfully fragrant flowers,’ she says. ‘There’s a significant fall of 1.65 metres from the house to the back fence, so I’ve created different levels – a useful ploy in a small garden to add interest. Near the terrace, there are raised beds planted with perennials such as hardy geraniums, aquilegias, purple verbena and white horned pansies (Viola cornuta ‘Alba’) which, if regularly deadheaded, just keep on flowering.’ Sarah also combined trees and evergreens with perennial planting so there’s always colour in the garden, no matter the time of year. ‘I love flowering plants in blues, purples and whites – I find them restful, especially in the evening. I’ve included blue ‘Brookside’ hardy geraniums and lavenders, and the purple spikes of ‘Caradonna’ salvias. White ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas fill the back of the long border, offset by fences that I’ve painted black, which I find creates a really good backdrop to the planting.’ The design incorporates a variety of seating areas for different purposes and weather conditions. At the far end, a gabion bench creates a focal point, providing a shady spot to escape the sun. The patio dining area is in a central position ideal for entertaining, while on summer evenings, Sarah and Graeme perch on the raised-bed walling or sit on the steps beside the water feature bowl. ‘The place I opt for most often though, is probably the Adirondack chair on the upper patio as it has a perfect view of the garden,’ says Sarah. Her ambition was for a low-maintenance but beautiful plot. ‘I only grow easy-going, reliable plants – I enjoy pottering and dead-heading, but I don’t want hassle,’ she says. ‘We also have a small lawn, with countersunk stepping stones to prevent a path being worn in the grass. It takes just 10 minutes to mow, and overall the garden is proving to be relatively low maintenance. The topiary is kept in check with little-and-often shaping throughout the year, while the perennials are cut back in autumn. ‘My favourite space in the garden is the lowest corner, where there are tree ferns as well as a multi-stemmed cherry underplanted with hellebores, ferns, yew balls, brunnera and Japanese anemones. It adds immensely to the views from indoors, which have become very important to us all. Even in the winter, when we’re less likely to venture into the garden, we watch what’s happening outside. It’s the backdrop to our lives inside the house.’ For further information, see hampsteadgardendesign.com. To find out more about Mien Ruys Gardens, visit tuinenmienruys.nl