We all seem to live busy lives these days, and at this time of the year it becomes all too clear that the garden needs urgent attention before the onset of winter. However, some of us have less time than others; working away from home for part of the week can really cut into your valuable leisure time. This is certainly true for a recent client of ours – a theatrical agent, who splits his time between Bristol and London. Having recently moved into a flat in Clifton, he wanted the garden revamped.
It was mainly lawn, but with a large pear tree in the middle and an even larger bay tree cutting out most of the sunlight, so the lawn was in a sorry state. The first task was to severely prune the bay, which was five or six meters high! Once pruned down to a manageable height, the sun flooded into the garden and it became clear that it was a real sun trap. We decided early on that the pear tree was a precious asset to the garden, along with a rather gnarled and madly leaning lilac. They help to give the garden a dappled, woodland feel.
However, we decided to do away with the lawn altogether in order to reduce maintenance. In its place we constructed a circular Indian sandstone patio, with a red Victorian brick path running around the perimeter of the circle. The pear tree takes a small “bite” out of this circular shape, and the bricks along the edge take a respectful course around the old tree, leaving plenty of free soil around its roots. The end of the garden closest to the property faces south, so we proposed a new area of decking, with a pergola above to give a sense of privacy from the other flats.
The deck is bathed in sun (cloud allowing) for most of the day, but the pear tree offers some shade, along with the pergola, which will have a wisteria growing up over it in a few years. We moved the small shed to a corner position and swung it through 45 degrees to face the centre of the garden. Meanwhile, fixed trellis screens either side hide the water butt and compost heap. All four corners of the garden now have a different function.
Diagonally opposite the shed is the entrance to the garden leading directly on to the deck. To one side of the deck is a gate leading out on to a quiet Clifton back street. The lilac leans over this exit forming an arch. Diagonally opposite this gate we built a small, circular, raised brick seat which offers a shady retreat. A pergola overhead gives extra privacy.
Flats often present a difficult task for a garden designer. If not purpose-built, properties are often insensitively divided into apartments and the gardens can suffer from overlooking and a lack of privacy. In this case, we have managed to coax a tired and neglected garden back to life and, with the help of a few key features, it now works well as a small, urban sun trap.
www.allgardendesigns.co.uk
It was mainly lawn, but with a large pear tree in the middle and an even larger bay tree cutting out most of the sunlight, so the lawn was in a sorry state. The first task was to severely prune the bay, which was five or six meters high! Once pruned down to a manageable height, the sun flooded into the garden and it became clear that it was a real sun trap. We decided early on that the pear tree was a precious asset to the garden, along with a rather gnarled and madly leaning lilac. They help to give the garden a dappled, woodland feel.
However, we decided to do away with the lawn altogether in order to reduce maintenance. In its place we constructed a circular Indian sandstone patio, with a red Victorian brick path running around the perimeter of the circle. The pear tree takes a small “bite” out of this circular shape, and the bricks along the edge take a respectful course around the old tree, leaving plenty of free soil around its roots. The end of the garden closest to the property faces south, so we proposed a new area of decking, with a pergola above to give a sense of privacy from the other flats.
The deck is bathed in sun (cloud allowing) for most of the day, but the pear tree offers some shade, along with the pergola, which will have a wisteria growing up over it in a few years. We moved the small shed to a corner position and swung it through 45 degrees to face the centre of the garden. Meanwhile, fixed trellis screens either side hide the water butt and compost heap. All four corners of the garden now have a different function.
Diagonally opposite the shed is the entrance to the garden leading directly on to the deck. To one side of the deck is a gate leading out on to a quiet Clifton back street. The lilac leans over this exit forming an arch. Diagonally opposite this gate we built a small, circular, raised brick seat which offers a shady retreat. A pergola overhead gives extra privacy.
Flats often present a difficult task for a garden designer. If not purpose-built, properties are often insensitively divided into apartments and the gardens can suffer from overlooking and a lack of privacy. In this case, we have managed to coax a tired and neglected garden back to life and, with the help of a few key features, it now works well as a small, urban sun trap.
www.allgardendesigns.co.uk