Developers are beginning to realise that building interesting homes, set within a varied landscape, will sell better than cheap standard boxes plonked in rows; the outdoor spaces between new houses are finally being given more thought. Cheswick Village is a large new housing development set just behind the MoD offices in Filton. Some features, including a small stream, have been retained and green space has been generously allocated throughout the scheme.
In this garden at Cheswick Village, the ground tapers towards the rear. There are no overlooking houses, but a four-storey block does have a view over the garden from a respectful distance. We decided to build an octagonal deck to the rear of the garden, which could be surrounded by plants, including two trees, to give extra privacy. This private jungle is accessed along a curved path, which creates a large planting bed on the sunny side of the garden. Here we planted small shrubs to the rear, to keep some winter interest, and a variety of herbaceous perennial plants, to give a colourful summer display of flowering plants.
Through this curved bed, a narrow path leads to a small paved semicircle, with just enough room for a bench, which gets the benefit of sun throughout the day. The fan pergola overhead will support a wisteria sinensis, which helps to screen the block of flats from the main patio. The patio supplied with the house was not quite large enough and so it was extended with matching slabs and trimmed with a contrasting charcoal curved brick edge. This brick was also used to edge the new paving and paths in the rest of the garden, which helps to unite the existing patio with the new paving. The paths were filled with tumbled Raj Blend Indian sandstone pavers. Our clients were keen to keep their bikes undercover.
We decided on a custom-built shed, with double doors for easy access, and a mono pitch roof directing rainwater to a butt at the side of the shed, which is screened by a trellis. At the other end of the shed there is a similar screened area for the bins and recycling boxes. A small solar-powered water feature is set among pebbles and boulders at the front of the trellis. Although house builders have begun to think more creatively about the outdoor spaces between houses, the state of the soil left behind after building is still an issue. In this garden, for example, only a thin layer of topsoil was sprinkled on top of a sticky clay base.
Having built the main structures in the garden, the soil needed immediate attention, so we dug out all the planting areas and replaced the top 100mm with fresh topsoil to give the plants a chance. Now planted and with plenty of added organic matter, the garden is all set up for the return of the growing season next year. To contact Tom Phillips at All Garden Designs, call 0117 951 1923, 07739456765, or visit www.allgardendesigns.co.uk.
In this garden at Cheswick Village, the ground tapers towards the rear. There are no overlooking houses, but a four-storey block does have a view over the garden from a respectful distance. We decided to build an octagonal deck to the rear of the garden, which could be surrounded by plants, including two trees, to give extra privacy. This private jungle is accessed along a curved path, which creates a large planting bed on the sunny side of the garden. Here we planted small shrubs to the rear, to keep some winter interest, and a variety of herbaceous perennial plants, to give a colourful summer display of flowering plants.
Through this curved bed, a narrow path leads to a small paved semicircle, with just enough room for a bench, which gets the benefit of sun throughout the day. The fan pergola overhead will support a wisteria sinensis, which helps to screen the block of flats from the main patio. The patio supplied with the house was not quite large enough and so it was extended with matching slabs and trimmed with a contrasting charcoal curved brick edge. This brick was also used to edge the new paving and paths in the rest of the garden, which helps to unite the existing patio with the new paving. The paths were filled with tumbled Raj Blend Indian sandstone pavers. Our clients were keen to keep their bikes undercover.
We decided on a custom-built shed, with double doors for easy access, and a mono pitch roof directing rainwater to a butt at the side of the shed, which is screened by a trellis. At the other end of the shed there is a similar screened area for the bins and recycling boxes. A small solar-powered water feature is set among pebbles and boulders at the front of the trellis. Although house builders have begun to think more creatively about the outdoor spaces between houses, the state of the soil left behind after building is still an issue. In this garden, for example, only a thin layer of topsoil was sprinkled on top of a sticky clay base.
Having built the main structures in the garden, the soil needed immediate attention, so we dug out all the planting areas and replaced the top 100mm with fresh topsoil to give the plants a chance. Now planted and with plenty of added organic matter, the garden is all set up for the return of the growing season next year. To contact Tom Phillips at All Garden Designs, call 0117 951 1923, 07739456765, or visit www.allgardendesigns.co.uk.