MOST garden enquiries are from customers who have an existing garden, which is useable but not aesthetically pleasing, or one which is difficult to use. In a recent project for a young couple, we were called out to their terraced garden in Clifton.
The garden was on a south-facing hill with lovely views across south Bristol. Access from the house was via French doors, on to a small lower patio. Turning left, three timber steps led up to a small, very shaky deck. Turning right, three more steps led up to the main garden, which was also decking.
This had been laid directly on to a soil base and was beginning to rot. This garden needed help – functionally and aesthetically. After initial discussions it was decided to replace the main deck with an Indian sandstone patio and to include a raised bed to the far wall.
The bed retainer is made from solid French oak sleepers which provide an eight-inch wide seat along the rear of the new patio, with planting behind. This bed wraps around the corner, making a permanent sitting spot available at any time of year. Next to the new patio are two smaller planters. The lower one is for herbs, which can be picked directly from the kitchen level.
The upper planter is too shady for herbs, so has small shade-tolerant plants to soften the patio edge. In the original design we had to find a space for storing two bikes. These had been sitting on the small intermediate deck, which was not the best place, as access from the garden is by a side gate approached at the top of a steep flight of steps. We decided to make a small tiled shelter for the bikes, which was built on the upper level just to the left of the side gate.
To give access to the shed for bikes we designed a counterbalanced drawbridge, which flaps down across the steep steps giving temporary access to the shed. Once installed, the drawbridge is raised, shutting in the bikes and giving access again to the steps down into the garden. The front of the shed was covered with a close mesh timber trellis, with Perspex sheeting behind to keep out the rain.
A timber planter at the foot of the bike shed gives a place for climbers to cover the trellis. The rest of the planting was focused on summer colour interest and flowers to help attract wildlife, which was of particular interest to Ross. Another important detail of the brief was that Alice was expecting her first child, which meant a quick juggling of our schedule so we would be able to finish the garden well before the due date.
We managed it, and I am happy to say that, on my recent follow-up visit this week, I was delighted to meet baby Jago.