"Our garden suffered terribly over the last few years due to various building works and once they were all completed and with the children more grown up we were desperately in need of a total garden makeover.
Whilst we had some ideas for what we wanted, we lacked the vision and knowledge of how to pull it all together. We met with a few different designers but until our meeting with Nick and Douglas we didn’t feel confident that they totally understood what we wanted to achieve.
The whole process was managed brilliantly and the transformation was completed in just a few weeks from signing off on the design. The planting is fabulous and we have enjoyed watching the garden evolve as spring became summer and more delights revealed themselves.
Having never previously used a design service on any of our many home improvement projects we would highly recommend Nick and Douglas who proved they were worth their weight in gold for their project management skills, imaginative ideas, plant knowledge and general all round loveliness!"
- Louisa & Jean-Luc W7
This London garden is typical in size to so many West London terraces. The clients had recently completed building an impressive garden room and now wanted a garden that would link it with the main house. The garden needed to work for both adults and teenagers and contain both evergreen interest and cottage garden style planting.
The terrace is situated to the rear of the garden and is laid using a mellow limestone paving that is very easy on the eye. Set at a lower level, the terrace offers a greater sense of privacy from the adjoining neighbours. The large wooden table easily seats 6, but being extendable, means up to 12 people can be seated in comfort.
The generous terrace is a great entertaining space, with room for a large table as well as a pizza oven and fire bowl that are brought out at night.
To the right of the terrace is a border that runs its length. Planted with a Portuguese Laurel hedge, the border is under planted with evergreen plants with contrasting foliage and colours.
The border forms a perfect evergreen backdrop for the terrace and looks wonderful when lit at night.
The upper part of the garden has a lawn with stepping stones that links the two hardwood decked platforms. These platforms also add a contemporary touch to the overall design.
The family dog surveys the garden from the limestone steps.
The borders each side of the steps from the kitchen diner have corten steel obelisks to add structure and act as a perfect support for climbing roses and clematis.
The ornamental grasses bring the borders to life as they sway in the breeze.
We planted the garden in such a way as to ensure colour and interest for 12 months of the year. Early spring bulbs give way to late spring flowering Alliums, followed by early summer flowering roses and repeat flowering summer perennials. Autumn brings vibrant autumn leaf colour and the winter is magical with the frequent bursts of blossom from the winter flowering cherry tree.
The purple alliums make a real late spring/early summer statement in the lower terrace border.
To further enhance the cottage garden theme of the upper part of the garden, an old wooden bench has been placed on the right hand side of the lawn and under planted with sedums that are positioned within the gravel
The sedums planted here in the gravel require little watering and add an extra element of interest.
The garden before
The garden after
Photos © Paul Debois
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