This front garden steps down to the semi-basement and is designed to provide colour and interest at and below street level. As usual, where we could, we made full use of the clients’ existing plants and planters. An acer and a bay tree were relocated, to where they would provide structure and punctuation, reflecting the vertical and horizontal lines of the garden. A new wisteria is being trained up the railings, which will provide addional sensory delight to passers-by.
Planting is designed to provide discrete mounds of texture and colour, and chosen to suit its sheltered location.
The garden steps down from the street in this corner site. We relocated an existing bay standard and a Japanese acer, which have established well in their new positions.
The view from the front door shows the range of colour and texture which is highlighted by the white pebbles. Our selection of tough perennial plants will grow to a variety of colours, textures and sizes; some will almost merge, while others will keep their shape clearly.
The planting plays with the verticals and horizontals of the space, contrasting with mound-shaped plants.
We used white pebbles to mulch the beds in order to reflect light and highlight the different plant textures. Pebbles also keep the weeds down, and keep water in the beds.
At the back of the house, we built a trellis on the upper terrace which will allow the grape vine to surround the dining area. New planters to the rear hide the car in its off-street parking spot.
We loved the clients’ tiled frieze on the wall of the lower terrace, and took our colour palette of the garden from it.
The rear terrace includes new planters, and underplanting to the existing olive trees. A new structure is designed to be covered by the vine which winds down towards the end from both sides.
Sketch of the front stepped garden. Colours for the rear gardens were inspired by the clients’ tiled frieze. We repositioned and replanted the clients’ planters, adding a couple more to complete the scheme.