A new garden was commissioned to complement a freshly refurbished, wonderfully, atmospheric Arts & Crafts house and tie this with a new, contemporary, copper extension accommodating the kitchen and family dining room.   A keen plants-woman, the owner wanted a vibrant planting scheme, a contemporary but classic feel, space for leisure and dining and table tennis for her teenage boys.  

At the end of the main axis, a focal sculpture draws the eye through the house from the front door, through the formal lounge and down a ‘runner’ of lawn.  This acts as a central fulcrum,  balancingthe staggered parterre  and opening the view to the furthest corner from the kitchen extension and across to a bench set behind stepping stones in groundcover planting. Randomly laid, sawn York stone and setts combine the crispness of the modern with a traditional paving layout. Box domes, box and yew hedging provide an evergreen structure and copper, orange and purple planting echo the extension.  

Photographs by Matthew Gilbert