A fantastic project in Thames Ditton near the river for a family who have remodelled the entire house and are now starting on the garden. Being from South Africa eating out doors is a huge part of how they like to entertain and the new extension’s opens on two sides with bifold doors allowing a completely seamless route into the garden. The room houses a stunning braai (log burning BBQ) and will mean even on the dullest of English summer days outdoor living and entertaining is still possible. The garden also features a sunken hot tub surrounded by colourful perennial planting and grasses. A wooden pontoon connects the main terrace to the lawn and onto the home office / cabin and fire-pit area. This is situated nestled in a wooded copse of multi stemmed silver birch and more colourful planting. A simple sleeper installation creates privacy and separation from the rest of the garden without blocking the view completely.

Beautiful family garden situated in Thames Ditton by the river. The brief of the garden was to create a series of spaces that would allow for BBQs and parties in the summer, a sunny separate seating area and a big lawn. At the bottom of the garden is a new garden office, storage and space for trampoline, table tennis table and even a productive garden for fruit and veg. The planting is a modern mix of evergreen shrubs for structure, grasses for colour and movement and plenty of wonderful perennials to bring colour throughout the seasons.

This modern house by the river had been left with the standard developers garden space with no real thought to the design or how the space could be used. The steps were too steep, the patio too small and the rest was laid to lawn with some simple planting on the side. We were instructed to create a modern, colourful garden with clean lines and to create a space to sit out and enjoy a coffee and also for bigger meals by the BBQ.

The clients for this project were an architect and an interior designer and so the pressure was on to create something that would make an impact. Their children had left home and so we were free to design a space that met the adults needs and not those of a young family. The key elements requested were a simple, easy to maintain garden with and area for a Bocce pitch and to embrace and add to the woodland setting that they had fallen in love with when they bought the house. The inspiration for this garden came from the work of Carlo Scarpa and the Brutalist Woodland Garden was created.

Design Solution:

The house is situated on a gentle slope and I decided to separate it into two distinct levels and therefore two distinct gardens. The lower garden is home to the Bocce pitch and is surrounded by lush, green, architectural planting. However, it is still connected to the upper garden by the minimalist pool, waterfall and impressive cantilever steps in the polished concrete retaining wall up into the gravel garden on the upper level.

The upper level is dominated by a large rectangular water feature and interlinked concrete platforms. The platforms are designed so that they can be under lit to create drama and a sense of floating above the water and garden below. The planting is bright and colourful but drought tolerant to make for easy maintenance and to tie in with the brutalist feel of the garden structures around them. They are interspersed with grasses to provide autumn interest, colour and movement and also multi-stemmed Amelanchiers and Cherry for their blossom and colour. These are flanked by native trees such as Silver Birch and Field Maple to tie in with the existing woodland.

Beckenham Place Park is a large country house, originally built in 1760 for John Cator, a wealthy timber merchant from Herefordshire. The company that has acquired the house and surrounding lands is looking to create a luxury boutique hotel, with a fully equipped sports and yoga spa. The target audience are city dwellers wishing to leave the big city behind and to escape somewhere that can offer both a sporting challenge and also a place of tranquillity. It will allow for rest and recovery as well as high end athletic training. In addition, being located only 20 minutes cycle ride from the Surrey Hills, the facility is well placed for road cycling excursions into the Kent and Surrey countryside. The clients want the new hotel and grounds to be a respite to frantic, urban London life. It should allow the guests to reconnect with nature, to recharge and return to their busy schedules rested and refreshed.

Design Solution:

The master plan for the site is to embrace the fact that nature is nurture. The aim is for the guests to be completely immersed in a soft, naturalistic environment. From the moment they leave their car at the drop off point on the edge of the grounds they will be surrounded by nature. The entrance route will cross a new large body of water twice, revealing views across the lake and give glimpses of what is to come. As they travel round the grand looping driveway and along an avenue of native beech trees, the impressive Georgian entrance and facade of the house will be revealed.

The big idea anchors the design in the healing power of nature, however it must also be in keeping with the building to give it it’s sense of place. The design will deliver naturalistic gardens that might feel as though they have been there since the house’s construction, along with a more formal area typical of the period.

The fact the estate has been used as a public golf course for last 100 years has left it scarred and with a neglected feeling. The design will return the site to woodland and natural meadows delivering an increase in biodiversity and play a small part in addressing the pressing issues around climate change and carbon capture within the built environment. A sense of privacy and seclusion will be offered through the use of long ornamental grasses, flower meadows and areas of large massed perennial planting near the house and along the routes to and from the key spa areas. This will ensure that guests experience the planting at every opportunity.