The client brief for this small suburban garden was to create a contemporary private outdoor space where they could entertain friends and relax and unwind after a busy working day. The clients also wanted a studio space for their teenage children. Integral to the house purchase was its position adjacent to woodland, and this was the feel that the clients wanted to incorporate into the garden. The design therefore complements the woodland beyond with small ornamental trees providing year round structure and interest, richly underplanted with colourful perennials, evergreen shrubs and grasses.

This 1 acre plot was purchased by the clients as it adjoins their family home. They wanted the whole plot to be a space in which to entertain extended family and friends. The brief therefore included a large entertaining space, close to the newly built indoor swimming pool and refurbished house, along with a large open space for the boys to play rugby and cricket. As they have a large garden surrounding their own house they were keen for the planting to complement the style and feel of their current garden, but not to be too demanding to maintain. The design for this garden built on elements within the client’s existing garden: echoing the shape of a large pond; using similar species of trees to link the two plots together and incorporating grasses. The existing entrance to the property was remodelled to provide additional parking space and a new pathway was created to join the two gardens together.

This large site overlooks the South Downs. A contemporary house will be built on the site and a stone barn renovated and extended to create a separate annex for the client’s parents. The clients wanted a contemporary garden that would sit comfortably within the surrounding rural landscape. The brief included a swimming pool, water features, entertaining spaces and a star gazing area. The planting consists of formal herbaceous borders and avenues of trees close to the house, as well more informal meadow style planting using drifts of grasses and umbellifers. Additional trees provide shelter and create secluded areas for informal socialising and star gazing. An important part of the brief included the creation of a safe, enclosed and private garden for the annex, which provided colour and interest, but had easy access to the rest of the site, so that the client’s parents could take full part in social occasions and family gatherings.