The homeowners want a space to sit and enjoy nature and to be immersed in the ecology of the garden. To achieve this aim, we used all reclaimed materials. Bricks from the old chimney stack were re-used as edging and steps. The paving stones were from a friend’s garden in Cliftonville. We left rills between the stones for hardy ground cover plants such as thyme and fleabane to grow. Wildflower meadow turf is a prominent feature with fruit trees. Also a pond and raised beds above. The beds are made from Ekki ironwood taken from the dismantling of Dover docks.
A large re-imagined site on the sea front in Westgate. After tearing down and rebuilding her home, the client worked with us to design her ideal garden. We built an elegant pond, a large sunken firepit area and landscaped the garden fully. Lighting and irrigation are installed. Cedar fencing, wildflower meadow, diverse planting throughout.
This garden is at the ground level of an apartments complex on Westgate sea front. It was grass and hebes with a picket fence. The retired owners wanted something different to look out on. There was no design, just an idea. In a few days we converted the space into a Dungeness/ Derek Jarman inspired space. All the materials were found locally, the planting has withstood the harsh easterly winds. The clients were wonderful people and gave us the green light to make something with the space.
This is using sawn and sandblasted Indian sandstone from LondonStone. They are an ethically good supplier of a range of natural stones. We like how the client wanted to go for a different kind of layout, the broke tooth edges will become filled and overspilled with plants.
We discovered a layout for the garden based upon the old foundations and natural desire lines. Creating a blocky arrangement around the walls of the house. Many existing trees were preserved, including pear, apple and several large palms. We have built up the planting palette over the years and now the space is a secluded little garden with sitting areas nestled in discreet nooks and beneath the trees. We have built two decking areas and used a slate outline to delineate the pathways. We restored the outbuildings and added gravel paths.