CASE STUDIES - Family & wildlife friendly gardens
Family Garden Makeover, Northamptonshire
Family, pet and wildlife friendly makeover for a busy family in Northamptonshire
The Brief
The request was to design a garden for the whole family (including the family dog) to use and enjoy.
They were looking for more interesting views from the extended kitchen / living area and attractive, practical areas to draw them outside and use the space more but with straightforward planting that would be relatively low maintenance for the busy household.
The Outcome
The garden itself was a great size but, featureless aside from the childrens play equipment. We used carefully selected soft landscaping where possible to encourage to create structure and encourage wildlife. Planting was selected to be dog (as well as wildlife) friendly and ensure year round food sources for pollinators. Low maintenance planting doesn't have to be dull and we used a combination of well sized evergreen shrubs for year round structure and reliable perennials that can be left to over Winter and cut back once in Spring.
A bespoke corner structure was designed to accommodate swings and a reading nook as well as supporting scented, climbing plants. Positioned next to this to catch the evening sun is a new patio and pergola to create a BBQ, dining and entertaining area.
The old apple tree remained a key feature, supporting the family hammocks next to an open lawn space for the children and dog to run around.
Reviving a Market Town House, Oundle, Northamptonshire
Using a sympathetic approach to materials, reintroducing structure, practicality and colour to a town house garden in Oundle, Northamptonshire.
The Brief
A beautiful Georgian market town house and adjoining cottage were undergoing renovation to create an elegant
space fit for modern living. The garden had been well maintained but had lost some of its structure over the years so, the owner wanted to similarly bring it back to life. She wanted to create space for entertaining and relaxing as creating new views to enjoy from vantage points within.
Lots of colour was a must and as was incorporating the beautiful, established roses into the overall design.
The Outcome
To create a blend of classic and contemporary here we reinforced the curves and organic shapes already present in the garden and framed the new areas created with woven steel panels, elegant metal features and planting.
The house patio was made deeper to better reflect the proportions and stature of the property and the original York Stone pavers here were replaced with a beautiful, sympathetic Limestone.
The York Stone was reused on site to create a new, curved dining patio positioned amongst new planting to capture the end of day sun, accessed via a pleached tree-lined path. Reusing the original materials not only preserves the history of the site, it's more sustainable.
Lots of new pollinator friendly and drought tolerant (for lower maintenance) plants went into the reshaped, existing and newly created beds including evergreen topiary balls for statement structure.
On top of being able to work with such a beautiful property, it was a pleasure to watch the Client's enthusiasm
for her garden grow as the project progressed.
"I love the garden. Your design has transformed it into one of my favourite places and I could not be happier!!
I was daunted at the prospect of sorting it out, with no experience and not that much interest.
How wrong could I be?! It turns out, gardening is a joy! I have a whole new room outside and it's full of beautiful plants!
Hannah has done such a wonderful design, any fears I had about my lack of experience soon disappeared.
She was happy to talk me through every step and I really can't thank her enough.
It's such a pleasure to be in the garden, seeing it bloom and, most excitingly, using the space!"
Tara, Oundle
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