I took Bruno my beautiful Briard to see a recently completed architectural garden I designed yesterday in Old Amersham. It is a courtyard style garden on 3 levels to suit the modern architecture of the new passive house. It is a structured scheme of contemporary ‘garden rooms’ & sight-lines – with plenty of interest & areas to sit & admire & enjoy. This photo below shows the bespoke seating area beside the modern conservatory. There are both steps & a slope for easy access to all levels however able you are…
I had arranged to meet James – a professional photographer who will be taking far better photos of it than I could ever hope to do. Magazines always want ‘headshots’ of me & the majority of those I have have been taken by my husband meaning they are wobbly & awful! So he also took some of me too. .. These are some of the ones I shot before he arrived. Posh ones on my website soon…
I’m so pleased with the garden which has evolved considerably over time as my client Jane had different ideas about how she wanted the garden to be. It’s not low maintenance for a change as Jane loves to potter & plant in her garden. It’s a gardeners new garden.
This shows the kitchen garden areas with bespoke raised beds being inspected by Bruno. All joinery beautifully made by Oxford planters from my original concept drawings. My client Jane loves colour & chose this burnt orange colour to suit her new contemporary house with its wall hung chunky terracotta tiles.
Here’s a surprising before & after…
Wow – what a difference!! I really disliked the slope & the horrible fence so designed this scheme of separate walls to create different areas & disguise the level change. The materials used reflect the architecture – in particular corten steel & lookalike porcelain.
The previous owner was apparently very upset Jane decided not to keep the existing garden… each to their own of course but personally I like to think the new architecturally styled one is a far more interesting space to both look onto & be in. Above is one of my original sketches of this area. It clearly demonstrates the level changes, interesting large spaces on these levels & great planting which softens the straight lines of my scheme. I LOVE these topiary domes & use them rather a lot.
Above – looking one way – into the kitchen garden with Alitex greenhouse & below Bruno is looking the other way. You can clearly see the changes of level & separate spaces created.
Photo below shows the bespoke cold frames I designed which look superb. Well done Oxford Planters for making them so beautifully!
The garden was mostly built by the house builders but Garden Design Co sourced & planted all plants & trees.
All for now
