A Small Cottage Garden

About the design

Before the work began the garden was quite overgrown and was dominated by a large conifer close to the house. In addition, there were unsightly warehouses to the rear of the property. Top priority for the client was to screen the industrial units. The client also wanted a garden that was full of plants, with a secluded area to sit out and enjoy the garden. The garden also needed to be in keeping with the property, a Victorian cottage.

A group of 3 Betula utilis var. jacquemontii were planted at the rear of the garden to draw attention away from the warehouses. Climbers were also planted along the new rear trellis which will in time grow up to help conceal the buildings. The garden was divided up into ‘compartments’ using trellis panels, to create a series of interlinked spaces – a dining area with pergola, a place to sit in the sun, a compost area etc. Stone paths with brick and cobble insets create routes around the garden. The garden is planted in a contemporary cottage style, mixing traditional plants such as lavender, roses and geraniums with bamboos, fatsias and grasses.