Nestled behind a 1930s semi-detached home, this generous south-facing garden offered both scale and potential but lacked cohesion and functionality, particularly near the house.

The couple wanted a 'light touch' approach to this well established garden that could evolve with the seasons and support a relaxed, informal lifestyle for themselves and their young daughter. Their top priority was the terrace, an old wooden deck that was both uninviting and unsafe. 

By replacing the old deck with a new sandstone patio fringed with gravel, the area by the house was transformed into a serene dining spot cocooned in colourful, aromatic Mediterranean-style planting. The lawn was reshaped and planting beds edged and extended to create a more dynamic flow through the garden, subtly leading the eye from the house toward the naturalistic woodland beyond.

Evergreen shrubs and ornamental grasses were introduced to bring height and year round structure to the existing herbaceous borders, while climbing plants along the fences help to camouflage the garden’s boundaries. At the very end of the garden, the fence was painted a dark charcoal allowing new woodland-style planting including silver birch, ferns, hellebores, evergreen shrubs and spring bulbs to take centre stage.

The original swing seat remains in situ, nestled into an expanded gravel area with enhanced aromatic planting, while a new focal tree opposite screens neighbouring windows and anchors the view from the house.

The productive garden remains central to the family’s outdoor life, now enhanced with extra raised beds and a compact lean-to greenhouse to extend the growing season.