Landscaping a Listed Building in Gloucestershire

Garden Design Brief

To develop the garden, which was on a 1 in 8 slope into a family garden which might eventually be opened on the National Garden Scheme. The existing garden had been left to go wild by the previous owners. This was to be a long-term project to be delevoped over several years.

Phase 1 - The Entertainment Courtyard

Using existing Portland stone paving and stone steps from around the property we designed a courtyard that would link the driveway to the kitchen with retaining walls and steps to accommodate a 2 metre drop between the two areas.

The courtyard is planted to give all year colour as well as scent from a Jasminum officinale.

Phase 2 - The Games Lawn and Herbaceous Border

The client needed a lawn for croquet and ball games. This also incorporated a sunken trampoline.

The lawn runs parallel to a traditional herbaceous border with a background of shrubs to add structure. The border has 'hot' plants (Dahlias 'Bishop of Llandalph' & 'Bishop of York', Crocosmia Lucifer and Rudbeckia) for Autumn colour as well as pastel colours for spring and early summer.

Phase 3 - The Vegetable Garden

A disused piggery provided the brick for attractive pathways amongst the vegetable beds. A trellis with espaliered fruit trees borders the kitchen garden.

Phase 4 - The garden for a Disabled Person

A new extension was built for the client's elderly mother. The brief was to design a garden which gave access for a motability buggy from the driveway to the annex some 3 metres higher up the slope. By incorporating raised beds the client's mother could tend her own part of the garden.