Sloping, long and thin garden

The slope and lack of level areas, also made it unsafe for elderly relatives. With retirement approaching the owners decided that they wanted to make better use of the garden particularly for entertaining and attracting wildlife.

The new design created a garden that included a sunny entertaining space close to the house, with a second shady seating area further up the garden. These two spaces are linked by generous paths traversing the garden both horizontally and vertically, leading the eye across the garden making it appear wider. Retaining brick walls create level areas for the new terraces, generous borders and for a small lawn. Wildlife is attracted by a small pond and waterfall, insect friendly planting and copious bee boxes and bird feeders. Two heavy timber pergolas add both height and shelter to the garden.

The timber pergola encourages people to walk up the garden, and frames a stone bird bath positioned as a focal point.

Generous paths of natural stone allow the passage of two people side by side, up the garden.

Partially screening planting of Calamogrostis grasses prevents the whole garden being seen all at once from the house.

Brickwork retaining walls built across the garden, create an illusion of width whilst creating level areas.

An arbour planted with fast growing golden hops, gives the owners a shady place to sit.

The wildlife friendly water feature has already attracted frogs and newts. 

Plants list

Click any of the plant names below to learn more and to add to your own plants list.

Trees
Cercis "Forest Pansy" 
Photinia fraseri "Red Robin" 

Shrubs 
Fatsia japonica 
Itea ilicifolia 
Phyllostachys "Aurea" 
Phyllostachys nigra 
Physocarpus "Diabolo" 
Salvia officinalis "Purpurescens" 

Climbers and Wall Shrubs 
Clematis "The President" 
Clematis viticella "Abundance" 
Clematis viticella "Minuet" 
Hedera helix "Goldheart" 
Humulus lupulus "Aureus"  
Hydrangea petiolaris 
Leptospermum scoparium "Red Damask" 
Lonicera brownii "Dropmore Scarlet" 
Pyracantha "Dart's Red" 
Solanum crispum "Glasnevin" 
Trachelospermum jasminoides 
Vitis vinifera "Purpurea" 

Topiary 
Buxus sempervirens   
Laurus nobilis  
Prunus lusitanica  

Hedging 
Buxus sempervirens 
Fagus sylvatica 
Lavandula "Richard Gray" 

Herbaceous Perennials 
Alchemilla mollis 
Aster divaricatus 
Aster frikartii "Monch" 
Bergenia cordifolia "Rotblum" 
Brunnera macrophylla "Jack Frost" 
Calamintha nepeta "Blue Cloud" 
Campanula "Dicksons Gold" 
Crocosmia "Gerbe d'Or" 
Dicentra "King of Hearts" 
Euphorbia martinii 
Euphorbia myrsinites 
Geranium "Patricia" 
Geranium renardii "Phillipe Vapelle" 
Geranium sylvaticum "Album" 
Geum "Mrs Bradshaw" 
Helenium "Moerheim Beauty" 
Helianthemum "Firedragon" 
Hemerocallis "Pink Damask" 
Heuchera "Chocolate Ruffles" 
Hosta "Halcyon" 
Hosta "Sum & Substance" 
Iris germanica "Al Segno" 
Nepeta "Kit Kat" 
Nepeta govaniana  
Nepeta subsessilis "Washfield" 
Origanum vulgare "Thumbles Variety" 
Penstemon "Burgundy" 
Persicaria amplexicaulis "Taurus" 
Phlox paniculata "Fujiyama" 
Sedum "Red Cauli" 
Thymus "Magic Carpet" 
Thymus coccineus 
Viola cornuta "Alba" 
Viola cornuta "Blue Molly" 

Grasses and Ferns 
Calamogrostis x acutiflora "Karl Foerster" 
Carex elata "Aurea" 
Carex testacea 
Dryopteris cycadina 
Panicum virgatum "Shenandoah" 
Polypodium vulgare 
Stipa tenuissima 

Aquatic Plants 
Nymphaea 
Zantedeschia aethiopica "Crowborough" 
Iris ensata 

Bulbs 
Allium "Purple Sensation"   
Crocus tommasinianus 
Narcissus "Tete aTete" 
Narcissus "Thalia" 
Tulipa "Queen of the Night"