This summer we completed the design and construction for a garden in the grounds of a beautiful Victorian building in Windermere. The area that required designing was part of a gravel parking area elevated about 10 metres above the ground floor of the house with fabulous views looking towards lake Windermere and the mountains beyond. The brief was to create a relaxing garden with screening from the adjacent road and car park area. It also included a pathway through the garden from the car park to the house, a defined seating area and vegetable beds on the terrace below.

The boundaries of the garden were defined with a mature laurel hedge 1.8 metres high. In addition to this along the roadside a timber fence was erected. A stepping stone slate and gravel pathway leads from the gate through the garden to large stone steps that meander down terraces to the house.

The seating area is created from slate pavers with a gravel edge. A gravel area has been left for a possible future summer house to be installed at a later date. The planting areas were created by digging out large amounts of sub base and gravel from the former car park and replacing with topsoil and compost. The planting beds are retained with slate on edge, it is the intention that the planting will grow over and soften the edges when the plants mature.

One of the terraces below the patio area was cleared of vegetation and an existing vegetable plot was extended and formalised with timber sleepers. A garden shed will also be added in the future.

The planting style preferred by the client is a complimentary contrast to the surrounding planting of the garden and includes architectural plants such as Phormiums, various grasses, an Acer and Heucheras. Year round interest is also provided by mature Hamamelis pallida, Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’, Cornus sibirica and Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’. Perennials include Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’, Geums and various herbs. The impact has been the creation of an instant garden with the mature laurel hedge creating a lush green back drop.