Chill out garden

The family who own this garden had been wracking their brains for a few years about how best to improve their large garden so that both generations could enjoy it and use it more. Charlotte Rowe Garden Design was brought in to help achieve this.

The brief was to create a really beautifully designed space which complements their house, could be used by as a family garden (which includes Ella the Jack Russell), as well as an entertaining space for both the parents and their friends and for the two teenage daughters and their friends.

The water feature runs along one side of the garden

They wanted to maximise the full length of the garden which is over 20 metres (70 ft) long, creating a dining area close to the house and a chill-out area at the end of the garden, while at the same time screen the neighbours’houses and create some privacy. They wanted to keep some lawn and also wanted a ‘'show stopper' in the shape of a large water feature and an outdoor cooking zone.


A plan of the garden


computerised image of garden		Perspective drawing showing seating area

The planting scheme was also designed to provide rhythm and repetition, using a palette of purples and deep russets/oranges. The key plants are Pittosporum tobira Nanum, Euphorbia x martini, Buxus balls interspersed with small shrubs and perennials for seasonal interest and broken up by Buxus hedging. Three multi-stemmed silver birches (Betula utilis x jacquemontii) provide additional interest and screening is provided by a row of tall hornbeams which replaces a row of enormous Leylandii which had grown to such a height that they dominated not just this garden but also all the surrounding gardens.

"The garden had to have a number of elements including an outdoor kitchen and a private sitting area 'to escape' but above all it had to have a wow factor."

The solution was to create three key areas: a dining area close to the house paved in dark grey/black granite with an outdoor kitchen and herb garden, a large lawn area bordered by planting and lastly a semi-enclosed sitting area at the end of the garden with a three sided hand-made timber bench surrounded by a raised planting bed, with a large low plinth table containing a firepit. The three areas are unified by a 12 metre long dark reflection water crossed by bridges of pale Spanish limestone which is stunningly lit for additional effect at night.

The dark grey colour scheme was reflected in the tongue and groove fencing at the end of the garden and in the containers brought in to contain espaliered fig trees close to the house. However, the old stock brick boundary walls were topped with a horizontal slatted trellis in plain Western Red Cedar designed by Charlotte Rowe.

The outdoor kitchen

Espaliered figs in containers close to the house

The client was very clear in her brief both in terms of design and functionality and Charlotte Rowe worked closely with her to achieve the look that she was striving for. In particular, she wanted the chill-out area to have a New Mexico feel, using semi-desert plants such as Agave Americana and Aloe aristata which Charlotte Rowe combined with the grass Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ and Euphorbia cyparrisias ‘Fens Ruby’to provide all year interest

The lighting was designed by Light IQ using a combination of uplighters for the trees and key plants, underwater lights in the water feature and small LEDs in the stone bridges, which combined with the fire pit, creates a magical atmosphere both when the garden is viewed from the ground floor kitchen/dining area and from the first floor drawing room.

The result is a garden which now used to its full – not just the area by the house but the far end – and which looks good from all levels of the house.

All photos copyright Marianne Majerus