We were appointed by our clients following a large extension being added to the rear of the house. The old terrace had been devastated by the build with a dangerous change of level immediately on exiting the new sitting room doors which the architect had not taken into account. The existing garden is on a steep slope which leads down to the Basingstoke Canal which is a popular walking and cycle route. Our brief was to design new terraces for eating and relaxing which need to flow seamlessly from the house. The interior floors are laid with porcelain tiles so we matched the colour and introduced outside quality Italian tiles into the garden to provide the visual link. Our clients, although not keen gardeners, love France so we directed them towards a mix of plants that would not feel out of place in the Mediterranean. Inspired by the Provence garden, La Louvre, created by Nicole de Vesian and the existing Scots pines in the garden, the plants were carefully selected to reflect this style, They will be clipped into mounds by a professional gardener to provide textures and form throughout the year. They are also relatively drought tolerant although our client has extended an existing irrigation system to ensure that the plants survive in the early years of establishment. Given time the plants will grow into each other forming a textural ground covering mat.