Garden Tour: A Bare, Narrow Patch Transformed for Tranquillity
Thoughtful design and planting transformed a skinny strip of unkempt grass into a multi-zoned, peaceful and lush space
“It’s a long, thin garden, as with many London Victorian houses,” designer Simon Orchard says of his clients’ outside space. “These gardens can be tricky to deal with, as your eye is drawn to the end.” Simon’s solution? An offset design, meaning the space is set at an angle. “Your eye is drawn to other things and you don’t see the whole garden at once,” he explains. “Walking through, you zigzag down it; it also gives the illusion the space is wider than it is.”
The garden now also makes a nod to a Japanese theme, with a small water feature, gravel underfoot and several distinct zones, making it a relaxing place to spend time, as well as providing a pleasant and good-looking space for entertaining. There’s also a concealed shed, providing ample storage without interfering with the relaxing theme.
The garden now also makes a nod to a Japanese theme, with a small water feature, gravel underfoot and several distinct zones, making it a relaxing place to spend time, as well as providing a pleasant and good-looking space for entertaining. There’s also a concealed shed, providing ample storage without interfering with the relaxing theme.
This is the same view after the transformation. Simon’s design tricks the eye out of seeing such a long, narrow strip by angling the layout and creating different zones connected by gravel paths.
“The owners didn’t want a lawn,” Simon says. “They’re not sunbathers and don’t have kids running around, and the maintenance aspect didn’t appeal to them. They felt they could have a more interesting garden without one.”
In the foreground is a pale grey porcelain patio. To enable this to be the same level as the flooring inside the house, there’s a step down from the patio to a gravel pathway, made from dove grey limestone loose chips punctuated by stepping stones made from the same porcelain tiles.
“The owners didn’t want a lawn,” Simon says. “They’re not sunbathers and don’t have kids running around, and the maintenance aspect didn’t appeal to them. They felt they could have a more interesting garden without one.”
In the foreground is a pale grey porcelain patio. To enable this to be the same level as the flooring inside the house, there’s a step down from the patio to a gravel pathway, made from dove grey limestone loose chips punctuated by stepping stones made from the same porcelain tiles.
The owners wanted a mix of soft, organic and architectural plants. Simon opted for modern, prairie-style beds in this part of the garden. “This style of planting is very loose,” he says. “Everything is deliberately just jumbled together to look natural, rather than having ordered groups of odd numbers of plants.”
The idea was that it would spill out onto the pathways and soften the joins; the more mature the garden gets, the more this will happen. The plants, once established, are also drought-resistant and attractive to insects.
The two beds seen here contain a couple of grasses: Carex ‘Everest’ in the foreground of the left-hand bed, and Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’, an architectural grass that will grow tall and straight, providing a vertical accent to contrast with the softness of the other plants.
Also planted here are Achillea millefolium, which are just behind the pink Echinacea pallida; Penstemon ‘Raven’ (the darker pink/purple flowers), and the flat-headed flower, Cenolophium denudatum.
In the opposite bed are ferns and Thalictrum, the tall, mauve flowers growing against the fence. Two varieties of clematis are starting to climb the fence on either side: Clematis ‘Prince Charles’ and Clematis montana var. alba.
The idea was that it would spill out onto the pathways and soften the joins; the more mature the garden gets, the more this will happen. The plants, once established, are also drought-resistant and attractive to insects.
The two beds seen here contain a couple of grasses: Carex ‘Everest’ in the foreground of the left-hand bed, and Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’, an architectural grass that will grow tall and straight, providing a vertical accent to contrast with the softness of the other plants.
Also planted here are Achillea millefolium, which are just behind the pink Echinacea pallida; Penstemon ‘Raven’ (the darker pink/purple flowers), and the flat-headed flower, Cenolophium denudatum.
In the opposite bed are ferns and Thalictrum, the tall, mauve flowers growing against the fence. Two varieties of clematis are starting to climb the fence on either side: Clematis ‘Prince Charles’ and Clematis montana var. alba.
The original fence.
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Browse the Houzz Professionals Directory to read reviews of local landscape architects and garden designers.
Simon installed new fencing and painted it dark grey for a contemporary look. “It’s also a great foil for the green planting,” he says.
Climbing up the fence at the far end of the garden near the seating area is evergreen and fragrant Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine). It’s underplanted with Galium odoratum. “It’s a great ground cover plant with little star-shaped flowers in spring,” Simon says.
Fence painted in Anthracite (RAL 7016).
Climbing up the fence at the far end of the garden near the seating area is evergreen and fragrant Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine). It’s underplanted with Galium odoratum. “It’s a great ground cover plant with little star-shaped flowers in spring,” Simon says.
Fence painted in Anthracite (RAL 7016).
Halfway up the garden, Simon planted an Acer ginnala tree, seen in the foreground here. “It turns an amazing fiery red in autumn,” he says.
The owners plan to add seating to this area. “There’s not much going on here, but that almost creates a bit of a pause from one end of the garden to the next, somewhere to sit and relax in an open space,” he says. This idea, Simon explains, is also inspired by Japanese design.
The owners plan to add seating to this area. “There’s not much going on here, but that almost creates a bit of a pause from one end of the garden to the next, somewhere to sit and relax in an open space,” he says. This idea, Simon explains, is also inspired by Japanese design.
These two beds, filled predominantly with lime green Alchemilla mollis and purple Nepeta (catmint), which is loved by bees, flank the path into the back end of the garden.
Seen here, the golden-leaved Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ tree, a multi-stemmed Japanese maple, is a big focal point in the garden as a whole. “It’s a cracking tree,” Simon says.
A pot containing agapanthus adds floral interest next to the fence and, at the back, a hedge hides a new shed.
Seen here, the golden-leaved Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ tree, a multi-stemmed Japanese maple, is a big focal point in the garden as a whole. “It’s a cracking tree,” Simon says.
A pot containing agapanthus adds floral interest next to the fence and, at the back, a hedge hides a new shed.
In the left-hand bed, there’s also a corten steel water bowl. “It reflects the sky and the tree,” Simon says. It’s balanced in the opposite bed by a ball-shaped Phillyrea, an evergreen shrub that will provide structure all year round. Spiky sea holly, or Eryngium, also adds interest in the right-hand bed.
The tree is underplanted with Hakonechloa macra – a Japanese forest grass. “It’s really soft and will completely fill out that space and spill onto the paving,” Simon says. “It turns a nice orange in late autumn and is fantastic when you get the wind through it – it’s almost like water rippling.”
Sandstone planks have been laid in this area. The owners plan to add a sofa and a firepit to create an inviting entertaining space.
Discover how to create a garden haven that soothes all the senses.
Sandstone planks have been laid in this area. The owners plan to add a sofa and a firepit to create an inviting entertaining space.
Discover how to create a garden haven that soothes all the senses.
This before picture shows the garden from the other end, looking back at the house.
Here’s the same view after the transformation, with the new plank paving more clearly visible.
Sandstone plank paving, London Stone.
Sandstone plank paving, London Stone.
Simon planted another bee-friendly plant, Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’, in a pot on the shady side of the patio by the house.
Also up by the house are herb pots containing golden oregano, mint and purple sage.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite detail in this peaceful garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite detail in this peaceful garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A professional couple
Location South-east London
Property A Victorian mid-terrace house
Garden dimensions 23m x 5m
Designer Simon Orchard of Simon Orchard Garden Design
Budget £35,000
When Simon first saw the garden, it was unkempt and hadn’t been touched for a long time. “There was an old patio, plus a rotting shed at the far end, and the rest was just laid to lawn. It was a nice blank canvas!” he says.