Houzz Tours
Before and After
Garden Tour: A Curvy, Grown-up Design Accessible to All
Before and after photos show the inspired design that turned this garden into a stunning, wheelchair-friendly space
Designer Terrey Maufe has made this beautiful garden on the outskirts of Bristol work really hard. Not only does the multi-level space provide variety, it looks wonderful from inside the house, includes a large patio for dining, and has a generous kitchen and cut-flower garden. It’s also fun for the homeowners’ six-year-old daughter and accessible for one of the parents who uses a wheelchair.
To help her clients find inspiration, Terrey likes to direct them to some of the relevant ideabooks she’s put together on her Houzz profile to illustrate ideas on topics ranging from boundary treatments to using different materials. “It can help clients to get their heads around an idea,” she says.
To help her clients find inspiration, Terrey likes to direct them to some of the relevant ideabooks she’s put together on her Houzz profile to illustrate ideas on topics ranging from boundary treatments to using different materials. “It can help clients to get their heads around an idea,” she says.
This picture shows roughly the same view after Terrey’s redesign.
The garden now features a wheelchair-accessible path (edged by white walls) that slopes up from the patio and curves all the way around a central lawn. This is bordered on the left by vegetable- and fruit-growing ‘bays’ next to shallow, Corten-steel-edged steps, all divided by railway sleepers.
Box hedging makes a nod to a traditional kitchen garden. Was Terrey concerned about box blight? “It’s more prevalent if you have a hedge against a wall where there’s less ventilation,” she says. “Here, where there’s good airflow, it’s much less of a risk.”
The garden now features a wheelchair-accessible path (edged by white walls) that slopes up from the patio and curves all the way around a central lawn. This is bordered on the left by vegetable- and fruit-growing ‘bays’ next to shallow, Corten-steel-edged steps, all divided by railway sleepers.
Box hedging makes a nod to a traditional kitchen garden. Was Terrey concerned about box blight? “It’s more prevalent if you have a hedge against a wall where there’s less ventilation,” she says. “Here, where there’s good airflow, it’s much less of a risk.”
Central to the design was a circular lawn that was a loose element of the original garden.
“We crisped up [the original lawn] and re-landscaped it,” Terrey says of the new area. “Within this slightly squiffy, kite-shaped garden, it anchors the design, then all the other features radiate out from that central point.”
Find reviewed garden designers in your area on Houzz.
“We crisped up [the original lawn] and re-landscaped it,” Terrey says of the new area. “Within this slightly squiffy, kite-shaped garden, it anchors the design, then all the other features radiate out from that central point.”
Find reviewed garden designers in your area on Houzz.
These two views show the original bumpy path alongside the new design, seen from the top of the slope.
The new extension ate into most of the original terrace and also took the patio almost up to the first level change in the garden. As such, this had to be dug out to create a new patio level with the house.
Terrey designed the area to be big enough for family dining and barbecues, and to provide generous circulation space, allowing for comfortable movement around the terrace in a wheelchair. The surface is smooth, porcelain tiles.
Wide steps provide the alternative route up to the lawn and are roughly in line with the patio doors on the bungalow’s new extension.
The dropped beds in front of the lawn are an important detail; Terrey wanted planting that wouldn’t block the view of the rest of the garden from the house or patio. “The Corten steel allowed us to create planting at lawn level rather than above it, meaning you can see beyond it,” she says.
Patio tiles, Mandarin Stone.
Terrey designed the area to be big enough for family dining and barbecues, and to provide generous circulation space, allowing for comfortable movement around the terrace in a wheelchair. The surface is smooth, porcelain tiles.
Wide steps provide the alternative route up to the lawn and are roughly in line with the patio doors on the bungalow’s new extension.
The dropped beds in front of the lawn are an important detail; Terrey wanted planting that wouldn’t block the view of the rest of the garden from the house or patio. “The Corten steel allowed us to create planting at lawn level rather than above it, meaning you can see beyond it,” she says.
Patio tiles, Mandarin Stone.
This is how the patio looked before the extension was built.
The job originally came to Terrey after she met the architects who designed the extension, DHV, at a Houzz networking event. “I’d worked on a garden at another property they’d designed,” she says, “and I recognised them.” They recommended Terrey to the homeowners.
The job originally came to Terrey after she met the architects who designed the extension, DHV, at a Houzz networking event. “I’d worked on a garden at another property they’d designed,” she says, “and I recognised them.” They recommended Terrey to the homeowners.
The boundary with the interior is flush, thanks to the use of Millboard composite decking, which mirrors the cedar-clad overhang above (see next photo). Because it’s not a natural material, the Millboard won’t expand or contract. This allowed Terrey to leave gaps between the boards and to install a linear drain beneath it to prevent any damp issues.
Terrey added flowerbeds right next to the extension’s two floor-to-ceiling windows, one of which can be seen here (the other is just out of shot on the right). “Because the terrace is quite generous, this helps to make the garden feel much closer to the house,” she says.
Planting here includes Allium caeruleum; Lavandula angustifolia ‘Silver Mist’; Geranium clerkei ‘Kashmir White’, and Perovskia ‘Little Spire’.
Just beyond the first lawn, you can see a shady spot where the swings have been repositioned. “The daughter has lots of cousins who come over and her mother was keen to let her have a space that we left alone in which she could hide and dig and make a mess. It’s often [about] what you don’t do more than what you do do to make a garden child-friendly.”
Planting here includes Allium caeruleum; Lavandula angustifolia ‘Silver Mist’; Geranium clerkei ‘Kashmir White’, and Perovskia ‘Little Spire’.
Just beyond the first lawn, you can see a shady spot where the swings have been repositioned. “The daughter has lots of cousins who come over and her mother was keen to let her have a space that we left alone in which she could hide and dig and make a mess. It’s often [about] what you don’t do more than what you do do to make a garden child-friendly.”
The husband is Dutch and for this reason the colour palette features a lot of orange, an important colour with a long history in the Netherlands. It features not only in the planting but also in the Corten steel, which has a (protective) rust surface.
“The overall colour theme is coppers, oranges and bronzes,” Terrey explains. “These are set off with purples and mauves; they are at opposite ends of the colour spectrum, so they really zing together.”
The warm-toned plants include orange tulips; Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’; Uncinia rubra ‘Everflame’, and Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’. The cooler-coloured sections include rosemary; lavender; Alchemilla mollis, and Nepeta racemosa.
“The overall colour theme is coppers, oranges and bronzes,” Terrey explains. “These are set off with purples and mauves; they are at opposite ends of the colour spectrum, so they really zing together.”
The warm-toned plants include orange tulips; Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’; Uncinia rubra ‘Everflame’, and Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’. The cooler-coloured sections include rosemary; lavender; Alchemilla mollis, and Nepeta racemosa.
“The mixed natural native hedge was already there and borders arable land,” Terrey says of the hedge seen at the back of this view.
Also visible here are the two multi-stemmed silver birch trees that were already in the garden and which Terrey kept, adding one more to make a trio. A planting arc including nepeta and lavender makes for a hazy, mauvey display.
Also seen here is a straight path off the circle that leads to a bench. “This is a west-facing space with a firepit in the centre,” Terrey says. “It’s a great area for a sundowner.”
Also visible here are the two multi-stemmed silver birch trees that were already in the garden and which Terrey kept, adding one more to make a trio. A planting arc including nepeta and lavender makes for a hazy, mauvey display.
Also seen here is a straight path off the circle that leads to a bench. “This is a west-facing space with a firepit in the centre,” Terrey says. “It’s a great area for a sundowner.”
Along the side of the patio there’s a narrow border. “Because it’s quite shady, we put in white foxgloves, white alliums and plants with variegated leaves to lighten up and lift this space.”
An ash, a sycamore and an apple are among the trees visible, but on the other side of the fence. “Height is really hard to achieve if you’re starting from scratch, so trees beyond the boundary can be as much a part of a garden [as the new planting].”
An ash, a sycamore and an apple are among the trees visible, but on the other side of the fence. “Height is really hard to achieve if you’re starting from scratch, so trees beyond the boundary can be as much a part of a garden [as the new planting].”
The small lawn is perfect for the homeowners’ little girl. “It’s really accessible from a child’s point of view,” Terrey says. “It was also a good way of creating a block of green close to the house.”
Terrey created another, smaller circular lawn at the top of the shallow steps and adjacent to the accessible path, which can be seen on this plan. “This ‘satellite’ lawn is a more intimate space, somewhere it would be really nice to have picnic,” Terrey says.
This view is from just in front of the bench and firepit.
To keep the lawns looking pristine, Terrey installed an automatic lawn-mowing system. It’s so clever,” she says. “It comes out once a day and takes off 1mm, depending on the rainfall. It follows its own, random pattern, so you don’t get lines across the grass.
“It’s guided by wires beneath and around the edges of the lawn, so it’s best to design for this sort of technology at the outset,” she says, “though it can potentially be added retrospectively.”
To keep the lawns looking pristine, Terrey installed an automatic lawn-mowing system. It’s so clever,” she says. “It comes out once a day and takes off 1mm, depending on the rainfall. It follows its own, random pattern, so you don’t get lines across the grass.
“It’s guided by wires beneath and around the edges of the lawn, so it’s best to design for this sort of technology at the outset,” she says, “though it can potentially be added retrospectively.”
A look back towards the house. The flowers in the foreground are the result of a seed bomb the homeowner planted as an interim measure before she had time to plan a full vegetable patch.
Grey block paviers divide the resin-bound gravel and visually signal there is a slope.
A corner of the barbecue is visible on the right next to a bay tree; all the herb-growing also happens at this level. “The idea was that you could just grab a handful to chuck onto the barbecue,” Terrey says.
Read more: How to Squeeze a Vegetable Patch into a Small Garden.
Grey block paviers divide the resin-bound gravel and visually signal there is a slope.
A corner of the barbecue is visible on the right next to a bay tree; all the herb-growing also happens at this level. “The idea was that you could just grab a handful to chuck onto the barbecue,” Terrey says.
Read more: How to Squeeze a Vegetable Patch into a Small Garden.
The same view before the redesign.
Tell us…
What are your favourite features in this hardworking garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What are your favourite features in this hardworking garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A family of three, including a girl of six and a wheelchair user
Property A 1970s bungalow
Location Long Ashton, on the outskirts of Bristol
Garden dimensions The corner plot is kite-shaped and measures 36m at its widest point and is 41m long
Designer Terrey Maufe of
Outerspace Creative Landscaping
Photos by Terrey Maufe
This is how things looked when Terrey first saw the garden. “It was only one step away from the fields beyond,” she says. By which she means that not a huge amount of landscaping had been done.
“It was an established garden with a lumpy lawn and very compromised pathways, where roots had lifted up some sections,” Terrey says. “There were trip hazards everywhere and, even for an able-bodied person, it wasn’t easy to get around or look after.” It certainly wasn’t ideal for the homeowners, a working family with a small child and one parent reliant on a wheelchair to get around.