Garden Tour: An Established Country Garden is Gently Updated
When a mature garden needs a redesign, it takes skill to blend the old with the new and bring it all together
When garden designer Ed Oddy met the owners of this large Surrey patch, they’d already lived in the house for quite a few years and the garden was mature. “The trouble was, it was a garden that had been added to piecemeal over time rather than designed as a whole,” Ed says. “There was no unity or flow. It wasn’t very harmonious in terms of the planting, so the clients were looking to change that.”
This view is of the back of the house as seen from the dining area Ed created. On the left-hand side you can see some of the mature existing trees and hedging. “There was a lot of tree surgery. They were previously encroaching more into the garden,” he says. “We then planted lots of different green textures beneath them, mostly evergreen shrubs and ground cover perennials and grasses.”
Also existing and incorporated into the new design were the climbing plants on the back of the house, as well as the lawns. Of the latter, Ed says, “We brought these back together, as they had been very disjointed.”
The planting seen here in the middle of the lawn was originally a border that extended the whole width of the garden. Ed reduced it. “This opened up the view and focal points,” he says.
From this direction, the view is through the steel gate and a purple beech hedge Ed installed to divide the back and side gardens. The gate has an arch over it to support newly planted climbing roses.
In the foreground, the planting includes Crocosmia and some late-season flowering plants, including Achillea and Kniphofia (red-hot poker).
Also existing and incorporated into the new design were the climbing plants on the back of the house, as well as the lawns. Of the latter, Ed says, “We brought these back together, as they had been very disjointed.”
The planting seen here in the middle of the lawn was originally a border that extended the whole width of the garden. Ed reduced it. “This opened up the view and focal points,” he says.
From this direction, the view is through the steel gate and a purple beech hedge Ed installed to divide the back and side gardens. The gate has an arch over it to support newly planted climbing roses.
In the foreground, the planting includes Crocosmia and some late-season flowering plants, including Achillea and Kniphofia (red-hot poker).
The owners picked this pergola to go over a new dining area Ed paved and planted.
You can’t see the climbing roses yet, as they’re not established, but Ed chose two varieties, ‘Climbing Iceberg’ and ‘Alister Stella Gray’ – white and a creamy yellow respectively – the first to brighten up the dark hedge in the background and the second to complement the planting underneath. “The idea is that, over time, it’ll be enveloped with climbing roses,” he says. “The dining area is south-facing, so this will make it a scented, shady spot.”
Also planted around the pergola is Stipa gigantea, a large grass, plus more Achillea and Kniphofia for continuity. Ed also added Rudbeckia, Alchemilla mollis and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’.
You can’t see the climbing roses yet, as they’re not established, but Ed chose two varieties, ‘Climbing Iceberg’ and ‘Alister Stella Gray’ – white and a creamy yellow respectively – the first to brighten up the dark hedge in the background and the second to complement the planting underneath. “The idea is that, over time, it’ll be enveloped with climbing roses,” he says. “The dining area is south-facing, so this will make it a scented, shady spot.”
Also planted around the pergola is Stipa gigantea, a large grass, plus more Achillea and Kniphofia for continuity. Ed also added Rudbeckia, Alchemilla mollis and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’.
Ed wanted to create a sense of enclosure around the dining area without it feeling too densely planted and the grasses are perfect. “They provide height, shade and shadow-play. Late in the season when they catch the light, they’re a big architectural statement,” he says.
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Need some help with your outdoor space? Find local landscape contractors and gardeners in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Two espaliered greengage plum trees are also planted around the dining area, visible at the back left of the pergola here. These separate the area from the kitchen garden beyond. They also help to screen the shed. “We painted the [existing] shed black, so it recedes into the background,” Ed explains. “Also, the planting really bounces off it, so you get a lovely contrast.”
The paving is riven sandstone.
The paving is riven sandstone.
This is looking from the house towards the dining area and kitchen garden. This bed is closest to the house and Ed filled it with plants including Heuchera, Agapanthus, Verbena bonariensis, Sedum and Santolina.
The colour palette echoes the bed close to the dining area. “We wanted the view from the evening terrace to be across those two beds, so we gave them similar tones,” Ed says.
The colour palette echoes the bed close to the dining area. “We wanted the view from the evening terrace to be across those two beds, so we gave them similar tones,” Ed says.
These colourful chairs make up the evening seating area; there’s a low table just out of view. “The owners bought the set and we wanted to replicate the colours in the planting, so we used similar warm tones,” Ed says.
Read more: 7 Ideas for Creating a Garden That’s Perfect for Socialising In.
Read more: 7 Ideas for Creating a Garden That’s Perfect for Socialising In.
Here is the view from the other side of the pergola, showing the kitchen garden. “Our job here was to enclose this area and connect and unify it with the garden as a whole,” Ed says.
He added plants in the beds around it, including lavender and Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ (catmint), which he planted next to paths and edging around the whole garden, as it releases scent as you brush past.
He added plants in the beds around it, including lavender and Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ (catmint), which he planted next to paths and edging around the whole garden, as it releases scent as you brush past.
This is in the front garden, looking through the gate to the side garden. Climbing roses will eventually cover the metal arch above the gate and tie in with those on the pergola. “It will look amazing,” Ed says.
He planted the beech hedge next to the gate, but the mature trees behind were existing and he incorporated them into his design. “We used a bit of borrowed landscape, as the garden backs onto green space. We tried to bring that in with the planting,” he says.
He planted the beech hedge next to the gate, but the mature trees behind were existing and he incorporated them into his design. “We used a bit of borrowed landscape, as the garden backs onto green space. We tried to bring that in with the planting,” he says.
This shows the front of the house. Ed introduced a planted bed here, similar to the ones in the back garden – it includes Verbena bonariensis, Heuchera, Salvia and also Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’.
Pyracantha, a wall shrub, softens the brickwork and provides a green backdrop to the planting in front.
In the foreground is an ornamental pear that was already there and just beyond the arch is an evergreen Magnolia grandiflora to screen the neighbouring house.
Pyracantha, a wall shrub, softens the brickwork and provides a green backdrop to the planting in front.
In the foreground is an ornamental pear that was already there and just beyond the arch is an evergreen Magnolia grandiflora to screen the neighbouring house.
Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ also makes an appearance at front of the house, along with more of the Verbena bonariensis and Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ spilling onto the gravel.
The climbing plants are evergreen Trachelospermum jasminoides (jasmine).
The climbing plants are evergreen Trachelospermum jasminoides (jasmine).
Ed replaced an existing, much narrower path to the front door direct from the road and lined it with Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ for the scent.
The gravel drive was existing.
The brickwork leads out to the road. The rocks bordering the beds here were taken from an existing rockery in these sloping beds and repurposed.
An existing beech hedge separates the garden from the road.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite part of this large country garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
An existing beech hedge separates the garden from the road.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite part of this large country garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A family of four with teenage children
Location Esher, Surrey
Property A detached interwar house
Garden dimensions Approximately half an acre
Designer Ed Oddy of Ed Oddy Garden Design
There were lots of established plants the owners were keen to keep, but also lots they didn’t like. “It wasn’t a full overhaul, more that we wanted to edit the whole garden to make it work for them,” Ed explains.
As such, the key changes were the creation of two seating zones and improving the entrance to the garden at the side. This entrance links this space to the front garden, which Ed also designed, adding a wider path to the front door and streamlining and harmonising the planting throughout, so it all worked as a whole.