It’s quite unusual to be asked to design a garden of this size without a lawn but we were asked to create a classical garden with contemporary touches, set to a soundtrack of water. This is an impressive house and the garden needed to be equally so.
The scheme centres around a formal, sunken seating area and sculptural focal point anchored by four large planting beds. A rill runs the full length of the garden and a second copper-spouted water feature takes centre stage on the far boundary.
Conical yews give a nod to the ‘Italianate’ and add structure to otherwise soft, naturalistic planting. Pleached hornbeam around the perimeter creates a sense of enclosure and ensures total immersion in the space.