A town garden can sometimes signal limited space and here the design task can be to create an environment that is both appealing and has practical attributes.
Just the challenge Gardenproud were looking for when they were asked recently to transform a modest garden in the centre of Tunbridge Wells.
The house is an attractive victorian property that has been extended in a complimentary but modern fashion. A key feature is an orangery extension incorporating a floor to ceiling gabled window.
Patio doors from the extension led onto a small decking terrace/pathway. This had an interesting wave feature that was to become a design cue for the work in the garden.
Elsewhere the garden looked overgrown and dark. A thick outcrop of shrubs, ivy and brambles disguised an attractive rear wall. This overgrown area encroached on what available space there was.
It also just happened to be the sunniest spot of the garden!
The client wanted to brighten up the garden, increase the perception of space, enjoy the sunlight and importantly use the garden more often for entertaining etc.
The Gardenproud team designed a concept that built on the attributes of the lower terrace and created a larger new upper terrace that would benefit from maximum sunlight, new planting areas along the borders and new pathways. They then rebuilt the old lower terrace in new materials.
Many of the old shrubs were temporarily removed and will be replaced by a new planting scheme early 2012. Other shrubs and small trees were pruned so as to remove dead foliage and also open up the garden.
The victorian pavers from the old pathways were cleaned and reused as part of the new scheme.
To help improve privacy and give the garden a more attractive backdrop trellising was erected along the neighbour borders.
As a focal point and to help increase the perception of space and light Gardenproud designed a large mirror to go on the rear wall. This was made locally by Masson Joinery in hardwood. “We designed the mirror to reflect the architecture of the client’s orangery,” commented Gardenproud’s Tim Sykes.
A lighting scheme was designed so as to provide atmospheric colour and shape to the garden at night. It additionally enables outdoor entertaining and illuminates the connecting pathways. This was installed by local electricians Bright Spark. Ingeniously the whole system is operated from a remote controlled switching point in the kitchen/dining area.
One of the key challenges for the team was dealing with the logistics of working in a confined space, including organising deliveries, storing materials, creating work areas and removing waste.
“Parking is also a massive challenge to any tradesman in places like Tunbridge Wells, with the need to drop off and collect equipment and regularly monitor progress. Anyway we managed to overcome these difficulties and have learn’t a lot from the experience,” says Tim Sykes.
The end result speaks for itself and most importantly Sonya our client is delighted with her new garden and looks forward to enjoying it in 2012.
“The garden looks fantastic! We’re very pleased with it and really like the mirror.”
From just £250, Gardenproud can provide you with a series of concepts demonstrating how you can transform your garden space.
For a FREE consultation call Tim Sykes on 07725 173820 today, or email us at info@reallygardenproud.com
