My kind of garden design project

Chapel Cottage

My clients had inherited a much loved garden which had outgrown itself. They love gardening and wanted to fit in some with busy jobs and children, as well as being able to sit and enjoy the garden from a sunny terrace, which was already made. A natural sight line led uphill towards a coppice, and the sky beyond. This wall was topped with Cotswold flags broad enough to sit on. I worked closely with the owners and created four borders, to guide the eye beyond the gated wall, and one closer to the house.

Mansfield College

The design of this very big south-facing border takes reference from its proximity to the sun-drenched eating area outside the dining room and cafe. A rosemary hedge gives the border structure along with many other herbs. There are more mediterranean type plants here too, teuchrium fruticans for example,  which should provide fragrance for people enjoying the space when the weather allows. A wisteria Black Dragon has been planted to climb the up the southern elevation of the college to replace the fine specimen which had to be removed when the building work was being carried out.

North Oxford Garden 

(new photograph due soon)

I worked first on this garden as a blank canvas in 2005. Many walled gardens in north Oxford are plagued with bind weed. The south facing border I had designed was becoming dominated by this, so renovation was necessary. New borders were also required, which would be seen from the main entertaining rooms of the house. They were in front of the vegetable garden I had laid out nine years previously, and were to include vibrant colours, with Rosa Buff Beauty as a major reference. My client did not want too much border, but good all season interest.