The garden at ‘The Old Vicarage’ was at least 20 years old and totally overgrown. The before photo shown here has been taken after 2 days of clearance and 4 trailer loads of brash having been removed the autumn before!
The brief was for a totally new garden, that looked ‘designed’. Because of the unconventional shape of the long triangular garden, we used circles to provide structure and definition.
The use of interlocking circles makes the most of the space and creates interesting planting areas. A large circular patio next to the house has views across the Ings. The lawns are edged with setts to complement the paving and new steps were constructed to create a grand entrance to the garden.
The great thing about this job was that the design brief was relatively unspecific and the budget allowed for creativity and great materials.
The existing pond was totally overgrown and the brief was to reinvigorate the pond and create a usable entertaining area. Whilst clearing and excavating we found most of the stone to create the retaining walls, with some interesting pieces from an old church. Using reclaimed Yorkshire stone we created a 20m² patio on the top level.
On the next level down there is a small pond which feeds the main pond via a waterfall. It was a joy to create.
Here we relaid 100 sq m of beautiful Yorkshire stone. Over the decades it had started to look tired, with damaged pointing some loose slabs. The roadway we constructed with the Yorkstone paving could have been lifted from York City centre hundreds of years ago. As well as the main driveway, which needs to take the weight of farm vehicles, we laid paving in front on the garage and created pathways to the door.
The existing gravel parking area was softened with cobble edging and by rounding off the corners. The borders were planted up and finished with a bark mulch. With a practical design philosophy and an economical use of the stone, we had enough stone left over to lay a small but perfectly formed patio in the front garden.
This front garden and drive has well and truly been given a Kerb Appeal make over. The original single tarmac drive has been widened to comfortably accommodate 2 cars and has been laid with tegular block paving. We have rebuilt the walls and created a new stepped entrance to the front door.
We also installed a ramped pathway. These can be crucial if you or regular visitors are unsteady on their feet, or need a wheelchair or buggy. They also make life much easier for getting your wheelie bin out onto the street for collection! The garden was completed with architectural and colourful planting for year round interest and finished with a gravel mulch to create a beautiful, neat and low maintenance look with plenty of Kerb Appeal!
Initially, the client thought they knew what they wanted. After a short conversation about their needs and desires and a few scribbles on a notepad, the design had transformed into something close to what you see here.
Although all the elements were in the owners original plan, they seemed disjointed and stuck in the corners. By using a large semi-circular lawn, we have linked all of the elements and maximised the space. The second patio with the gazebo is a fantastic entertaining space. By positioning it on the angle, it welcomes you in and gives a great outlook across the garden.
We used Modak Indian sandstone for both patios. The pink tones contrast superbly with the yellow colour of the of the house stone. This helps create a modern feel along with the dominant lines of the new oak sleeper step and the sandstone sett edging that frames and defines the flat, level lawn.
