Seaforde Garden

Design Rationale, requirements and influences

Client requirement

Is for a Cottage style garden with consideration being paid to minimum maintenance.

Considerations

A flow around the garden which allows comfortable movement from one area of the garden to another and through to an orchard on the eastern side of the property.

The task

The area to the immediate rear of the property would be predominantly cottage style with areas of paving, paths, ‘woodland’ and borders accommodating cottage garden plants such as Roses, Hollyhocks, Delphiniums,  Verbascum, Digitalis etc. Underplanting could consist of Ferns, Hostas, Alliums, Heucheras and Grasses chosen for colour and sensory aspects. Other groundcover plants will also be specified. Trees, eg. Betula utilis Jacquemontii Snow Queen will be specified for year round interest, structure and height, for their ability to create dappled shade and for suppression of predominant prevailing winds. Hedging such as Hornbeam, or Beech will also be considered for their ability to define an area as well as integrating the property with the view beyond.

Influences

Chelsea Gold Medal winning designers, Adam Frost and Dan Pearson, other considerations have also been given to the works of Piet Oudolf for his naturalistic planting schemes.

The idea being that there is an aspect of discovery in movement around the garden and by including these little areas of discovery, they also provide areas of shelter which can be used depending upon time of day and/or wind direction. The garden whilst incorporating traditional cottage style thinking will also have contemporary cues based upon the inclusion of modern materials and the influences of contemporary design thinking, this will help to facilitate a ‘low maintenance’ provision. I want the garden to have a structure but also a sense of wildness that is essential in a cottage garden.

Colour

I am advocating a limited colour palette of blues, lavenders, through to peaches and apricots. Terracottas, green and blacks will also be considered as a means of providing depth and separation.