The South Hampstead I garden is an overlooked 165m2 north facing garden. It consisted of two one metre wide beds extending the full length of the fence line with the remaining area lawn aside from a small patio and garden shed.

The brief from our client centred around increasing privacy from the overlooking property at the rear of the garden, creating more patio space and disguising the shed. The client tasked us with renewing the planting to have year-round interest in a predominantly pink and white palette, replacing the existing spring centric planting.

We were also tasked with creating a sense of journey throughout the garden whilst respecting the clients desire to retain linear forms and need for an expanse of lawn.

Additionally, we were tasked with creating a space that gave the sense of destination and sanctuary at the rear of the garden. It was to capitalise on the sunny aspect, contain a water feature but also needed to offer the flexibility to be a social space and was able to be cleared to accommodate a pop-up pool in the summer.

To achieve many of these key aspects we’ve introduced a mixture of evergreen and deciduous plants, shrubs and climbers ranging from ground cover through to upright structure. We’ve introduced compact trees to create screening, privacy and natural shade rather than introducing a permanent structure. We have also ensured through careful planting choices spread throughout the garden, that every month of the year has interest in foliage, scent or bloom, whilst ensuring to retain seasonal interest with surprise plants and bulbs.

We’ve incorporated two tranquil rock pools that line the rear raised patio to give the impression of crossing a river as you step between the two levels.

This project will be constructed in two phases starting early November 2022 and the second phase of planting expected to be completed by spiring 2023. You can see more of this project on our projects page.