Rhythm and Structure
A large, elegant garden with many fine mature trees this commission called for a light touch to gently edit and reshape the garden. We devised a Master Plan for the work ahead, looking to better connect the different functional areas of the garden and meet our client’s challenge to create a strong sense of structure alongside their love of flowing planting. Judicious use of Yew hedging helped direct paths and entrances, leading the eye and feet in a more purposeful manner, whilst also providing a strong evergreen structure to the whole of the garden. The arrival area was enhanced through the re-shaping of the driveway and the clearing of overgrown shrubs to reveal the true stature and charm of the property. Lawn levels were re-profiled to enable the house to sit comfortably within the garden and tired borders were overhauled, some removed completely, some reshaped and replanted and others carved from new earth.
The tennis court provided an unusual problem. Set at an irregular angle to the property it bisected the garden and interrupted the views from the house and terrace to the fields beyond. Our solution was to position seven large Yew topiary cubes in front of the tennis court, yet parallel to the house, obscuring the playing surface and net line and enabling the eye to allow the perimeter fence to blend in to the background. Interplanted with Miscanthus the bold shapes offer a strong feature through which the afternoon sun shines, creating stunning silhouettes. The planting around the house echoes the Yew cubes through use of smaller Box cubes, juxtaposed with the softness of Seslaria, Geranium, Bergenia, Alchemilla and Salvia. In front of a long sweeping Yew and Box hedge we planted perennials, grasses and bulbs in harmonious colours of blue, purple, white and green to create movement and rhythm.
