Rudyard Kipling once said, ‘The glory of the garden lies in more than meets the eye’. How true this statement is as design and planning are vital if the desired results are to be achieved. Peter Burks, gardening guru for online garden centre potterandrest.co.uk says,
“One way to create interest in your garden is by dividing it up into ‘rooms’ with each one serving a different purpose. Adding garden ornaments can also help to separate your spaces or bring them together.
“The 21st century garden is an extension of the home. Entertaining outside and dining al fresco is a fashionable must. Patios and paths bring the indoors out and link your home and garden seamlessly. Creating the right ambience in your garden follows the same principles that an interior designer might adopt when decorating a dining room or any other living space. The materials, colours and textures you use and the style you adopt are very important.
“Chimineas and fire pits are becoming increasingly popular and, as well as having a practical purpose, they also make a great focal point in your entertaining area. Water can be one of the most fascinating elements of a garden, whether it is a pond that reflects all around or a gentle fountain or water feature. Having moving water in any garden is good for the soul, according to Feng Shui consultants. You could have a grand traditional fountain, a modern under lit stream or a fishpond.”
Throwing Light on the Subject
The use of outside lighting can further extend the feeling of space. Sally Storey, design director of John Cullen Lighting, explains,
“This is not only effective in the summer for parties or outside dining but also in the winter when looking out from inside. For a large glazed exposed kitchen on to the garden or a conservatory it stops you from feeling like a goldfish in a bowl and brings the garden in. The latest LED technology must be embraced as never before have so many magical effects be achievable for such little energy usage.
“The secret is to light the key features – this could be using spiked Kensington Spotlights to light a line of trees or a sculpture or Richmonds to light at low level or a path. Consider layering of light, key focuses on one circuit and more light on another. For a decorative effect, consider using Starliters hanging in trees.”
However, Ms Storey advises it’s best to avoid over-lighting the garden as a little light goes a long way at night.
“If your trees or shrubbery are dense, ie box hedging, uplighting will not work, better to be downlight,”
she says.
“For a bit of magic, add firebowls and small spiked flares.”
Project Profile
This beautiful garden is in the exclusive Lilliput area of Poole, Dorset. With a garden that meets the ocean, a space was designed that would be both functional and fun; whilst making the most of the sweeping panoramic views of Brownsea Island The original garden was a 30-year-old Italian design using lots of brick that was harsh on the eye. A third of the garden was sunken into a three metre crater so the views of Poole Bay were completely wasted. The main focus of this garden design was to move away from the bricks and to raise the area to make the most of the exquisite views. This seaside garden presented a unique set of challenges as there was minimal access to the property, meaning that all the work had to be carried out using micro machinery. A clever design strategy was required immediately, as removing lots of unwanted rubble from the site provided impossible. With this in mind, no major structural changes were made, but instead the sunken garden was used as an advantage, where it was incorporated into the design to make it part of the ‘journey’.
At the very end of the garden, at the water’s edge is an oak slipway for easy access to the sea. Alongside this, overlooking the water is a hidden seating area that’s perfect for watching the sun go down. It’s a very funky area with a rustic nautical feel to it, using reclaimed scaffold boards for the decking. Also attached to this area is a fabulous shower and a sink for preparing the fish that the owners catch from a day on the sea. A paved area then leads you up the garden to the boathouse which contains storage for kayaks and paddleboards and a log burner for those chilly evenings. The original door from the Italian garden has been used for the boathouse, with an added stainless steel porthole to give it a ‘beachy’ feel. Additional reclaimed scaffolding boards that have been sanded to clad the outside fell perfectly in this area. From here, some Millboard weathered driftwood steps lead you up on to a small decked area with glass balustrades that then follows on to the new lawn, planted with artificial grass.
The sunken garden has now been raised and contains built-in seating with storage underneath, a wireless speaker system, RGBW lighting and a pull-out bar and barbecue. There is also a feature wall of vertical planting and Cor-ten steel panels which looks amazing. The existing wall was dropped in height and clad with cedar panels on the outside. This then follows on to two other decked areas, the lower of which is the same as the internal floor level.
On the other side of the garden is a secret deck with rattan seating, accessed only from the dining room, that looks out to sea offering stunning views of the sunset in the evening. The two deck areas sandwich a 300mm deep infinity pond that has been rendered with a special black coating which will create a reflective quality to the water. A pond pump and UV filter will be installed to keep the water clean and clear. Local Purbeck stone has been used to border the pool and colour-changing lights have been installed. As well as being beautiful to look at, this garden is very functional, eco-friendly and planted with various herbs like rosemary and lavender that can be picked and used. There is also an auto-irrigation system in the back garden that is fuelled by the water harvesting system that collects rain from the roof and flushes any overflow into the sea. Garden Designers:
Peter Jenkins, Dorset Design & Build
www.dorsetdesignbuild.co.uk
