The garden wrapped slightly around the house, with key views from both the kitchen and dining room. To make the space feel deeper and more interesting, we created a series of zones that draw the eye across the full width of the garden, encouraging every part of the space to be used.

One of the biggest decisions was to remove the tired Leylandii hedge at the rear. Although it offered screening, it felt dark and dated, so we replaced it with elegant pleached hedging to create a smarter, longer-lasting boundary.

As the clients were keen gardeners, we designed a dedicated vegetable area with raised beds, a greenhouse and a small bistro seating spot. Nearby, a relaxed sofa area with a gently trickling water pot and gravel planting creates a softer, more sensory space for sitting and unwinding.

Water features helped to create this sense of calm – we designed a flat reflective pool with a walkover pathway that gives the impression of stones floating across the water. A large Acer planter was positioned to provide interest from the kitchen, while the dining area was set slightly away from the main window to keep views open and uncluttered.

Around the side of the house, further planting leads to a focal point outside the dining room window, which is uplit at night to create an atmospheric evening view from inside the home.