Caroline Garland, Garden Designer!

We found this south facing garden in quite a state.  It had had a long winter of discontent, the shrubs were sad and overgrown and our client wanted something more contemporary and easy to keep (it had been a football pitch for her boys over the years) – she also wanted raised vegetable beds and a separate “sitting out” area at the bottom of the garden for her (now grown up) sons to entertain in plus an area for a table and chairs nearer the house.  We were uncompromising and removed alot of unnecessary stuff. We suggested that she gravelled some of it (using some larger pebbles) and the rest should be lawn and raised beds held in with railway sleepers.  The hard standing at the back was also to be made out of railways sleepers.  We painted the shed black and the garden, which is still to be planted and turfed, now slightly resembles a beach hut sitting on a pebbled beach!  We will be planting bamboos and ferns at the back and at the end nearest the front there will be vegetables and some “dry” planting in the gravel, plus some thistles etc to keep the beach effect.  It should be good – watch this space!