The courtyard of our client’s London town house had long been neglected. Yet it
offered wonderful potential as a space for the family, for entertaining and for
relaxing all year round. Our challenge was to create a garden that would realise
the potential while still allowing room for parking.
It was agreed that a formal, architectural layout would be best. The base for this
was created by installing a strong paving pattern using sawn York banding infilled
with regular units of York setts. In turn, the paving was balanced by the powerful
use of geometric clipped topiary box hedging and specimen plants. An eye-catching
two tier water feature gives the courtyard a central focus.
Two box-headed semi-mature lime trees were imported from a specialist nursery in
Germany and planted either side of the rear access gate to screen overlooking buildings
and help create a sense of privacy. The effect was further enhanced for winter months
by introducing evergreen scented climbers trained along straining wires.
A purpose designed cupboard was built to store fold-away furniture and thereby maximise
the parking space.
Different lighting themes on individual circuits give the flexibility for changing
the mood at the touch of a switch.