A garden ideal for entertaining friends in – Tooting, SW London


Job Specification - Residential

To improve and beautify an existing garden, by the addition of a Mediterranean planting theme. To make the garden a friendly and attractive place in which to entertain guests.

Solution Provided
I sat with the client within their garden for a couple of hours ascertaining what was in their mind and offering suggestions.

The concept of two semicircular beds facing each other was decided upon and these were edged by reclaimed building bricks placed in an upright position for extra height and definition. Good colour variation in the brickwork was achieved here and was well complimented by the requested Mediterranean (low maintenance) planting theme. Different colours of Phormium and Cordyline work well together.

The client wished to be able to view her new vibrant and colourful planting bed from the comfort of an intended bench seat purchase. A handmade steelwork arbour was specially designed and made, and trailing pink Roses and Star Jasmine were the plants chosen to grow over it. A cross-section of hardwood tree trunk was then concreted in to provide a natural looking base for a selected table top.

In addition to the private bench seat, the entertaining of many guests from time to time was also made possible by the construction of a raised decking platform at the end of the garden.

This symmetrical deck was a difficult build as I wished to give even more interest to the garden by arranging the decking planks at an angle of 45° and to finish off the sides with a criss-cross lattice effect.