This lovely front garden in the New Forest is a great example of how Wild Places works with Clients to develop their brief, then taking this through design to installation.
The Clients felt their North-facing front garden lacked impact, and the grass grew poorly.
The paving was in good condition, and certain shrubs were healthy and could be retained. A chic, evergreen scheme that was very easy to maintain was preferred, with year-round seasonal interest. Flowers were not especially valued, so we settled on interest from berries, stems and textures.
A buff-coloured paver path (just out of shot) leads around the home, and colour matches aggregates used elsewhere, providing a good lift to this potentially shady site. The Clients wished to break up the view of the garage and walls, but avoid use of climbers.
The plan developed to bring the focus to the front door, whilst incorporating new informal paths to access the meters and outdoor tap. The new paths balanced the existing paver pathway.
Evergreen plants were chosen to bring different forms, including rounded Pittosporum tenuifolium (cheesewood), upright Euonymus japonicus ‘Green Spire’ (spindle tree) hedging, and vertical accents from Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata Aurea’ (golden yew). Ground cover planting chosen for lower light levels, and Pyracantha coccinea ‘Red Column’ wall shrubs complete the scheme.
The Clients reviewed the concept, and we agreed a couple of tweaks – evergreen standard Ilex Sp. replaced obelisks and from there we proceeded with the detailed plans.
Site clearance and preparation took two days, including rotavation to alleviate compaction, and dressing all planting areas with compost. The new paths were laid, ready for the new hedging.
Woodland style planting, including ferns, and stepping stones to access the tap bring interest to a darker corner. The view of the garage is now broken with glossy evergreens, and accent colour of red from stems, berries and buds.
The Clients were delighted with their new space, and maintenance and progress visits are scheduled through the following months
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