Contemporary Garden, Abbots Leigh, Sommerset
The Brief
The brief was to:
Create a garden on all sides of the house which could be used by the family for different purposes.
Tackle the sloping topography across the large expanse of lawn
Incorporate a water feature and fire pits within the scheme
Create different areas to sit and enjoy the garden and to entertain
Make use of all aspects of the garden which was initially quite disparate.
My design
This large garden presented a fantastic opportunity to create a high-end garden which married its country setting with the contemporary aesthetic of the home. There were at least 4 distinct areas within the garden that needed their own design solution. The main vista from the kitchen dining space was towards both the back-sloping garden area and the vista across the large lawn area.
The back garden area was to be the main inside-outside living area and required some wow-factor to the solution. The sloping ground lent itself to the idea of a cascading water feature. A fire pit was also requested to entertain around, so the elements of fire and water converge together and are softened by planting. Giant ceramic pebbles provide a sculptural composition of casual seating around the bespoke fire basket.
The large deck replaced the original and was extended around the house further and platform steps lead down the lushly planted side return.
The path weaves towards the circular lawn area at the rear.
We sculpted the main lawn area to create two curved lawn areas that reflected the curvature of the house’s roofline. The lawns reshaping created a green stage for the magnificent Magnolia and Cornus Kousa trees to stand out as focal points within the garden.
Coreten steel holds back the soil in a series of amphitheatre-like steps which can be used for entertaining large gatherings.
The use of Wildflower meadow turf merges the boundary between the garden and countryside beyond.