A Welsh Wildlife Garden
The Before
When we first visited this site it was a bare and boggy patch of grass and weeds. The shape of the space, wrapping around the side of the house, was instantly an obvious challenge, as well as how much water the soil seemed to hold.
The Design
The client wanted a space that welcomed wildlife but also showed a keen interest in embracing some slick design features and also wanted a decent sized lawn area and an area for vegetable production. I decided to essentially split the space into a very loose and wildlife friendly section and a more formal and 'designed' section, with a gentle blend between the two. The shape of the space leant itself to lots of curves. The clients were delighted with the concept plan and we progressed from there...
The concept featured a uniquely shaped raised lawn and interconnecting gravel paths all edged with Corten steel. The 'wild' end of the concept featured a large wildlife pond with a wooden bridge walkway across it that lead through a wildlife meadow and on to a raised area with greenhouse and circular Corten vegetable planters. At various points the garden was to connect with the existing patio by slate stepping stone paths to provide a continuous loop to explore and experience every part of the space.
The Build
It was a complex but fun build despite the weather challenging us at times. Additional drainage had to be considered along the way after uncovering an underground spring that meant the water table was higher than expected.
Shaping the curves of the steel edging is a particular love of mine, along with the addition of locally sourced slate to the pond to give it a naturalistic feel and provide habitats for wildlife.
The Result
testimonial:
"Richard and I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all of your detailed efforts in creating a dream garden for us!
You listened to what we asked for, guided us through our mistakes and designed exactly what we wanted!
It is now flourishing, and any friends and family visiting, who recall the boggy paddock that was, are in shock at the manicured, yet natural looking vistas that now reside in the garden. The end area is full of life and the meadow planting a triumph. My favourite is the more ‘formal’ garden which can be seen from all views from inside the house.
Exactly what we wanted!
We cannot recommend you enough, to any potential clients wishing to make the most of the land they have!
You were worth every penny, and we love that you still return to check on how plants are thriving and reminding us to weed!”
- Mrs Allen
It was lovely to see how delighted the client's were with the final result. I havn't been back to visit in a while but will do so soon, and I look forward to seeing how everything has developed and matured.
The planting featured a number of mature trees including River Birches (Betula nigra), multistem Cornus kousa and Lilacs (Syringa). Repeat planting particularly using Pittosporum 'Golf ball' as an evergreen anchor plant and large specimens of Hydrangea paniculata 'limelight' were also effective to hold the space fore moisture loving herbaceous perennials such as Siberian Irises, Purple Loosestrife and Persicarias. The planting around the pond was done using wildflower turf and native aquatic plug plants.
