Victorian House

Having previously designed a garden for this client, we were invited to provide a masterplan for their new property on the edge of an historic Hampshire village.

The house was to be completely remodelled. Working with the client and their architect we set about restructuring the grounds.

Our approach was to organise the landscape into a series of garden ‘rooms’ and, through the client’s desire for an established look from the outset, we sourced mature, clipped, Yew and Hornbeam hedging to define the layout. We configured some of the hedging to frame features and views and to create a sense of intrigue, and used semi-mature native trees to soften the view towards the other village houses.

A stately avenue of box-pleached Lime trees was sourced and planted to frame the newly-created approach to the house and to focus one towards the front door, whilst offering an element of privacy from the road.  The front facade was softened with year-round, structural planting to enhance the sense of arrival through the seasons.

It was important to connect the gardens to their location through the use of traditional materials and construction techniques. A sheltered courtyard was created by installing a lime-rendered boundary wall with tile coping, to reference the walls common in the surrounding area. This created a suitable environment allowing for the introduction of a Mediterranean-style planting scheme, incorporating Olive trees, scented Roses, Agapanthus, Rosemary, Bearded Irises, Gaura, Verbenas, Penstemons and Lavender, amongst others.

We also created space for a new tennis court alongside the drive, which was cleverly screened behind mature Hornbeam hedging, so as not to impact on key views.

A productive garden was installed in an area that had formerly been part of the drive. Accessed through a beautiful rose-clad pergola, one is greeted by raised vegetable beds, cut flower beds, framed by Box hedging and a beautiful glasshouse.

To blend the gardens with their rural environment an orchard and wildflower meadow were also introduced.