By Jo Cowen
“It does not matter how big or small your garden is, the beauty of a garden space is that you can style and transform any size space so that it becomes an extension of your home and creates an outdoor living area or play space. The garden is part of your views out of your home, and also a space where you are connected back into your home through expanses of glass or curated openings. My first piece of advice would be to think about what you would like to use your garden for. Do you want an area for entertaining, perhaps with a bar area and formal seating? We are also seeing demand for outdoors kitchen living. Fireplaces in gardens create a warm focal point and we always plumb gas into our outdoor spaces.
The key aspects we consider for our projects are how to borrow the landscape and emphasise views to attractive features beyond the boundary. We position trees carefully to hide overlooking and create that sense of enclosure and privacy. Its key to keep all boundary walls or trellis’s the same height for uniformity, but then to be ,ore playful with organic lines and mixture of materials. We use a continuity of materials to ensure that the garden feels like an extension of the home. Add to the plant material by using large statement planters that take their cue from the architecture of the interior, grow upwards and sideways. And most fundamental, is to get the garden lighting design right! Uplighters are not pointing straight, but always achieved through crossing lights, which create dark and light shadow.
We all desire to to increase natural light in a home while making the most of the garden. As we’re spending more time than ever in our homes, maximising a connection to our green surroundings is crucial for a healthy home.”
