Garden facts and early works - pt 2

The original Victorian garden and the first stages of work - 2

In October 2004, a mature Magnolia began to lean dangerously over the garden, prompting the owners to completely clear and redesign the whole garden. They filled six large skips and removed seven tons of waste during the autumn of 2004.

It took five weeks of hard labour to completely clear and prepare the site. The 1970s paved patio was removed, and the ground level lowered by a further two feet to enable decking to be installed in line with the ground floor of the house. The next step involved the installation of a new liner for the pond. ‘Rockthemes International’ a British company that specialises in faux rockwork began to construct the rockwork features in October 2004, and then decking was installed on two levels. The construction work was completed in January 2005, then some of the early planting began and has continued and developed into the garden of today. Outdoor speakers were linked to a sound system to provide background music, and low - voltage Halogen spotlights and floodlights were installed to accentuate the foliage and architectural details at night – time.

Our original plan was to create a garden with what we call the ‘Wow factor’, a place of quiet tranquillity that was visually stimulating. The garden is surprisingly quiet considering the house is situated only three miles from the centre of the city of Bristol.

Grenville and Alan were delighted to open for the first time in the summer of 2006 as part of the National Gardens Scheme.

This compact, and rather unusual garden is probably the smallest to open for the National Garden Scheme

The design of the new garden

The new garden was designed as separate ‘Garden Domains’ or ‘Outdoor rooms.’

Each has its own unique character that takes account of the varying conditions in the garden due to the geographic location.

The Woodland garden and riverbed pathway  caters for the needs of shade – loving plants that thrive in damp conditions.

The lower decked area features the Italianate garden with the temple ruin folly.

On the opposite side is the wildlife pond, the rocky outcrop and the tree stumpery.

The upper deck features the Southern Hemisphere and Exotic gardens, and is a showcase for plants that have luscious foliage.

There is also a small gravel garden in this area.

Many of the plants are delicate and originate from the Southern Hemisphere

(Australia, New Zealand as well as China and Southern Europe.)

A plan of the garden

As you can see from the plan, the garden is divided into two decked areas. Each domain is linked by a staircase and partitioned with a Balustrade.

This helps to create areas of mystery and vistas in the garden. There is a formal seating area with a circular glass top table on the upper deck near the Balustrade. This overlooks the wildlife pond, water cascade and grotto on the lower deck.