Effra Road, Wimbledon
South-west London
The Existing Garden
The original garden was long, thin and overgrown, with overwhelming side vegetation visually intruding upon open space.
The swing dominated the lawn and there wasn’t a clear way to explore the garden apart from using the stepping stones, considerably reducing the garden's functionality.
The Client's Brief
The client’s textile studio was at the end of the garden, and she needed a clear paved path to reach it all year round.
My client also wanted to keep an area of lawn available to erect a small marquee for her open days in the summer, where she hosts an open house for visitors to view her work.
The family wanted to keep the swing as somewhere to sit and talk, so the design had to include this large feature too.
I felt it was also important to have a larger terrace at the end of the garden where my client could enjoy the setting sun on a summer’s evening.
A Hands on Process!
During the build, the overgrown shrubs were cleared and the lawn removed.
I made multiple visits to site to check on the accuracy of the pathways!
My laptop is often out in all weathers and here I was checking measurements with my design software.
A Bird's
Eye View
This aerial view demonstrates the progress of the garden build.
From above, you can see how this long, thin garden has been divided to provide different areas of interest across the entire length of the space.
The Completed Garden
A few weeks after first planting and the garden is beginning to take shape.
The swing is now an attractive feature to enjoy in all weathers, flanked with airy planting for visual pleasure and relaxation.
The client’s beautifully-curved, two-way wooden bench provides comfortable seating, affording the client pleasing views to enjoy of both the swing and lawn area of the garden.
Year Round Access
In accordance with the client's brief, I matched the existing tiles of the garden studio with some beautiful limestone paving to provide a clear, paved path, ensuring easy access to the studio all year round.
I used smaller, stacker paver blocks in a contemporary arrangement to create a visual transition between the existing tiles and the new limestone paving.
