We are currently near to completing a full garden design and build project in Otford, Kent. The client required a contemporary design solution, to compliment the interior of her property, with sleek lines, minimal planting and high quality hard landscaping materials.

So we have been busy for the last few weeks laying shot sawn sandstone paving in a horizontal pattern across the top LH corner of the garden. This will very soon be finished off with a resin grout between the new pavers. Surrounding  this new terrace we have planted pleached Quercus ilex (Evergreen Holm Oak) as you can see in the pic below, these will be trained using bamboo canes.

The new garden terrace with surrounding pleached evergreen Oaks

Keeping the existing garden as a single, open space to be viewed from the various windows of the house, along the LH side of the garden is a clean and simple planting scheme comprising of  Pittosporum tobira at the rear, Hydrangea’s ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Bombshell’ and box hedging to the front of the border. The client required a low maintenance planting design, which will be attended to by a regular maintenance gardener.

There is also another type of Hydrangea, a hardy, deciduous climber with large, lacecap flowers in midsummer. This has been planted behind the pleached Oaks, and will grow up against the fence to the rear of the garden. Â Another climber, an evergreen Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) will be planted to grow over the trellis panels.

New turf has been laid, the stainless steel water feature has arrived at the yard, ready to be placed in situ, and the feature wall behind has been rendered and is ready to be painted in an off-white shade with ‘Damian Hirst style’ multi-coloured circles.

The rendered wall and base prepped for the contemporary garden room

The last and most exciting feature of the garden will be the contemporary glass garden room soon to be constructed in the top RH corner of the garden. This will have open double-glazed bi-folding doors, power and a flat, insulated roof so the client (and her sons) will be able to use the room all year round. This will really make the most of the functionality of the garden space. This room has a bed of Golden Bamboo surrounding it and leading into the raised, rendered beds to the RH side of the garden. This leads down to the existing paved area, which has been extended to really make the most of this area for eating out and entertaining friends. Look out for pics of the completed project very soon!