As she travels extensively and stays in some of the world's most exclusive hotels, she wanted her garden to have a sophisticated and exotic look.

The starting point for the design was to solve the substantial change in height levels between the inside of the property and the garden. Instead of constructing steps down into the garden, a hardwood timber deck was built flush with interior level and the resulting 'vacuum' was used as an opportunity to create a sunken seating area with built in seats and plinths for lanterns.

Space for a firepit in the middle and seat pads and cushions helped turn this space into a comfortable Ibiza-style chill-out zone. Next to it, at higher level, an area for dining table and chairs was designed. Tongue and groove fencing was chosen as a more stylish alternative to normal fencing, this was painted in Farrow and Ball's London Stone, which not only provides a warm tone and great background for the green of the plants, but also gave continuity with the interior colour palette. The beautiful, dark hardwood deck also matches almost exactly the dark stained wooden floorboards inside the house.

The planting was kept simple and structural as the client does not have much time to dedicate to maintenance: just one, strongly evergreen, border next to the sunken seating area supported by contemporary containers for topiary and a Japanese Acer, strategically placed to provide a focal point from the dining room.

Simple deck lights uplight the containers to provide dramatic shadows along the fence and create an intimate atmosphere in the sunken area.

Plants list:

Click any of the plant names below to learn more.

Helleborus argutifolius
Helleborus orientalis 'Ballards Hybrid'
Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'
Viburnum davidii
Sarcococca confusa
Digitalis lutea
Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'
Polystichum setiferum
Epimedium x rubrum
Buxus sempervirens