By London garden designer Cassandra Crouch. This large garden in Hertfordshire sits to the rear of a modern barn conversion owned by a young family.
A contemporary extension was planned for the barn and the clients wanted a garden that would complement this and allow them to enjoy the space all year round.
The existing garden sloped away awkwardly from the house breaking to a wide expanse of lawn and had very little interest. The brief was to produce a contemporary design with a grown up feel that was still relaxed and family friendly. Space for socialising, an area for cooking, a play area for the children and a good sized vegetable garden were all key requirements.
Our design used a strong geometric structure to follow the inear nature of the barn. Materials including hardwood decking, sawn sandstone, quartz stone aggregate and wildflower meadow grass were used to create areas for dining, relaxing and family play. A smooth rendered retaining wall was planned to level the existing slope and allow a generous flat lawn to be created at the heart of the garden.
A planting plan using a contemporary mix of herbaceous perennials and grasses, with strong forms for winter interest, was designed to soften the straight lines of the design and enhance the relaxed modern feel.
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