Creating new focal points
This garden in Hockley, Essex, belonged to a young family. The summer house had recently been completed and the clients were looking for ways to reduce its presence. They wanted a minimalist look to complement their home. They didn’t want to have to tend to the garden heavily so a low maintenance design was important also.
The house was 1000mm higher than the summer house. Due to the brief, it was decided to keep the levels simple. Large planters with specimen shrubs are included on the raised patio to soften this area.
This design has strong geometric shapes and uses trees to divide the space and screen neighbouring properties. An area of hard landscaping around the lawn is both a contemporary detail and practical as it allows access to the summer house in bad weather.
A relaxed seating area is nestled in raised borders to create an ambience of restfulness. Centrally to this area is a water feature which acts a focal point from several parts of the garden and summer house. The pleached trees also encourage the eye to this feature.
The Planting Plan focused on using green form and white flowers in line with the minimalist theme and texture will be key. As much of the garden is clearly visible from the house, evergreen plants also will have a significant presence.
