This Grade II listed rectory in a picturesque village close to Bruton has been lovingly restored to a very high standard. Natural materials, Farrow and Ball paints and a gently contemporary feel set the mood internally and so I followed this through for the garden.

I designed a formal lawn, finished with sawn Yorkstone and flanked by a deep contemporary herbaceous border which is filled with colour and texture throughout the year. Many of the plants I selected are biennials or self-seeders, so the border will change year on year, giving a fresh, almost meadow feel. This looseness balances the very strong structure that I set through the garden, giving it a vitality and modernity that complement the ancient stone house.

All the paving in the garden is constructed from sawn Yorkstone, including paths with a herringbone pattern, an updated take on a traditional style. A new sheltered terrace offers hints of views through the garden, and existing old walls were incorporated into the new design, giving an air of maturity and a framework for a herb garden and a lead fountain. Beyond a formal kitchen garden is a pool garden with swimming pond, spacious deck and stylised meadow.

The levels were awkward, with an existing path around the house several feet lower than the garden. This was all a little pokey but the level needed to stay low so as not to compromise the damp proof course; the solution was to create a two-tier shady area, turning a tricky space that could so easily have been lost into something rather special, colonised by ferns, hostas and hakonechloa grasses.