This garden was steeply sloped, with ugly sheds, irregular beds and an overgrown field hedge which separated the garden from a rather lovely orchard. Beyond the rear boundary of the property was National Trust woodland, part of Dyrham Park, and this formed a perfect backdrop to the garden, extending its boundary as if indefinitely and providing an opportunity for some gorgeous woodland edge planting.

My design for the garden re-contoured the land to create two separate levels. The heavily planted lower level has meandering grass paths which lead to the higher level, where a now gently sloping lawn is retained with a dry stone wall, tying in with the stonework of the pretty Cotswold stone cottage to which the garden belongs.

As all the properties in the village of Dyrham are in a Conservation Area, I wasn't able to reduce the height of the hedge, but I was able to thin it at a strategic point to allow a view to the orchard and the cattle that sometimes graze there.

Planting in pastel shades creates a calm relaxed space, while lightening the shadier areas of the garden. Natural light and the shadows created by the woodland around the garden play a key role in creating the atmosphere, while the more informal planting on its boundaries blurs the line between the garden and the countryside beyond.

All photos except the before shot were taken by the client