sustainable landscape design
for people, nature and climate

Private Garden, Canonbury

private

The clients at this house in north London were very focussed about creating additional habitat in their front and rear gardens.  They wanted more birds and insects and a pond too for the frogs they had seen in their garden. The gardens were in a neglected and overgrown condition but they had great bone structure with gorgeous York stone slab paving that would have been a crime to remove.

It was sensible to retain the natural charm of the space without too much ‘designery’ intervention.  The layout was reordered and retained and the York stone repositioned and cut into lightly to frame newly formed and larger planting beds.  These beds had a curved form where possible for some curvy softening of the angular space.  Baton trellis added a crisp edge and an angular shelving unit extra contemporary fun.  A small pond and living roof to the new built tool store created additional habitat value as did small log and rock piles distributed across the beds.

The planting strategy was ornamental yet with a naturalistic emphasis with plenty of wildlife friendly plants offering a variety of food, shelter and nectar across the seasons to appeal to birds, insects and aquatic wildlife.  There is plenty of socialising space for the clients to enjoy the plants too!

Rear Garden Strategic Masterplan
Front Garden Strategic Masterplan
The clear up in the rear garden begins
The clear up in the front garden begins
Elegant front garden with woodland themed planting
Naturalistic, wildlife friendly, front garden planting
Newly planted rear garden
Newly planted rear garden