Northern Lights

This long, north-facing garden had no real character when the owners moved in. Ahead of the Covid lockdown, they had purchased a garden office which needed to be incorporated into the design so that it didn’t dominate the relatively small garden. Additionally the back gate was in daily use, so they needed a direct route to access it. We enlarged the border facing the new office, almost doubling its width, and added a seating area directly opposite. A customised mosaic at the junction of the pathway draws the eye and creates a natural pause. The planting scheme was dictated by the aspect of the garden, with shade-loving plants such as ferns and hostas, dotted through with Japanese anemones, planted near the house. The middle flower border is a lively mix of geums, penstemons, geraniums and crocosmia, giving year-round pops of vibrant purple and orange, and drawing the eye away from the office. At the rear of the garden, which gets a reasonable amount of sunshine, we located a terrace with relaxed seating, and the planting here is lighter and calmer in gorgeous soft shades of white, lemon and pale mauve which glow in the evening light, while echoing the stronger purples of the mid-section.