As residents of this fair isle we are used to the idea that we may not always get the summers we would like.
At the time of writing, we’d been through a very wet March, a chilly April, a grey May but the sun is finally making an appearance now!
However, when you can’t always rely on the weather to bring the sunshine, why not make your own? For those of you who love all the colours of summer this vibrant family garden created by Essex-based Garden Designers, Earth Designs, offers year round joy. Bringing Mediterranean island vibes, festival chic and tropical vistas to this previously ordinary back garden. Move over Glastonbury and the Greek islands, this year the garden is where it’s at!
Ordinary beginnings
Like many urban gardens up and down the country, this family home came with a modest patch of outdoor space. A small, rectangular backyard with side return and a medley of materials making up the borders between this garden and the next. As with many terraced gardens it was surrounded by other houses and privacy was a concern. But it did have one crucial thing going for it, plenty of sun!
Taming the suntrap
Because it faces south-west, light pours into this sunny spot for a large portion of the day. So much so, in fact, that it was obvious shade provision was going to be a necessary element of the redesign. The plot was narrow and the side-return even more so, which meant a clever division of space was needed to make room for all the family’s needs. Top priorities included an adult place to entertain and a children’s play area with storage. The clients wanted to incorporate a mixture of modern materials, colours and textures. They’re also keen gardeners, which posed Earth Designs with a challenge. To transform this small, dry concrete container into a lush, family space, with opportunities for growing and plant-tending. Happily the final design doesn’t disappoint.
Make room
Looking at the garden now, you’d be forgiven for thinking Earth Designs somehow magicked an additional couple of metres out of nowhere. Although the garden is a lot busier, with much more going on, somehow the space seems wider and roomier. This is partly due to the beautiful Yellow Balau timber feature that crosses the centre of the garden. Running straight through the paving and climbing up the opposing sides this timber stripe stretches the space, making it appear wider. It also, ingeniously, provides a modern, exotic backdrop to the dining area, like an outdoor restaurant in a fancy hotel.
Mediterranean vibes
Overhead, the shade sail gives essential relief from the midday sun and matches the sunset orange and yellow coloured furniture. The sail is attached to a timber pergola that doubles as a frame for the young Wisteria creeping up one corner. At only two-and-a-half years old, this garden is in its infancy and Wisteria’s often take more than a few years to flower. How pretty it will be in a few summer’s time. One imagines drinking a glass of wine with friends under a canopy of amethyst blooms.
From urban concrete to playful, tropical paradise
For such a young garden, the rest of the planting has taken off in earnest. And Earth Designs have definitely answered the brief to fit as much greenery in as possible. There’s plenty to tend to already. Busy raised beds at the side and the rear are bursting with a mixture of ferns, salvias, white hydrangeas, cosmos and soft foliage. The bed opposite the seating area boasts several tree ferns set against the slatted Yellow Balau timber, adding to the faraway feel and providing a tropical view from the dining table. Contrasted against the rich greens of the ample foliage are a collection of terracotta pots, stuffed with red geraniums, spiky grasses and peachy heuchera.
The shady side return has been laid with soft artificial turf, to provide a safe play area with a blackboard on the wall for the next generation of designer to practise their skills. There’s some sneaky storage here too, allowing for toys to be tidied away from view.
A modern love of colour and texture
At the far end of the garden, a small seating area is nestled under two small evergreen trees, which shelter the garden from view. The sunset colours repeated once again in their apricot coloured upholstery. Behind the seating, sheets of perspex in slate grey create a very modern backdrop.
Grey perspex is just one of several interesting and unusual materials that Earth Designs have employed to smarten up the borders and draw attention-to or away-from certain areas. Some, like the old back fence painted in dark grey, disappear into the background. Others, like the re-rendered and painted left-hand wall become a dramatic feature. Plants pop against the stunning turquoise and darker shades. There’s even a ‘Shou-Sugi-Ban’ Japanese charred timber feature wall beside the back doors, adding more texture to the mix.
Contradictorily, this complex mixture of colours, materials and textures actually serve to create a sense of unity in the garden. The eye is drawn to the brighter shades, which work in harmony to create a pleasing palette of blue, white, green and orange, giving the garden life and a sense of depth.
With the shade sail gently fluttering in the breeze on a bright summer’s day, the garden is peaceful, yet playful. A relaxed, sociable setting to make memories with family and friends on long summer evenings. As well as a rich and stimulating environment to spend time raising plants and small people.
info@earthdesigns.co.uk
