Landscape Design
Urban Gardens
Patio of the Week: Container Gardens Transform a Small Urban Yard
A landscape designer found on Houzz turns a blank-slate space in London into a child-friendly wildlife haven
The owners of this new home in London’s Olympic Park were seeking to redesign their small yard. Because the property sits over an underground parking structure, there was no possibility for a soil-based lawn or planting beds.
The homeowners, a couple with two young children, found designer Melanie Hick on Houzz and liked her plant-led work. They initially proposed artificial grass, thinking it was the only option for creating a space for their kids. As an alternative, Hick suggested a more natural solution that would welcome wildlife, avoid artificial materials and inspire the children to play and explore.
The homeowners, a couple with two young children, found designer Melanie Hick on Houzz and liked her plant-led work. They initially proposed artificial grass, thinking it was the only option for creating a space for their kids. As an alternative, Hick suggested a more natural solution that would welcome wildlife, avoid artificial materials and inspire the children to play and explore.
Before: The space looked rather stark, with no greenery at all. Having to keep the existing porcelain paving, however, was not a bad thing. “Reducing waste and reusing existing materials in any [project] is a huge sustainability saving,” Hick says. “You’re not creating more landfill. And, as this is a new build, those tiles are new, so it would have been a terrible waste.”
After: Now there’s more greenery in place, and the tiles complement the additional features. “All of the tones and colors in the [owners’ existing] seating, new bench and gabions are naturalistic,” Hick says. “This helps to create a connection to nature that [often] doesn’t exist in a new-build environment.”
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Two custom Cor-Ten steel planters on either side of the bench fit this theme too, and will weather with age. The arch in between will eventually be covered by star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, USDA zones 8 to 10; find your zone) planted behind it up the fence. “Greening up the boundaries makes the space feel more enveloping,” Hick says.
She planted herbs behind one of chairs, seen here on the right; the owners can use them for cooking and the children can explore them. The purple flowers are ‘Amistad’ sage (Salvia ‘Amistad’, zones 8 to 10) at the back and ‘Rozanne’ cranesbill (Geranium ‘Rozanne’, zones 4 to 9) on the right.
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She planted herbs behind one of chairs, seen here on the right; the owners can use them for cooking and the children can explore them. The purple flowers are ‘Amistad’ sage (Salvia ‘Amistad’, zones 8 to 10) at the back and ‘Rozanne’ cranesbill (Geranium ‘Rozanne’, zones 4 to 9) on the right.
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Before: Here’s the same area as in the previous photo before Hick got to work. The tall grasses and jasmine will soften the top of the fence as they grow, as well as provide some screening and a sense of privacy from the neighboring apartments.
After: Because she couldn’t include any beds, Hick bordered the space with deep planters — lightweight fiberglass ones, due to the suspended nature of the floor, and the two Cor-Ten steel ones mentioned above. The lack of beds doesn’t stop the space from feeling lush and wild.
Grasses play a big part in the design. Here you can see ‘Gracillimus’ miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’, zones 5 to 9), planted with the shorter dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’, zones 4 to 11). “The miscanthus, with a pink flower, creates height and sound,” Hick says. “The wind swishes through it, and the height of it makes it feel private, but it’s also translucent, so doesn’t block light.”
Note: Species of Miscanthus and Pennisetum can self-seed and spread, depending on the location and garden conditions. Check with your local cooperative extension offices and reputable nurseries before planting.
Grasses play a big part in the design. Here you can see ‘Gracillimus’ miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’, zones 5 to 9), planted with the shorter dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’, zones 4 to 11). “The miscanthus, with a pink flower, creates height and sound,” Hick says. “The wind swishes through it, and the height of it makes it feel private, but it’s also translucent, so doesn’t block light.”
Note: Species of Miscanthus and Pennisetum can self-seed and spread, depending on the location and garden conditions. Check with your local cooperative extension offices and reputable nurseries before planting.
Hick planted shade-loving ferns and anemones closer to the house. Star jasmine creeps along steel cabling on the fence behind them. She highlights how good the design would be for a rental property, as everything is movable.
Hick incorporated another gabion bug hotel outside the house for the children. Most of the contents came from a local architectural salvage yard.
There also are modern bricks that match the house, more Scottish pebbles and bee bricks (which look like regular bricks, except they have holes in them where bees can nest). “The hexagonal [pieces] are drainpipes,” Hick says.
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There also are modern bricks that match the house, more Scottish pebbles and bee bricks (which look like regular bricks, except they have holes in them where bees can nest). “The hexagonal [pieces] are drainpipes,” Hick says.
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If the owners want to use the gabions as additional seating, they can easily add wood tops.
“Maybe it’s because we’re so used to grass being clipped, particularly in urban gardens, that tall grass just feels wild. And these interesting grasses seem to have the effect of making nature feel closer to home,” Hick says.
The homeowners are delighted at how Hick transformed the space. “They said I really listened and understood that it was a garden for the children as well as the adults,” she says. “They absolutely love it.”
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The homeowners are delighted at how Hick transformed the space. “They said I really listened and understood that it was a garden for the children as well as the adults,” she says. “They absolutely love it.”
More on Houzz
Read more landscape design stories
Browse thousands of landscape photos
Find a landscape architect or designer
Shop for your outdoor space
Patio at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with two young children
Location: East London
Size: About 270 square feet (25 square meters)
Landscape designer: Melanie Hick Garden Design
Landscape installer: Garden Tamers
The resulting design is an enveloping, wildlife-friendly haven with naturalistic plantings that are full of intrigue for the children. It includes built-in bug houses and containers for collecting finds from nature walks.
“To move the clients’ thinking on from plastic grass being the most child-friendly option, I focused on the importance of play and a connection to nature in childhood,” Hick says. She designed a series of large bug “hotels” inside gabions (rock-filled steel baskets) and positioned them around the garden. Here, you can see one of them, alongside a bench seat with another beneficial insect-enticing detail beneath it in the form of logs.
The gabions are intended not only for bugs to enjoy but also to hold nature finds, such as leaves, pine cones and twigs. In this one, pre-filled with Scottish pebbles, the children already have slotted in a cardboard tube.
The children also have large, squishy outdoor beanbags (not shown) and a flat surface for scooting around and playing with toys.
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