Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in Oxfordshire.

The owners of this medium-sized rear garden located in the heart of the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, were looking to reinvent their outdoor space with a contemporary design featuring clean lines to enhance the modern style of the house. The objective was to transform the garden into a multi-functional space with dedicated areas for work, relaxation and children's play. A major challenge was to resolve and retain a significant drop in ground levels on the rear boundary between the client's garden and that of the neighbour. This was particularly important as a new garden office was to be located in the far right corner to the shared boundary. A new porcelain paved patio was created large enough to perform double-duty for family lounging and relaxation as well as a time-out spot from work. The cedar-clad modern garden office, measuring 5mx 3m, features a green sedum roof to blend the building with its environs. The adjacent cedar trellis fence panels complement the garden office and are fitted with outdoor speakers to complete the outside entertainment zone. A dedicated space for a barbecue and pizza oven is positioned within easy reach of the main seating area and the house.

The owners of this medium-sized rear garden located in the heart of the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, were looking to reinvent their outdoor space with a contemporary design featuring clean lines to enhance the modern style of the house. The objective was to transform the garden into a multi-functional space with dedicated areas for work, relaxation and children's play. A major challenge was to resolve and retain a significant drop in ground levels on the rear boundary between the client's garden and that of the neighbour. This was particularly important as a new garden office was to be located in the far right corner to the shared boundary. A new porcelain paved patio was created large enough to perform double-duty for family lounging and relaxation as well as a time-out spot from work. The cedar-clad modern garden office, measuring 5mx 3m, features a green sedum roof to blend the building with its environs. The adjacent cedar trellis fence panels complement the garden office and are fitted with outdoor speakers to complete the outside entertainment zone. A dedicated space for a barbecue and pizza oven is positioned within easy reach of the main seating area and the house.

We've extended the concrete porch with decking and added more exotic foliage. Again, there is the illusion of more physical space, with the tall palm trees adding height. Natural Blue stone pavers from Stone Garden, NC. Photo credit: Matthew Erwin

The owners of this medium-sized rear garden located in the heart of the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, were looking to reinvent their outdoor space with a contemporary design featuring clean lines to enhance the modern style of the house. The objective was to transform the garden into a multi-functional space with dedicated areas for work, relaxation and children's play. A major challenge was to resolve and retain a significant drop in ground levels on the rear boundary between the client's garden and that of the neighbour. This was particularly important as a new garden office was to be located in the far right corner to the shared boundary. A new porcelain paved patio was created large enough to perform double-duty for family lounging and relaxation as well as a time-out spot from work. The cedar-clad modern garden office, measuring 5mx 3m, features a green sedum roof to blend the building with its environs. The adjacent cedar trellis fence panels complement the garden office and are fitted with outdoor speakers to complete the outside entertainment zone. A dedicated space for a barbecue and pizza oven is positioned within easy reach of the main seating area and the house.

The owners of this medium-sized rear garden located in the heart of the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, were looking to reinvent their outdoor space with a contemporary design featuring clean lines to enhance the modern style of the house. The objective was to transform the garden into a multi-functional space with dedicated areas for work, relaxation and children's play. A major challenge was to resolve and retain a significant drop in ground levels on the rear boundary between the client's garden and that of the neighbour. This was particularly important as a new garden office was to be located in the far right corner to the shared boundary. A new porcelain paved patio was created large enough to perform double-duty for family lounging and relaxation as well as a time-out spot from work. The cedar-clad modern garden office, measuring 5mx 3m, features a green sedum roof to blend the building with its environs. The adjacent cedar trellis fence panels complement the garden office and are fitted with outdoor speakers to complete the outside entertainment zone. A dedicated space for a barbecue and pizza oven is positioned within easy reach of the main seating area and the house.

Our brief on this project was to create a space to relax and entertain. The site is fairly compact and enclosed on all sides by high boundary walls which makes it quite shady. The new design makes the most of the sunniest spots. The main area of the space is paved with ‘Florence White’ porcelain paving laid in stretcher pattern, with an inset path of sandstone plank paving running across the middle of the garden from the stairs. The plank paving continues up the front of the existing raised bed on the right hand side. The back wall is clad in large format porcelain cladding tiles with a Corten steel panel for contrast. Bespoke storage units constructed from Red Grand hardwood timber are tucked away under the stairs to enable the client to store outdoor cushions and other items when not in use. The right hand boundary wall behind the existing raised bed features a bespoke contemporary ‘vertical garden’, comprising a series of rectangular Corten steel planters stacked on top of each other. Each planter is at a different distance from the wall, to create a dynamic and visually arresting focal point packed full of plants to really green up the space. The planting scheme is lush and green, focusing on textured foliage and shade tolerant plants. A large Corten steel planter positioned in the left hand corner of the garden opposite the bottom of the stairs holds a specimen acer tree to add some height to the space.

The homeowner requested MHG Greens&Gardens to “spruce up” their well kept, but overgrown and monotonous garden. Both, the front and the backyard areas have excellent possibilities for their youngest daughter’s December wedding photo shooting, but they need to be brought into time. The garden was once the family meeting place, with the endless swimming pool parties, the weekend BBQ’s at the gazebo, but the children left for college, and… The challenge was to perk up this once a family garden kingdom, it wasn’t going to be an easy road to revitalization. There were thousands of family memories on each corner of this garden. We drew a plan, first we started in those areas that need to be worked on and that would make a difference, such as the side garden next to the cover patio. This specific area had several add on throw the years, and they were not too attractive, but extremely need. The home owner had added up to date utilities, solar power equipment and other modern technology necessary. Our challenge was to hide or cover all of them from the human eyes. We designed a live wall with Firebush, a semi-woody shrub with bright red flowers that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Rain Joe or ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrums were set in the front of the firebush hedge, because they perform well in full sun and are ideal as a low-growing hedge and fast-growing in the landscape. To add additional interest, we used two boulders and garlanded them with 'Born of Fire' Bromeliads. The plants were bordered with red mulch and zoysia grass. The gazebo had turn into the temporary storage space. All the outdoor kitchen equipment in the gazebo has been updated and the walkways were festooned. The existing palms on each gazebo walkways, a native coconut palm tree and a fox tail palm tree were surrounded with zoysia grass, ferns, caladiums, cordylines, and several old Spanish urns, family treasures found hidden in the garden, were creatively placed. The swimming pool’s back wall area was bejeweled with cordylines, Podocarpus conifers and Poinsettias. The swimming pool’s water feature and its three tiers of planters were adorned with Crineon (Festival Burgundy Cordyline/ Cordyline x 'JURred') a glossy, exceptionally dark, rich red-burgundy leaves that are spectacular during December (during the weeding days) with its light pink and white blooms and hedged by Café de la India shrubs (Rubiaceae flowering hedge). The top tier, the crown of the garden was decked with three species of Sansevieria. As I have heard from my childhood years, these plants are commonly known as cow tongue or mother-in-law’s tongue, but I also heard that they were used to attract good luck to the household and ward off evil spirits. “Without a doubt, that there will be classic and elegant weddings pictures at our spruced up tropical garden” said the father of the bride to MHG Greens&Gardens.

A triangular plot that runs over several levels down a steep decline, this garden needed smooth transitions between the levels. Privacy was also and issue, as it was overlooked from all sides. Our redesign divides the space into a series of rectangles that run parallel to the house. To minimise privacy issues on both sides, a small deck runs across the back of the house, but most of the garden drops below. To the left of the space decking steps lead down to a porcelain paved terrace. This area is designed for dining and features a barbecue, dining table and bar. To enhance privacy a pergola with a timber screen was installed along the back, with soft planting positioned behind to provide further screening. Steps lead down on the corner to the second seating area. From the top deck a second set of stairs lead away from the house. These are flanked on either side by a stainless steel rill along which water will flow to two raised water pools in the lower area. Two small trees add a playful element of scale as well as bringing some greenery up towards the house. Two low block walls clad in textured stone help stagger the transition of the slope as well as providing some texture and visual interest. The lower patio area features an outdoor sofa, sun loungers and a hot tub. Further steps lead down to a large artificial lawn, terraced with retaining walls to achieve a level area. Further steps lead you down decked walkway to a large area of real grass, which follows the natural slope of the land towards the back of the garden. The space at the rear of the garden has been left untouched ready for the possible installation of a garden room at a later date. The planting scheme is primarily based on pinks, whites and plum colours. A backbone of evergreen shrubs amongst soft pink blooms, and offer a variety of textures. Several specimen trees are dotted throughout the garden to accentuate the levels and give a playful twist to the space.

To make gardening and maintenance as easy as possible, all planting in the upper garden is contained within curved raised beds constructed from rendered concrete blocks and painted a zesty lime green. These beds are formed of several sections, each increasing in height by 20 cm increments, with the tallest in the back left corner of the space. The planting scheme has a lush feel, with a backbone of shrubs, new architectural specimens and some of the clients existing plants including several established yukka.

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