When I visited this garden in early spring 2013 it was in a bad state of disrepair. The front garden consisted of old tarmac laid directly onto the original concrete slab, a small weed filled lawn and various over sized shrubs in the surrounding beds. The back garden which could only be accessed through the house had old patios and paths which were broken and unsafe, the lawn was full of dips and hollows and the natural stone raised bed at the back of the garden was falling down. The surrounding walls were unsightly and inconsistent. The weed filled beds consisted of various unkempt shrubs, most of which were not worth keeping apart from a beautiful Rhus typhina ‘Dissecta’ at the back, a Viburnum davidii, Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Aureo Marginata and a Myrtus luma ‘Glanleam Gold’.

After sitting down with the owners and discussing their requirements, desires and expectations we came up with the following brief
- . Low maintenance
- · Raised beds
- · Privacy
- · 2 seating areas
- · Pergolas
- · New garden shed
- · New instant lawn
- · All year round interest
- · Clothes line
- · Gravel path
- · Gravel driveway
- · Stepping stones
- · Granite cobbles
- · Screening for wheelie bins
- · Within budget
I then created a garden design around the above list which the client liked, but the cost was too high, we compromised with changes of materials eg. Raised beds from natural stone to sleepers etc. until we got the price down to one that the owners were comfortable with.

Our landscapers started with the clearing of unwanted trees, shrubs, perennials, climbers and materials from the front and back gardens. As there was no side access all materials required for the back garden were moved through the house. The hard landscaping was then carried out including construction of raised Limestone patio, small paved area for seat, raised sleeper beds, Tegula heather edges for the gravel path and lawn.

The hit and miss wall extensions were then installed giving privacy to the garden followed by the 3 pergolas. The re-tractible line was then installed between the first and last pergola giving a 10M line. The timber used was pressure treated pine. A 50mm layer of 14mm Ballylusk gravel was laid on top of a 75mm layer of compacted Ballylusk dust completing the path. The 8×6 Baumanns garden shed was erected at the end of the path. The shed was custom built to the clients design using Scandinavian white deal painted with Sadolins Teak and covered with polyester un-rippable felt.
Our landscapers then set about the soft landscaping. Sleeper beds were filled with topsoil, the instant roll out lawn was laid and the planting was carried out. The plants consisted of suitable varieties placed in the correct positions. The plants chosen were Lavandula ‘Hidcote’, Ophiopogon nigrescens, Nepeta faasenii, Sedum ‘Frosty Morn’, Convolvulus cneorum, Heuchera ‘Purple Palace’, Rosmarinus prostrates, Alchemilla mollis, Euonymus harlequin, Helichrysum italicum, Epimedium rubrum ‘Purple red’, Euphorbia ‘Fens Ruby’, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum mareisii, Prunus lusitanica hedge and a Sorbus ‘Autumn Spire’ tree.

Our landscapers then completed the front garden using granite stepping stones, granite steps and granite cobbles for the raised edges of the beds, the verge to the stepping stones and the cobble apron. The driveway was finished with a 25mm layer of 14mm Ballylusk gravel laid on a 75mm compacted layer of Ballylusk dust. The beds were planted with a Prunus lusitanica hedge which would eventually create privacy from the main road. Finally a wheelie bin screen was constructed beside the granite cobble apron for ease of access.

To view the garden when it was finished view the after video below.
The contract came in within budget and the client was very happy with the results. The client wrote the following testimonial:
Kevin was recommended to us by my wifes brother. He and his team did a fantastic job and exceeded our expectations. We found Kevin easy to deal with, he listened to our requirements, guided us where needed and succeeded in creating our dream garden. We would have no hesitation in recommending Kevin to any of our friends. Paddy & Phil Gough