Looking East:
City Garden. Japan Inspired. Fully Managed Paper to Plant Build.
This client has returned to the UK from a whole different life and wished to bring a piece of that with her. A tiny slice of heaven to enjoy in this home from home.
Leaving a treasured garden behind, there were key elements to include referencing her time spent in, and love for Japan. To create a unique space that is respectful of Japanese design, whilst not becoming a pastiche was the main aim.
Previously completely paved (see final image below), gorgeous views now sweep around carefully planted borders to the separate 'reading room'- complete with a picture window (set at seated eye level), directing your gaze to hills beyond. A minimal palette of planting is given variety by 2 maple trees and flowering shrubs. All the joinery was bespoke to the site creating perfect boundaries of bare and burnt timber, seating and decking. A bespoke copper rill with fountain was created using the clients own brass lion head (found upon her travels), dividing the decked seating area from the granite gravel.
This was a total rebuild, fully managed by Ruth Bridgeman Garden Design.
The recipe for a finished garden is the initial design package, the drawings for which can be seen below. It is normal for design to evolve and alter along the way (as unforeseen possibilities are assessed to achieve the best possible outcome), however in this case the garden is fairly true to the original specification.
We always produce a masterplan and concept board along with notes at the deisgn stage. However often a few sketches are also useful to help explain the vision. These can be seen left below. Below centre and right are the before photos, utterly unrecognisable.
