The design process starts with the understanding our client's needs.
The design process starts with the understanding our client's needs.
Garden Design with grasses, paving and Urbis water bowl
Stipa gigantea reflections in the Urbis water bowl
Antique effect urn framed with planting
Garden and planting design in Much Hadham by garden designer Amanda Broughton
Urbis water bowl in Hertfordshire by garden designer Amanda Broughton
Dining area nestled amongst planting

Garden Living
Much Hadham, Hertfordshire

Our Brief was to create a contemporary space for garden living. Our clients asked us for an interesting space for dining, sunbathing and entertaining. Also, they are keen gardeners, so they wanted lots of scope for getting their hands dirty with gardening!

The Design for Garden Living

Using the existing sandstone patio slabs, we reshaped the layout and added gravel and planting to create a softened and informal effect . By planting between the patio and the lawn, we made the entertaining spaces more interesting and intimate and the plants also give you something to look at from the patio. In addition, we created a dining area and a south facing ‘garden living room’ for sun loungers. To soften the 4m high, 18th Century, grade II listed, wall we used metal arches and climbers. Also, to tie in with the colour of the timber window frames, we chose a beautiful Urbis corten steel coloured water bowl.

The Planting

We placed a row of pleached Carpinus betulus trees to give the garden greater privacy along the back wall and three Prunus serrula  trees to create visual depth. We chose the Prunus  trees for their stunning trunk and branch colour, which are a focal point in the winter. As the garden was south facing, we used drought tolerant and relatively low growing plants in the gravel area. In contrast to the low growing plants, we planted a Stipa gigantea to reflect in the water bowl.

Construction by Lanwarne Landscapes Ltd.

We contacted Amanda in February 2017 to design a completely new (but smallish) rear garden for the rebuilt barn conversion that we had moved into some months previously. We were looking for an outside ‘room’ that was an extension to the barn but did not want a purely traditional cottage garden and neither would a modern garden style work - we needed a hybrid. Amanda took our brief and came up with 2 designs - one of which was perfect. We now have the most amazing garden and are absolutely delighted with the results- it has that wow factor that really only a professional garden designer can deliver. At the same time her knowledge of planting, soil types, sunlight, drainage, etc is combined with her creativity to deliver a garden where the plants are in the right place and the garden actually ‘works’. As a particular example we have a raised bed backed by a tall wall and Amanda capitalised on this by installing steel arches which are planted with Jasmine - the fragrance permeates through the garden when in flower. Of particular interest is that the plants are planted in ‘clumps’ rather than singles so when they flower they have impressive impact and create large blocks of colour, both foliage and flowers. This works even in a small garden. We were very satisfied with the whole experience from start to finish and are delighted with our new garden.