The clients of this Highgate Garden contacted London Garden Designer in Dec 2011, after seeing some of my work in House and Garden Magazine. They had recently moved into the house and were keen to have the garden ready for summer. The brief was fairly open, although one specific request was for a Garden Lodge to be used as a Gym and art room. This was something that would require planning permission so I set this in motion whilst I got on with designing the rest of the garden. The ground floor of the house opened out onto a deck that was one metre from the lawn level, and felt quite exposed to the surrounding neighbours. The garden also sloped across its width by about 1.5 m, so I needed to incorporate this into the design.

ロンドンにある広いコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭の写真

The clients loved the highly detailed paving and grass pattern for their pool deck area.
サンフランシスコにある巨大なコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (日向、天然石敷き、階段) の写真

他の地域にある中くらいなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (砂利舗装) の写真

他の地域にある小さな、夏のコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (半日向、砂利舗装) の写真

We were asked to redesign a large garden in Wandsworth, SW18. It needed to be child-friendly, with a sunken trampoline and a large real grass lawn and plenty of space to entertain and enjoy the sun. Also our client was anxious to keep the garden private, and to block views into the garden where possible. We were fortunate to be able to enjoy a number of mature trees in other gardens, and this allowed us to focus more on the medium and lower layers of planting. We mixed long-flowering shrubs and perennials with small multi-stemmed trees, all of which were planted with a long season of interest in mind. The planting around the sunken trampoline had to be kept low so the children could be seen from the house, and also robust incase it got landed on!

トロントにある高級な小さな、夏のコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (庭への小道、半日向、コンクリート敷き 、ウッドフェンス) の写真

The existing garden layout was very unwelcoming, with a lot of overgrown shrubs and dense foliage that resembled a long dark tunnel. The clients really wanted the space to work more practically for them as a family, and to encourage the children to venture and explore outdoors. Due to the steep slope the design and build involved some major excavation to allow a bigger patio space that was in balance with the house. It was also important that there was a gentle meandering journey up through the garden, allowing places to stop and pause, to entice you towards the upper lawn and a new woodland area where there is an outdoor studio, play area and gym. The slope itself acts as a wonderful stage set to showcase the garden. The poured concrete retaining walls, hardwood timber and Corten steel all weather very naturally, which combined with the soft, undulating rhythm and repetition of the planting, has resulted in a soothing and restful composition. The clients are out in the garden everyday come rain or shine, enjoying the space. They have been a complete joy to work with, embracing every aspect of a challenging build, and the results that can be reaped.

Dakin has been working with the owners of this site realize their dream of cultivating a rich and meaningful landscape around their home. Because of their deep engagement with their land and garden, the landscape has guided the entire design process, from architecture to civil engineering to landscape design. All architecture on site is oriented toward the garden, a park-like, multi-use environment that includes a walking labyrinth, restored prairie, a Japanese garden, an orchard, vegetable beds, berry brambles, a croquet lawn and a charred wood outdoor shower. Dakin pays special attention to materials at every turn, selecting an antique sugar bowl for the outdoor fire pit, antique Japanese roof tiles to create blue edging, and stepping stones imported from India. In addition to its diversity of garden types, this permacultural paradise is home to chickens, ducks, and bees. A complex irrigation system was designed to draw alternately from wells and cisterns. 3x5lion.png Dakin has also had the privilege of creating an arboretum of diverse and rare trees that she based on Olmsted’s design for Central Park. Trees were selected to display a variety of seasonally shifting delights: spring blooms, fall berries, winter branch structure. Mature trees onsite were preserved and sometimes moved to new locations.

パリにあるお手頃価格の広い、春のコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (半日向、庭への小道、デッキ材舗装、ウッドフェンス) の写真

サンフランシスコにあるお手頃価格の中くらいな、春のコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (庭への小道、半日向、コンクリート敷き ) の写真

Ben Bull Photography
ケンブリッジシャーにある広いコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (日向、天然石敷き) の写真

Maria Papoutsis
他の地域にあるお手頃価格の小さな、夏のコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (日陰、砂利舗装) の写真

ハートフォードシャーにある小さなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (庭への小道、半日向、天然石敷き) の写真

Another angle of the ping pong table. Also included in this picture is water fountain surrounded by river rock. Photo Credit: Scott Lipscomb
他の地域にある高級な中くらいな、春のコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (日向、砂利舗装) の写真

フィラデルフィアにある低価格の中くらいな、夏のコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (半日向、レンガ敷き) の写真

サリーにあるお手頃価格の小さな、夏のコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (池、半日向、天然石敷き) の写真

サンフランシスコにある中くらいなコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (半日向、砂利舗装) の写真

シドニーにあるお手頃価格の中くらいな、夏のコンテンポラリースタイルのおしゃれな庭 (日向、デッキ材舗装) の写真