Small garden with a very steep slope

The design brief for this project was to bring order to chaos. Just 13 metres from the end of the extension to the hedge at the back but with a rise of 4 metres. Obviously the slope was a major issue and there were going to be a lot of walls. Rather than use traditional masonry we thought that steel gabions filled with a local sandstone would give a different, more organic feel. As this garden is also supporting the garden of the next property the gabions provide the necessary structural support without having to use several tonnes of concrete. We also installed planting bags within the gabion stone so that walls will be softened with greenery. The gabion walls were very hard work. On top of the excavation we brought in 48 tonnes of stone to fill them. Due to limited access this was all done by hand. As well as the walls we needed lots of steps and oak sleepers fit the bill here. The lower patio was extended and the middle section is where the hot tub goes. Rather than the usual wooden shelter for the hot tub we used a detachable shade sail. The sails come in many colours and can be changed to suit the mood. The garden was to be low maintenance but we still managed to fit a few plants into the scheme and pots will eventually provide a bit more interest. To finish things off a small amount of lighting to give just the right mood at night.