Streatham Garden for Family and Wildlife

So this garden was a blank canvas – apart from the clients wanting to keep some of their large existing pond for wildlife. They wanted to create a garden for entertaining, relaxing and enjoying the sun as well as providing a fun play space for their children.

To work with the levels as much as possible and reuse some of the earth to fill in the pond, we installed raised planting beds clad in Cotswold limestone, and we used Millboard composite decking for the main dining/ entertaining/ relaxing area.

The clients requested a fire pit, so we sited it on Kota Brown limestone paving, and the wall can be used as informal seating. From the house, we replaced the existing paving with Kota Brown limestone and installed stepping stones through the lawn to the fire pit area.

For planting, we selected a mix of trees for screening and variety: Ligustrum japonicum, multi-stem Amelanchier lamarckii, and a flowering cherry. For the rest of the planting, we included a mix of climbers, evergreen ilex balls, grasses, bulbs, and perennials to ensure year-round interest.

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk

Family Garden, Clapham

The owners of this South London garden wanted to extend their entertaining and outdoor dining space, so we laid large slate tiles leading out from the kitchen, incorporated cement-rendered walls to provide planting beds and built-in seating, and built a raised bed.

We used sleepers for the seats, which tied in with the sleepers that formed the edge of the planting beds at the end of the garden. We planted some Ligustrum japonicum trees at the end of the garden to provide some screening from the neighbours and also put in a contemporary pergola to give a bit of structure, which can also be used for the children’s swings.

We also added monkey bars to an already existing play structure and painted it all one colour, so it all blended in. Mobile spotlights were installed to uplight the planting in the surrounding beds, creating a lovely, atmospheric effect.

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk

Small Urban Garden, Battersea

The owners of this garden had just redone their kitchen, and so there was a need to redesign the space that their large kitchen doors opened out onto. They wanted to use the space for relaxing, dining and entertaining. Raised beds using sleepers were also built, incorporating inbuilt seating.

The design was built on an angle so as to maximise the space available. The Water feature is a lovely element to the garden, creating interest as well as a lovely sound. The planting was designed for a shaded area and one for a sunny area, and includes a mix of evergreen shrubs, climbers, perennials, and bulbs, ensuring all year-round interest.

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk

Circular Themed Garden, Richmond

The clients wanted to make the most of their garden for entertaining and for their children to play in. This was overlooked from the terrace of their first-floor kitchen and also had access through the basement.

We incorporated a circular theme using Limestone paving and setts, added raised beds to resemble a dry-stone wall, and installed sawn sandstone coping for informal seating. The raised beds were stepped, creating different levels to add more interest.

The planting was a mix of structured planting using box balls and evergreen climbers. Shrubs, perennials and bulbs were planted, providing interest throughout the year.

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk

Contemporary Garden in Balham

This contemporary garden in Balham now offers itself as another outdoor room, providing a great entertaining area that leads from the large kitchen doors, with inbuilt seating. Raj Green Sandstone paving leads to the shed and trampoline, leaving very generous planting beds on either side. The planting is a mix of evergreen shrubs and climbers. Additional perennials and bulbs give all-year-round interest.

There are also posts that support a sail shade, keeping the sun out on super-hot days. The shade is also waterproof, so the garden can be used for entertaining even on a damp summer evening. The fencing and pergola were painted black to give a contemporary feel. The trampoline is also black and recedes into the background. A contemporary pergola has also been built into the garden, which doubles up as monkey bars, which is a plus for the children and grown-ups!

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk

Islington Garden with Decking

The owners of this Islington garden had inherited an interesting, long and narrow site with a half-filled-in pond and poorly maintained lawn. They wished to have a garden in which they could entertain and relax, which was low-maintenance. They were keen on decking, so we made a series of rooms with a walkway in between to accommodate larger areas of planting while installing some inbuilt seating for dining and entertaining.

The planting plan involved keeping some of the existing trees and shrubs for structural planting and incorporating a mix of grasses and perennials, ensuring all year-round interest.

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk

South London Garden with Cascading Water Feature

This south London garden was a fairly large one for the area. The clients wanted to take advantage of the size, keeping a good expanse of lawn but incorporating a pond with a cascading water feature and boulders.

We relocated the trampoline to the back of the garden and partially screened it with taller planting. We installed a garden room with steps leading from the deck to this. The planting is a mix of evergreen structural planting along with perennials and bulbs to give all year-round interest.

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk

Side Return Garden Transformed in Balham

The clients were keen to maximise the long, narrow side return garden, which their kitchen opened out onto and is slightly overlooked. We installed Millboard composite decking because of its longevity.

We built a bespoke contemporary pergola with stainless steel tension wires running between the posts, which will support climbers and give it a polished finish. Some of the planters were bespoke-made from softwood and cedar-clad, and one also doubled up as a storage unit.

The other pots were carefully selected. The planting is a mix of evergreen climbers and box balls, with bulbs and perennials to provide year-round interest.

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk

Urban City Garden, South London

Like many city gardens, this South London urban garden has a limited space. The clients wanted to use their ‘outdoor room’ for entertaining and relaxing.

The raised beds also serve as the structure for the built-in hardwood seating. Eyelid Lights were installed within the rendered walls highlighting the black cobbles and mobile spot lights were installed within the planting beds to create atmosphere and uplight the foliage.

The planting design provides some structured planting and ensures all year-round interest with bulbs and perennials.

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk

Clapham Family Garden

The owners of this South London family garden wanted to extend their entertaining and outside dining space. We laid large slate tiles leading out from the kitchen and incorporated some cement-rendered walls to provide planting beds and inbuilt seating.

We used sleepers for the seats, which tied in with the sleepers that formed the edge of the planting beds at the end of the garden. We planted some Ligustrum japonicum trees at the end of the garden to provide some screening from the neighbours and also put in a contemporary pergola to give a bit of structure, which can also be used for the childrens’ swings.

We also added monkey bars to an already existing play structure and painted it all one colour, so it all blended in. Mobile spotlights were installed to uplight the planting in the surrounding beds, creating a lovely light and atmosphere.

Rachel Hartley Garden Design

 07703 260513

info@rachehartleydesign.co.uk