My Portfolio

Site 1. Formal Kitchen Garden
Site 1. Formal Kitchen Garden: The clients wanted a traditional English garden for their restructured country house. Informal lawns and shrub borders surround the house while a formal herb-cum-kitchen garden was installed at the rear of the house with box edging and sundial.

Stone steps lead up to a gazebo on higher ground from which to enjoy a magnificent view of the South Downs.

Site 2. A patio garden: A well-tended garden with a problem corner, the clients wanted an unsightly shed removed and the area to provide a small patio and pergola with a 'Mediterranean' feel.

This had to fit in with an existing garden path highlighted by a new water feature; the raised beds created a sense of seclusion and provided an opportunity for some exotic planting.
Site 2. A patio garden

Site 3. A contemporary suburban garden
Site 3. A contemporary suburban garden: A functional living space where the clients could both relax in sun and shade and indulge their passion for gardening was the aim for this new site.

A raised terrace was installed in the far corner providing a circular chamomile lawn and gravel garden for alpine plants. Evergreens concealed the newly painted fence and generous informal borders were planted with mixed shrubs and perennials.

At the side of the house a wet shaded area was paved around an existing tree and linked to the main lawn with a raised pond and bog garden.

Site 4. Nursery School: A pre-school for handicapped children received lottery funding to provide a sensory-cum-play area in an L-shaped courtyard. Safety matting provided a colourful and soft surface for free play with a raised sandpit for wheelchair users.

A palisade of logs created a quiet 'storytelling' area with a safe boulder water fountain. Aromatic plants, grasses and bamboos provide sensory interest for the children some of whom had impaired vision. I learnt a great deal about working with committees and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) during this project.
Site 4. Nursery School

Site 5. A Cottage garden on a sloping site
Site 5. A Cottage garden on a sloping site: This small country garden was to provide an easy balance between gardening the curving borders and serious sun-worshipping on the lawn and patio.

The clients needed a garage at the bottom of the slope so the lawn was laid over the roof. By this means the garden was mostly levelled but raised well above the drive needing a rail around the lawn boundary.

A natural stone wall was built at the side to give the garden greater seclusion and retaining walls and steps were built at the front. A gravel area was laid to one side which will become shadier as planting develops.