MODERN RETREAT
What started as a blank canvas, typical of a new-build property, has been transformed into a colourful retreat and extension of the home. Mixing materials adds interest, and diagonal lines fully maximise the available space.
BEFORE AND AFTER:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Customer feedback:
"We are absolutely delighted with the transformation Elly has brought to our garden. What was once a modest new-build space has been elevated into a stunning outdoor retreat that we will cherish for many years to come. From our initial consultation, Elly took the time to truly understand our vision, lifestyle, and how we wished to use the space. Her thoughtful approach combined with her creative expertise resulted in a design that not only complements our home but also enhances our daily living.
Elly's attention to detail is remarkable. She seamlessly blended functionality with beauty, incorporating elements that provide year-round interest and cater to our specific needs. The planting scheme is lush and vibrant, attracting birds and bees and creating a serene atmosphere. The transformation is absolutely stunning — the garden already feels like a seamless extension of our home, a space we know we’ll enjoy for many years to come as the plants continue to mature. Thanks to Elly, our garden has become more than just an outdoor space; it's a sanctuary where we can relax, entertain, and connect with nature. We wholeheartedly recommend Elly's services to anyone seeking to transform their garden into a beautiful and functional space."
Dan and Mariet Plaistow, BS29
"We are absolutely delighted with the transformation Elly has brought to our garden. What was once a modest new-build space has been elevated into a stunning outdoor retreat that we will cherish for many years to come. From our initial consultation, Elly took the time to truly understand our vision, lifestyle, and how we wished to use the space. Her thoughtful approach combined with her creative expertise resulted in a design that not only complements our home but also enhances our daily living.
Elly's attention to detail is remarkable. She seamlessly blended functionality with beauty, incorporating elements that provide year-round interest and cater to our specific needs. The planting scheme is lush and vibrant, attracting birds and bees and creating a serene atmosphere. The transformation is absolutely stunning — the garden already feels like a seamless extension of our home, a space we know we’ll enjoy for many years to come as the plants continue to mature. Thanks to Elly, our garden has become more than just an outdoor space; it's a sanctuary where we can relax, entertain, and connect with nature. We wholeheartedly recommend Elly's services to anyone seeking to transform their garden into a beautiful and functional space."
Dan and Mariet Plaistow, BS29
NEW BUILD COUNTRY GARDEN |
New builds often face the same issues with overlooking neighbours and poor soil, but on the plus side there is plenty of potential for transformation! These clients wanted to create a plant-filled sanctuary with a curved path leading to the new garden room, plus areas of meadow and a large space for entertaining. A single-bar pergola helps to detract from the houses beyond, and once covered in plants will add to the feeling of seclusion.
BEFORE AND AFTER:
MODERN COTTAGE GARDEN IN BRISTOL
This typical suburban plot in Westbury-on-Trym was tired, lacked interest and was in need of an overhaul. We broke it up into different zones with areas for relaxing, eating, growing fruit and veg, and of course plenty of flowers, with plants that would provide texture and interest all year round in harmonious shades of pinks, blue, white and purple. Soft curves were preferred and pathways that introduced a sense of journey.
BEFORE AND AFTER:
FRONT GARDEN ON A STEEP SLOPE
This steep hillside sloping garden was practically unusable - overgrown with dangerous drops and not enough room for parking. By creating tiers and using harmonious materials and planting, it became a beautiful and practical space that created a much more welcoming first impression at the front of the house. The end result picked up a Marshalls award for Best Engineering Achievement, thanks to the fantastic work of Westend Landscapes, who made the design reality.
BEFORE AND AFTER:
MASTER LAYOUT AND PLANTING PLAN:
PLANTS THROUGH THE SEASONS
CONTEMPORARY GARDEN WITH MINIMAL MAINTENANCE
This garden was designed for a working family with teenage children. The aim was to create an unfussy, modern space with clean lines, plants that are mostly evergreen and easy to care for, and space for relaxing and entertaining.
CITY GARDEN
This garden backed a period property in Bristol, and was overgrown and neglected. Once the garden was cleared, the existing attractive stone walls were more visible. New low brick walls divided the space into separate zones or tiers, with linking paths and steps leading through the planted areas, to work with the existing slope and create a tranquil and secluded space for relaxing.
TOWN GARDEN WITH PLENTY OF COLOUR
These clients are keen gardeners and wanted lots of room for growing plants that are colourful and wildlife friendly. The garden needed breaking up into different areas with a strong structure and materials that would tie in with the recently laid paving. We changed the shape of the existing patio, matching the materials and creating two round lawns with plenty of space for planting around them. Westend Landscapes built this garden and picked up a Marshalls Regional Award for Best Patio under 40sq m. 'After' photos show the plants ready to go in the ground.
BEFORE AND AFTER:
COLOURFUL GARDEN WITH A SEASIDE THEME
Bright colours, timber, cobbles and a decked boardwalk make this garden feel cohesive and quirky. The owner wanted to retain some of her existing collected artifacts, but create a space that had a greater sense of order and purpose. The moodboard below shows initial ideas for colours, materials and planting.
COUNTRY GARDEN
The owners of this large garden attached to a beautiful 15th-century cottage were looking to maximise the amazing views across open countryside, and create a garden in keeping with its surroundings and suitable for a young family. We included space to grow vegetables combined with a quirky seating area, a play area and borders for year-round colour and interest.
|
Moodboard showing initial ideas for the garden
|
|
|
BEFORE...
3D RENDITION: |
|
A new curving wall ties in with the brickwork of the cottage and replaces a steep and dangerous bank.
Raised beds provide space to grow and an informal seating area, where previously there was an overgrown patch of grass and weeds.
AFTER:
Raised beds provide space to grow and an informal seating area, where previously there was an overgrown patch of grass and weeds.
AFTER:
WOODLAND GARDEN IN A COUNTRY ESTATE
As part of the Blaise Castle estate in Bristol, the aim was to create a family garden that retained its rustic and woodland feel. The garden originally lacked structure with no defined areas for seating, relaxing, playing, or growing ornamentals or vegetables. The new design created zones that linked together cohesively and utilised all the space effectively.
FRONT GARDEN FOR A VICTORIAN TERRACE IN BRISTOL
The owners of this city plot wanted something different to replace the existing space, which was tired and neglected. They wanted to create an impact, with lots of room for plants, and materials that would tone with the house. The plants were chosen carefully as the site is dry and in full shade for most of the day, but will provide colour and interest through the seasons, with some tough, shade-tolerant evergreens for structure.
|
|
|
|
NEW BACK GARDEN WITH SPACE FOR ENTERTAINING
This back garden on a modern housing estate was left needing a complete redesign after building work was completed on the house. The aim was to create a space for entertaining, lots of room for plants and an area that young children could enjoy. It was planted up in spring, and just a few months later the borders were full of colour and movement, with plenty of ornamental grasses and long-flowering perennials.
|
|
LARGE GARDEN FOR A NEW-BUILD 'ECO-HOUSE'
Extending to about a third of an acre, this plot surrounds a newly built contemporary, larch-clad house that has been designed to have a very low carbon footprint. The garden needed to be in keeping with the style and ethos of the house, with native species and the reuse of existing plants, with a careful balance between the areas of planting and the hard landscaping. Raised beds for growing vegetables were to be incorporated, along with a wildlife pond.
|
|
|
|
|
RENOVATION OF 130FT SUBURBAN PLOT
This long, narrow garden of a 1930s semi-detached property in Bristol belongs to keen gardeners who wanted to create a social space. We aimed to break up the garden into separate 'rooms' with a sense of journey from one area to the next.
|
|
|
|
Mood board showing initial deas for the garden
|
|
|
GARDEN FOR A NEW BUILD
Here, the clients wanted to keep the majority of the existing hard landscaping, but make the garden a more attractive space with new planting. The garden is small with high walls and lots of shade. This offered opportunities to create a contemporary courtyard feel with a sense of calm, enclosure and privacy. We introduced raised beds made out of sleepers to maximise the space, and chose plants that would grow well in shade, and that are easy to maintain.
|
|
COUNTRY GARDEN NEAR BRISTOL
This garden, attached to a beautiful 17th-century former farmhouse, was a blank canvas that needed some structure and planting to create a cottage garden to suit a family. The aim was to break up the space and add some height, while keeping the area fairly low-maintenance.
|
|
A VICTORIAN MAKEOVER
The owners of this garden needed an overall vision that could be completed in stages, to tie in with future works on the house. It needed to be true to the Victorian era, in keeping with the style of the house and its surroundings. Currently dominated by a concrete driveway, the aim was to keep plenty of space for parking, but to create a garden that could be enjoyed by a young family with room for entertaining.
|
|
FRONT GARDEN IN SURREYThe existing front garden is to be redesigned to create more space for parking, while retaining some planting. The area needs a more modern and elegant look.
|
|
GARDEN FOR A HOLIDAY LET
This garden was my college project at the Cotswold Gardening School. The brief was to create a low-maintenance garden that would complement a potential holiday cottage.
|
|
A FAMILY GARDEN IN WEST LONDON
Here I worked with LazyLawn to create a garden that was suitable for two active boys. This garden was featured in BBC Gardeners' World Magazine/articles.html.
|
|
ANOTHER CHILD-FRIENDLY LONDON GARDEN
Again, a collaboration with LazyLawn to transform a bleak urban space into a garden perfect for young children. The removal of a large beech tree, unsuitable for such a small plot, really opened up the garden, while a raised deck complete with a slide maximised the space.
|
|
