Friday, October 2, 2009

Garden with a View

To create a garden with a view, divide it into two, with each area having a different feel. The section nearest the house became a traditional country garden while the lower area was more wild, to blend into the landscape. Small waterfalls, rocky streams, and plants create a jungle-like luxuriance.

Once the builder's rubble had been removed the garden was landscaped, with a level section created near to the house which dropped to sloping land below. Seen from the house, the lower section of the garden is not in view until the edge of the top terrace is reached and so forms a secret garden waiting to he discovered.

Small flat terraces were dug out at points on the slope of the rower area as places to sit. Here water forms in small pools before running down the slope again ending up in a larger pool at the bottom end of the garden, where a utility area is kept well out of sight. The terraces are linked by timber steps and gravel pathways that pass close to waterfalls and fast streams of tumbling water, ending up at a gazebo hidden from sight.

The water feature starts from close to the top terrace in a pool, this position is highlighted by giant standing stones. The water then runs between rough- edged slabs of slate, some of which act as stepping stones, to spill over from the top terrace. It continues its run through the sloping section of the garden to the end of the garden below

The garden nearest to the house contains a long, wide herbaceous border along one side, and shrubs and trees opposite this provide shelter for the terrace. In the lower section of the garden a jungle-like effect was created with plants such as the foxglove tree.

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