The Place

A tranquil farm on the edge of Exmoor with a cottage garden and outstanding views of the countryside.

The brief

To transform the outdoor space and enhance an unused area of the garden, with a steep bank between the house and fields beyond. The client was considering terraces, steps and retaining walls. This would have been costly and would not have fitted well with the traditional style of the house. The owners have a passion for gardening and wanted help understanding where to start and how to make to the most of their home in the countryside.

The design

After considering a number of different solutions, the clients chose a gentle sloping path that would wind up the bank. To illustrate this concept, Ian surveyed the area and created a digital 3D model of the garden. This helped everyone understand the concept and how dramatic this solution would be.

Initially seen as a problem, the steep bank became a positive feature that would create a link between home and countryside. The planting choices close to the house and at the start of the slope will be traditional cottage styled would then blend into the appearance of a wildflower meadow using ornamental pants that appear naturalistic. The use of repeated planting of ornamental grasses and structural perennials will give winter structure and an abundant feel in the summer. The perennial planting with the appearance of native plants will connect the garden to the surrounding countryside.

The impressive views from within the home and the garden will be enhanced by redefining the hedgerow and the addition of a new hunting gate will enable a small paddock to be sited close to the house.