Garden Design in Bristol, UK
Location:
Bristol, UK.
Type:
Residential Garden Design
Scope:
Comprehensive garden and landscape design
In development
A contemporary romantic garden for a Grade II listed Georgian house in Bristol, designed for family living and architectural integrity, in collaboration with Walmsley Shaw Ltd. View garden design services.
Project Brief
The brief was for a private family garden in central Bristol, responding to significant level changes across the site.
The driveway was also to be resurfaced to improve access and usability.
Safety for children was an important factor, including the introduction of fencing. Space for a bespoke timber playhouse was also required, alongside a reduction in lawn and the inclusion of a wildlife pond.
Design Approach
The driveway is reconfigured and resurfaced to improve access and allow for more comfortable parking within the steep and constrained space.
A central gully is introduced to manage surface water and act as a subtle water feature during rainfall, designed to be used for informal play by children.
The widening of the upper driveway allows for the introduction of a new set of entrance steps, establishing a more defined arrival from the driveway to the portico.
The western side of the garden is shaded by a neighbouring property and is planted deeply with evergreen ferns. A route through the border is designed with children in mind, with stepping stones forming a more informal path leading to a secluded play area adjacent to a proposed timber playhouse.
Hoggin is used for the garden paths, creating a light and unobtrusive surface. Deep hoggin steps are formed with corten steel, introducing a contemporary contrast. Retaining walls and new entrance steps are built from natural stone, finished with caps of existing pennant slabs to maintain continuity and character.
The steep driveway is proposed in English Chedworth pitchers, with the patio and pond surround paved in Chedworth cobbles.
Planting Design
The planting design responds to the Georgian architecture of this detached house in Bristol, creating a romantic, naturalistic family garden. In line with the brief, the palette avoids purples and blues, maintaining a restrained and cohesive character. The planting takes its cue from Iris ‘Benton Susan’, with softer apricot tones and dusky pinks running through the borders, lifted with perennials such as Thalictrum ‘Splendide White’.
