Portfolio
Project 3 - Woodland garden
Client: Working couple with a family and dogs
Hobbies: Gardening, entertaining and sport
Garden: 130m long derelict, overgrown orchard
House: Stone, detached house
Design: Split into 3 distinct sections (details below)
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Design issues
This was a unique opportunity to re-establish an ancient orchard and working garden that had been left to grow wild.
A hedge on one side was trimmed on a yearly basis but was not in a good condition and had grown virtually to the middle.
The right-hand hedge had been allowed to grow to maturity and was slowly dying.
Access was for the brave only as trees had fallen, suckers were growing up through, and brambles covered every gap available.
The woodland area, 130m long and 7m wide, had been considered an afterthought by the clients, as it lay at the far end of an already designed garden. This made machinery access difficult.
The clients also gave me a very limited budget and wanted me to retain the wild look of the woodland.
Design solutions
The area was identified in three definitive sections, sympathetically linked with a curvilinear path.
1st section: re-establish the orchard, underplanted with spring flowering bulbs and wild flower meadow
This was firstly achieved by having a good clear out, secondly by conducting a thorough pest control progrmamme, ground rolling and cultivation and seeding with a damp woodland grass/flower mixture.
We removed all the ageing and diseased apple trees and replanted the orchard with plum, pear and apple trees.
The underpinning of the widlflower mix was augmented with the addition of spring flowering bulbs.
2nd section: wild spring and indigenous broadleaf trees underplanted with summer flowering herbacious perennials and annuals.
This mid-section was kept wild and spinney-like. Perennial pernicious weeds were controlled to encourage the more decorative flowering species.
Cranesbills, anenomes, woodland garlic were predominant.
3rd section: hidden garden with shade-loving plants, rock fire-pit and secluded shelter.
The lower, darker & secluded section had an added feature of a treehouse, with open shelter beneath with benefitial proximity to the fire pit.
Finishing touches
Five-bay concealed compost heap; bold architectural seating; and log-cut lanterns.
