A Balham retreat

Naughtily, it has been a long time since I have updated my gardening blog...  Luckily it is because we have been out building new gardens!  But here is one that we did in Balham for a young professional.

This was a difficult spot - long, narrow, with little privacy. The site, before we started, lacked formal structure.  And although it was open, it felt clumsy and a bit untidy.

BEFORE: view of garden - towards the eucalyptus/end of garden

The brief was clear.

• The client wanted a space where he could entertain but also enjoy a quiet moment on his own. 
• There were several features the client wanted to keep: a large eucalyptus and the lap larch fencing. 
• He also wanted a lawn and lush planting. 
• Furthermore, he leads a busy life and didn't want to spend time maintaining the garden.  

Ultimately, he wanted a space which was low maintenance, private, yet pleasant to use at all times of the year.   To achieve this, we did several things.  First, we split the main part of the garden into three.  The first part of the garden provided space for a backdrop of planting; the second part became the "terrace"; and the third was lawn.

Layout showing the tricky dimensions of the garden

The part of the garden for entertaining comprised decking, raised slightly above the garden (10cm).  In this space were integrated bench-seats with cream cushions; the cushions could be stored in the benches if there were inclement weather.  On either side of the decking, along the fenceline, were narrow raised planters (H90cm) which also acted as a backrest for the seating.

AFTER: cedar decking, showing raised planters behind the seating area

AFTER: cedar decking, showing cushions (still in plastic!)

Meanwhile, at the end of the lawn, under the eucalyptus, was dense planting to ensure the seating area felt enclosed and to provide vertical interest and colour.  And in the eucalyptus was a spotlight to provide some ambient lighting in the area.

AFTER: note the Japanese maple in front of 
the Fatsia (the big leafy green plant) which has not yet budded.  
The Japanese maple has deep red leaves from spring onwards, 
turning deep crimson in autumn

Above the decking, hung between four posts was a cream canvas sail; this provides shade, shelter and privacy during the summer months.

AFTER: view of decking with sail and cushions

AFTER: this picture gives an a sense of the size of 
the garden and how the sail adds an element of intimacy

Towards the front area of the garden, near the house, is a square of lawn framed with cobbles and screened off from the path with Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin' which ensures privacy and provides colour.  Importantly, the view behind the Photinia was directly into the downstair flat's bedroom.  The screen effectively benefits all parties.

AFTER: view towards lawn and the 
Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin' clipped to shape

AFTER: view towards the Photinia x fraseri 
'Red Robin' from the downstair flat's bedroom window

Around the house, the pathway was resurfaced with a resin bond aggregate (beige) which picks up the colour of the cobbles.  This provides a clean and fresh feel to the area. The pathway is edged with beige riven sandstone setts (along the planting border and between the lawn and the path).

BEFORE: side return

AFTER: side return

Finally, along the west border, a new laplarch fence was hung.  And there was a new wooden gate between the two gardens to ensure additional privacy.  The fencing was painted stone to provide a clean contemporary finish.

BEFORE: entry to the neighbour's garden - 
this again shows the lack of privacy in the garden

AFTER: a gate has been built between the existing 
posts (somewhat tricky as the posts were not aligned)!