Town garden in Stratford-upon-Avon

The brief for this garden was to create a calm, restful, wildlife-friendly space with areas of seating in sun and shade. Several existing trees were retained to provide natural shade for the paved circle at the bottom of the garden. The clients wanted soft curves which also ensured that the roots of the mature trees were not damaged. A curved path of stone set level with the grass for easy mowing leads from the back gate to the main terrace via a timber bridge over the pond. Even as the pond was being planted the wildlife benefits were already apparent as birds enjoyed bathing in the shallow margins and a beautiful emerald dragonfly flitted about, something the owners had never seen in the garden before. The lesson is that if you if you provide the right environment, you will be rewarded.

Planting was also designed with the needs of butterflies and bees in mind - butterfly magnet buddleia, ceanothus for the bees and perennials like heleniums, geraniums, salvias, achillea & foxglove. The planting balanced these perennials with evergreen structure plants, such as evergreen grasses and the pyracantha that clothes the rear boundary fence which provides nectar-rich blossom and later in the year berries for birds.  The shady paved area was surrounded with shade loving plants like hydrangea, liriope and hostas.