Think big

 

Richmond: north-west facing, lots of sun.

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A spacious garden with plenty of scope for improvement. Lots of room but none of it very useful. A small patio by the house was encroached upon by extensions and two sets of steps, then acres of lawn leading to a bald, dry zone underneath conifers.

We took the bold step of extending the patio with 50 square meters of hardwood deck. The garden now feels bigger, because the proportions work, with lots of space for entertaining and more than one place to sit.

Covering the first step of the old stone patio allowed the joint between the two materials to be flush. A slim, steel drain channel sits in between, practical and decorative. 

Our client was keen to garden herself and have planting that looks quite established, with room to grow.

The bone-dry patch at the back was dressed with bark, a nice dark backdrop for the semi-shade planting and a gorgeous Cercis canadensis placed in front. We also created a lovely wildlife pond, populated by dragonflies within days.