This amazing 16th-century house has a generous, open rear garden of approximately half an acre.  Although it had well-planted borders to the side and front of the house, the area was mainly grass, lacked human scale and encroaching deer had restricted what could be grown. The brief was to create a garden with 'rooms', with new sitting areas, a pond, and a decorative veg garden with a greenhouse.  

Practically, the main issue to deal with was the deer.  The boundary to the rear was gappy, and open at the front, so I recommended fencing be installed along the rear boundary, as well as a new hedge to the front of the property to make the garden deer-proof.

​

I then divided the garden into three areas; flower garden, veg garden, and pond garden positioning these to take advantage of the site topography and aspect, using planting and paths to separate them informally and allow views through.  I introduced a side path, both for practical and aesthetic purposes, laid with brick to link with the brick of the house, and lined by a single pergola to provide a home for climbing plants and mirror existing trees on the other side of it.  

​

For the pond, I designed an overhanging deck and a gazebo, with access across the water,  providing a natural second sitting area away from the house. 

​