Chilterns Garden Design with a View
BRIEF
Our clients had bought the property because of its spectacular views towards the Chiltern Hills and wanted the garden design to maximise their enjoyment of that landscape.
Strengthening the relationship between the architecture of the house, the garden and the wider countryside was therefore fundamental to the project.
The brief also needed to accommodate the practical requirements of a growing family, including outdoor dining, space for entertaining and secondary parking, water that would also benefit wildlife, a productive garden with greenhouse and a children’s play area.
DESIGN SOLUTION
The view towards the Chiltern Hills sits at the heart of the design.
A magnificent existing oak frames the principal outlook, while sections of Beech hedge divide the garden and are sculpted to echo the rolling profile of the hills beyond. The landscape is not revealed all at once. The hedging gradually opens views towards the countryside, strengthening the sense of anticipation and connection with the setting.
Water reinforces this principal axis. A change in level from an upper pool creates a small waterfall into a central rill, which directs the eye towards the main view. The lower pool curves behind the Beech hedging rather than terminating visibly, creating a sense of intrigue. Aquatic planting at one end provides habitat and increases the wildlife value of the water.
The entrance to the property was designed to establish a sense of calm from the moment of arrival. The driveway runs through an avenue of trees with a series of lush planted beds positioned to create changing patterns of light and shade between them.
A productive potager contains multiple raised beds, Corten steel reflecting pools and a contemporary glasshouse, bringing a more designed character to the practical growing area.
The children have their own more secluded part of the garden containing storage, a yurt that can be slept in overnight, a treehouse structure, a wooded hideaway, timber seating and a totem pole.
The overall landscape balances the feeling of a clearly designed garden with sensitivity towards its environment, using views, landform, hedging, water and planting to strengthen the relationship with the Chiltern landscape beyond.
