Designing a small, multi-level garden

We are delighted to share our latest garden design in Bromley to get underway. The build for this multi-level garden has recently started, following on from some complex detailing works. Here we share with you some of our design decisions that will really make the most of the level changes in this garden and show how they can often be a great asset.  

When we first saw the garden it had a very small patio outside of the back doors and steep steps up to a sloping lawn area with narrow planting borders to both sides. The view from the house really lacked interest – your eye was either drawn straight to the garage building at the back of the garden, or to the bare retaining wall. Our client found that their dog got the most use of the garden, with them rarely venturing far from the chairs by the back door, except to walk to the garage. As well as totally dominating the view, the unused garage took up a huge proportion of the plot and the slope of the main part of the garden made it impossible to use that area for anything.  

Upon meeting with our client, we discussed how they wanted to use their garden. Their original brief was to create a soft and naturalistic space with areas to both relax and socialise in, and to retain an area of lawn for their dog and for younger family members. During the consultation process, which included discussing and looking at lots of different garden styles together, our client loved imagery of gravel gardens with soft planting running through them. 

Equipped with a full brief, we began the design process. We knew we needed to add lots of plants to the garden and to create individual areas for our client to want to spend time in. The garden is in full sun for most of the day so we needed to make the most of this, but also needed to provide a shaded seating area too. 

As we worked through the design we found that, as expected, with the narrow width and the steep slope of the site, it was a major challenge to fit everything in. Our initial design proposed that the mid-level of the garden remained as lawn, and whilst it would have made for a perfectly nice garden it just didn’t quite fulfil the brief. 
 
So we designed and presented a second option as well, with a smaller middle level that would become a gorgeous gravel area with soft planting and a water feature. Not only did this deliver a huge tick on the aesthetic side of the brief, it also enabled us to create two distinct, really good-sized areas for our client to relax in: one larger patio at the house level, and one seating area under a pergola at the top level. The levels will be joined together with the transition area (the gravel, soft planting and water feature) which also make for a beautiful view from the patio, pergola and also the house.  

We really loved this second design option, and whilst it didn’t deliver a lawn area it did meet every other aspect of the brief and more. We were really pleased when our lovely client agreed with us! 

As we developed this design we worked to make sure that the transition between the areas was gentle and beautiful. Due to the level changes we needed to include a railing or balustrade, but didn’t want this to be too imposing, especially from the back of the house looking up to the garden. So we designed a slim profile balustrade with wire ropes and a tactile timber handrail, which is as discreet as possible and crucially will be easy to see through to the garden beyond.

The steps themselves are going across the garden, rather than up it. This enabled a gentler gradient in a space efficient way, but also creates more of journey and the opportunity to take in different views of the planting as you move through the garden. It also means that you don’t look at a large set of steps from either of the seating areas (or the house) as they are partially hidden from view. We softened all hard landscaping and surrounded the seating area with planting, which will also help our client to feel enclosed and relaxed in each space. 

We have made the patio outside of the house much more usable. It will be large enough for a stylish and comfortable garden sofa, as well as plenty of planting. The retaining wall has been pushed back to achieve this and clad with paddle stones. This will make for a really lovely view from the house, as well as providing little nooks and crannies for insects to use. 

Lastly, we are using high quality woven fence panels for a much softer look. The fence will sit quite a bit higher than the patio near the house due to the upwards slope of the land. Woven fence panels offer a much softer option than a traditional fence and will also complement the naturalistic style of the gravel areas and planting.  

We are so excited to see this build progress. There is lots of work to do before the plants can be added, but we will be using lots of soft planting including ornamental grasses and verbena, scented plants, new trees and climbers to soften the pergola and fence lines. We really look forward to sharing the finished garden with you later in the year.

If you would like help transforming your own garden and really maximising your use and enjoyment of it, as well as adding value to your property, we would be delighted to hear from you. We offer a full design service as well as planting designs too. You can get in touch with us here.