Elegant Shared Space
“Working with Alex has been very satisfying; she has quite transformed the garden. The process involved discussion and the development of a preliminary garden design, followed by further discussion, the final design and its implementation. This was carried out very professionally with minimal impact on normal daily life. We are now living with the result at the beginning of a second summer and could not be more pleased. We took on a very untidy piece of land, which has been transformed into an elegant garden incorporating the splendid views of Bath. Very imaginative, easy to maintain and a sheer delight for the occupants.”
This historic house with an acre of garden had been split into seven flats. The residents came together to hire me to redesign the dull communal garden in order to create an attractive and usable space everyone could enjoy.
I created a design that made the most of the space, the surrounding landscape of the neighbouring allotments and golf course and the far-reaching views over the city, all within a limited budget. As many of the residents did not have direct access onto the garden, it was important that it looked attractive both while in it and when looking down from the flats above. The residents were also keen to incorporate multiple seating areas so that different groups could use the garden at the same time.
I was able to manage all the different interests to create an attractive and colourful garden that worked from season to season. The new design also made the steeply sloping site safe and completely accessible for all residents and their guests. In addition to this, I also provided a secondary planting plan for the private lawn space of one of the residents, which greatly improved the entrance to the property.
The planting has been in for a number of years now and continues to get better as it matures. A good maintenance regime, with the addition of annuals and biennials, ensures the scheme remains dynamic and full of interest all year round.
For a number of years the garden won gold awards in the Bath in Bloom competition, culminating in Overall Winner in ‘Horticultural Achievement by any Community Group.’