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The brief was to totally transform the client’s front garden, to allow for better access, more space and establish typically English garden design features such as Yorkstone steps. The stunning result delivers an uplift in kerb appeal and helps restore the facade of the property back to its original glory through well considered landscape architecture design.
This Victorian front garden restoration was long overdue. The clients are a young family who had been living with an impractical and worn out front garden. It was covered with a polished concrete terrazzo in muted pink with black plastic border strips. This created a visual mismatch between the front garden and the quintessentially English design of the house.
The client also wanted to gain full benefit from the south facing window looking onto the front garden. The design therefore revolved around pushing back the retaining wall and lowering the height of the garden to let in as much light as possible. The old retaining wall was made of brick and had failed a long time ago, so it was a good time to address the whole space from top to bottom and go for a complete Victorian front garden renovation.
Over 30 tons of rubble and earth were dug out of the garden to make way for the new retaining wall and its foundations. The wall was built in a nine inch hollow block with steel reinforcements running throughout foundations and inside the wall. We took the opportunity to widen the steps to the basement and to decrease their gradient. This meant the clients were able to get up and down with a baby buggy far more easily than before.
Other features to complete the Victorian front garden renovation include enlarged lightwell and smooth bullnose Yorkstone steps leading to both basement and front door.
Firstly the space was surveyed in minute detail and all the dimensions and depths were input into a 3D model. We often produce a 3D landscape design so that clients can get a feel for the flow and relative proportions of the space. In cases where there is a lot of interface with the structure of the house it is doubly important to incorporate considerations for landscape architecture into the design.
We had the pleasure of working with Hillman Gardens on both our back and front gardens as part of our Victorian renovation in Stoke Newington, Hackney. Duncan helped us to create an English garden design that was both beautiful and hassle-free, whilst accommodating the needs of grownups and little ones. Duncan was easily able to realise our design ambitions within our budget, whilst adding his own creative flair and planting expertise. His team were a pleasure to have on site and worked quickly and enthusiastically. After the back garden project we invited the team back to create a new front garden, and have since recommended them to several friends and neighbours— Laura, Stoke Newington N16
This front garden being relatively large by London standards gave us the luxury of including a cedar bin store, with a decked pathway in Azobe reclaimed railway sleepers completing the premium feel to this English garden design.
I wanted to thank you for listening to my needs and incorporating them into the garden design so well. Your advice and recommendations were perfect. Ashley, Hackney Central E9
