24/01/2023 02:59 PM
Sloping gardens can be advantageous. Land can be moved and retaining walls built to create useable spaces within the garden. Within flat gardens, it’s important to add interest and dimensions in the garden design, which could involve adding height.
Wallace Thomson Gardens, one of our Approved Installers based in the South East, took on this garden renovation to create a functional family space.
This garden has been split into three tiers. The first tier is a paved seating area, using large tiles to give the impression the space is larger than it is. The tiles are laid horizontally, helping trick the eye into widening the space. The garden itself is narrower than it is in length, so emphasising the width can make the space seem a lot wider than it truly is.
Each zone is framed with white, rendered walls enclosing the space, creating ‘rooms’. This is then continued through each tier creating a sense of continuity, and even though the garden has been designed to create separate areas, the walls unify the garden and show it is still one.
On two sides, our Horizontal Hit and Miss fencing frames the garden. Made from alternating timber pales, the double-sided panel has the same design on both sides, making it a great fence for semi-detached and terraced housing. Gravel boards, which sit underneath the fence panel and prevent the panel from touching the ground, must be used to qualify for our 25-year guarantee. They can also be used to increase the height of the fence, which is especially useful in sloping gardens. Stacking two gravel boards can increase the height by 280mm. Always check with your local authority if your fence height goes above 2m as this may require planning permission. Taller fences also need more support from the fence posts used, so we always recommend heavy duty fence posts when fencing is above 2 metres tall.
The middle tier is a multifunctional area with another seating area with space for socialising. Timber decking has been laid horizontally, to widen the space. Decking also creates an all-year outdoor surface, enabling the garden to be used, no matter the weather. Opting for artificial grass due to the way the garden faces; sunlight will only partially fill the garden. Although we always encourage real grass to benefit wildlife, if it won’t survive, artificial grass serves as a great alternative instead of paving or decking the whole garden. The grass also adds a new colour and texture into the garden that helps to break up the neutral tones.
A raised bed planted with various trees at different heights, creates a beautiful backdrop to the seating area, and as the foliage grows will hide the neighbour’s fencing behind it.
The lower tier is covered with decking and set lower than the other parts of the garden. Hidden from view this section could be used to store garden hardware or place to enjoy a shaded spot.
