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‘Stone and Feather’ barn garden design and build
This was a really special garden. The setting was incredible – sat in front of a 16th Century barn, the space was intended to be a garden within a garden, specifically for the barn. The client, an incredible woman who made us feel at home from the very start – even setting up our own coffee machine and biscuit tin in the barn! – had been saving for and dreaming of this space for 15 years. You can see the watercolour she gave me by way of a brief – beyond this, she placed her trust in me to interpret this and take the finished result beyond her imagination, always being respectful of what I knew to be her aims, wishes and loves. It felt a truly collaborative project and it’ll be one that stays with me for a long time.
This was the brief – how great is that?!
Now let’s deal with the elephant in the room – I know that crazy paving isn’t fashionable. I know some people are of the opinion it should stay in the 70s and 80s. BUT, everything has a place and, using a fantastic mixture of new and reclaimed yorkstone (which we also used on the walling) and being creative with the pointing I think it was the most sympathetic solution to creating a patio/entertainment space in front of such an old, wonky, charming structure. And even more important than all of that, the client loved it and at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about – I fall in love with a lot of gardens, but when all is said and done the only one that’s mine is the one I have at home. It’s the client who keeps the garden, who cherishes it and enjoys it and nurtures it, so the genesis of a design should always be in what the client wants their garden to be; how it should make them feel; how it can augment their life in their home.
The rest of the garden is full of nooks and crannies for plants, the client’s crystals, candles, trinkets and surprises. The planting is soft and floaty, with differing seasons of interest and of huge benefit to increasing biodiversity in the garden. The upper section has a (decorative) beehive that was restored after being found in the back of the barn and as such the planting there focusses on pollinator friendly varieties. This continues down into the gravel garden with slightly more grass species for increased movement and winter structure and culinary herbs.
The materials across the board are warm, natural, many of them are reclaimed and all seek to honour the barn and the client. I have a very strong personal connection with this garden and hope I can visit through the years to see how it grows and changes.
Please click on a photo below to load the gallery of images, some taken on the day of completion and some taken a few weeks after, showing how quickly the planting can establish when done right. Please enjoy.
Please find below a gallery of images from the creation of this garden – click on a photo for a larger view and for a caption with more information
The garden was designed to honour this incredible barn with roots in the 16th century - how incredible to work in front of such a special building
The site before we started, once it was cleared of weeds. A large, tricky to deal with space that the client was desperate to see turn into something special!
A fair amount of earth moving on this project despite its relatively small size
Always exciting to start seeing the shape of the final product in the excavations
Sub-bases in
Getting some trenches started for foundations
Starting to get the blockwork established
We made sure to incorporate this oak step into the wall as requested by our client
The step almost finished to take you between gravel garden and the upper beehive garden
Planting pockets were left all over the place to help soften and naturalise the hardscape
Starting to make some headway with the crazy paving
Oak, stone, planting - happy landscaper!
This view shows how the slope wraps around the side of the retaining wall to keep everything seamless with the surrounding existing garden
More lovely yorkstone
The wall was designed to look hurriedly stacked, with lots of nooks and crannies for candles, trinkets and embellishment
Pointed to half-capacity with a traditional lime-based mortar and then filled with horticultural grit this patio is structurally spot-on whilst allowing the establishment of creeping/spreading plants such as bugle and thyme
Feeling a bit empty but the hardscape coming along here
The huge variety in stone thickness meant a massive variation in bedding depth but the process was enjoyable
The side access path was laid with charcoal blocks to blend between the existing, remaining blockwork patio and the 'barn garden' that we worked on
Getting lots of stone laid out so there's always pieces to choose from
I love combining oak and stone on these rustic projects, they're such satisfying materials to work with
Cleaning down the sandstone setts
Several of these soakaway crates were placed along the front of the 'patio' to attenuate water from the thatched roof of the barn
Finishing off the stone-work
Establishing the levels was the best thing for this site, going from a useless slope to different levels with lots of interest
Gravel grids hidden within the gravel area, the rest of which will be planted, to ensure a firm path without the need for a change of material and to keep things loose and natural
Getting all the plants staged and ready for layout
Lovely trailer-fulls of plants from Howard Nurseries
Starting to set the feel of the planting
Checking things over!
We lay out the plants in their entirety before starting planting to ensure we're happy with the layout
The metal arch was added to very clearly mark the transition from the 'barn garden' to the rest of the garden
Elements from the client - like this sundial - made the garden incredibly personal
The planting made a huge difference to this project and will change drastically through the seasons
The client's pets frequently inspected my work, ensuring I was on task
A content cat must mean a successful garden!
Do you love this barn garden design? Do you know someone who might? Please feel free to share a link to this page with anyone who might be inspired!