The sloping garden that we created
A garden with a view, Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight
We were contacted by a client in Carisbrooke, she was moving into a newly built house which had wonderful views of Carisbrooke Castle, unfortunately the same could not be said of the garden that the builders had left her with, it simply consisted of a grassy slope so steep that it was impossible for her to cut it. She needed a garden that was more easily maintained and landscaped to a high standard.
We assessed the site for her and advised her on what needed to de done, she then commissioned a set of scale plans from us which detailed the general layout and itemised what was to be planted. The garden had to be in keeping with the area, the house is on the outskirts of Carisbrooke with views both of the castle and surrounding countryside. An informal natural look was preferred combined with low maintenance . We recommended leaving the area to the front of the house more open as this naturally led the eye into the surrounding area, save for some Beech hedging that was planted to screen a wooden fence and under-planting the grass with spring flowering bulbs.
The garden had spectacular views of Carisbrooke Castle and the surrounding countryside
One of the biggest challenges was the steepness of the plot, the client was not keen on splitting it up into terraces so a different solution had to be found.We constructed a curving shallow flight of steps out of old railway sleepers, mass planted on either side with ground covering shrubs. The thin chalky ground in which these shrubs are planted has been enriched with a large amount of compost and mulched with a generous layer of bark flakes to help retain moisture and supress weed growth. An automated irrigation system has been installed to ensure that the plants do not run short of water during dry spells.
At the top of the slope to provide a level sitting area that made the best of the views we created an elevated deck and a pergola. Fragrant climbing roses, Clematis and a vine were planted up it, the whole structure providing some shade on sunny days and an element of privacy from being overlooked from neighbouring houses. A couple of planters for seasonal bedding were constructed on the front of the deck.
Newly planted
A modest water feature was constructed to the side of the deck, this consisted of a small pebble filled stream and a waterfall dropping into a rocky pool, with the water recirculated by a solar powered pump. The bubbling sound of the water running through this was most relaxing. This wildlife friendly garden attracts many kinds of birds, badgers and red squirrels.
Our client said:- “What I particularly didn’t want was a garden that took a lot of hard work. The way Tim has done it I can enjoy the garden and work in it when I want to. It is just a source of pleasure. Tim really was fantastic, he saw to all the work himself, was totally reliable and created the garden that I wanted. Everyone who visits here says how pretty the garden is.”
For more photos, advice & stories about gardening please visit our website email timbrayfordlandscapes@gmail.com phone 07890 869918
