Modern Cottage, York

The owners of this early Edwardian townhouse pride themselves on the aesthetic refinement of the interior of their house in York. They wanted their outside space to match the ambition of the house’s interior. The garden sloped up away from the house, held up by one retaining wall (west boundary) and a crumbling retaining wall at the north end. Mature silver birch trees gave a woodland feel to the north end of the garden reminiscent of woodland.

A complex site to design, the west retaining wall was pushed back to the boundary to give more useable space, and the north retaining wall rebuilt to give two divide the space into two levels, and two garden rooms.

The design was configured on a 30 degree angle to the house. This ensured that planting beds did not straddle the boundaries, but broke up the middle ground, whilst still allowing space for a small lawn. The angled design also created spaces where seating could be placed, following the sun as it reached the north-facing garden.

The illuminated steps are not only functional, but the angle in which they are created make them an eye-catching feature, and are situated opposite the dining room in the kitchen where they can be seen.

Planting will be shade tolerant near the house, whilst being more appreciative of sun, towards the rear. Woodland planting styles will be echoed in the shadier parts of the garden and towards the rear where two silver birches dominate the scene. The sunnier areas will inhabit a modern cottage garden style, with plenty of plants, but with a reduced colour palette.