Building A Dream

There’s a project I’ve been working on since November.  It has taken several weeks to design and then many more to plan (and the planning is still going on). Among my friends and colleagues, its become known as ‘the big one’.  I thought my blog would be a good place for any interested parties (if there are any out there?) to find out about how the project develops.

It’s a big residential project – a three acre site with  the brief to transform it into a truly special garden.  The house is 18th century and listed and therefore we had to get planning permission for the garden buildings and structures.  That came through at the end of May and now we we’re finally on site and the build’s begun.

The garden design is inspired by the definition of a ‘perfect 18th century garden’ – which would have i) a park ii) a pleasure garden iii) a kitchen garden iv) a menagerie v) a glasshouse or orangery vi) an orchard.  These elements have been introduced to the garden in a contemporary and sometimes quirky way, lest we forget we are now living in the 21st century.

The design is simple yet complex in the detailing.  There are many facets to the build – natural swimming ponds, maze, contemporary orchards, golf zone, sunken terrace, bore hole, sculpture, woodland menagerie and play zone, glasshouse with a difference, large flower garden, religious motifs, walled garden, garden riddles… to name but a few.

Time enough to cover off these details in future blogs as the various bits get built.   Suffice is to say that the garden a month ago looked like this.

And now looks like this… after just a couple of weeks of the wonderful crew working on the project – the lovely Ben and his team at Breathe.

 Hopefully…the view can only get better…