Katherine Bott Garden Designer

Country Gardens

The Requirement: Create a garden that seems to originate with the house, parts of which date back to the early 16th century.  Provide alternative sitting spaces, and screen the hot tub.

The Solution: Beautiful recycled stone flags and blocks, cut through with recycled brick to match the house, make a highly textured floor that looks as if it has been there forever.  The large pot bubbles over with water.	Organised around an axis between the arch (replaced) and the little gazebo (renewed), the spaces for relaxing and entertaining are of different sizes and aspects. The hot tub, formerly exposed, is now hidden behind a screen of planting.		Soft, pretty planting complements the stone paving. Landscaper: Clive Hicks 0118 940 6895

The Requirement: reduce the amount of lawn, increase the amount of planting, which should be interesting all year round and provide a good view from the house.  Introduce more trees.  Create an area for sitting at the end of the garden.  Make the terrace by the house less hot and exposed.

The Solution: New timber work attached to the house will form a green canopy when covered in climbers. Landscaper: Tony Witchalls 0118 961 4916	Overgrown shrubs and poorly-shaped trees are removed, existing planting beds are deepened, new beds are introduced to make the lawn less dominant and the overall shapes more interesting.	The substantial planting scheme has a good proportion of evergreens with colour and texture at different seasons.	The small stone terrace with timber arbour catches the evening sun in the midst of the planting.