Luxury Family Garden

A sophisticated and contemporary family garden with plenty of space for entertaining and relaxing.

With a large family of six this garden was always going to need a lot of open space for garden games, football and general fun. So a large lawn and a dedicated astro-turf pitch were a must. But expansive areas for entertaining were also important and part of a seamless flow from indoors to outside.

Style

Contemporary Walled Garden

Location

St Albans

Features

Renson Pergola, Porcelain Paving, Walled Garden

Renson steel pergola with Grillo outdoor kitchen and outdoor TV
Renson garden pergola with outdoor lounge and bar and outdoor tv
Contemporary Hertfordshire Garden with pale grey porcelain paving, steel pergola, sociable outdoor lounge and dining areas and steel pergola with hot tub
Large country garden with slate clad retaining walls and colourful planting
Large country garden in Harpenden, Hertfordshire with lawn, woodland boards and contemporary entertaining area
Mediterranean pebble planting with Foras Sea Salt water feature
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The Story Behind the Garden

This large garden was designed as part of the creation of large new family home in Harpenden. The garden was already large, but with a steep sloping area to towards the side and back of the garden, retaining walls were needed to form level spaces. Towards one end of the garden a small all weather sports pitch was designed, with plenty of space for football and basketball all alongside a large central lawn. 

Retaining walls were created with stacked slate stone formed with a sweeping curve to lead the eye around the garden and to retain the raised area of garden which was planted with woodland planting well suited to dry shade.

Closer to the house, space was needed for a outdoor dining and lounge area as well as a swim spa and hot tub so large spacious patios were created with porcelain paving. The paving flows beautifully between the interior and exterior space, using level thresholds and the same colour and sized large format porcelain pavers.

Planting wraps around all the outdoor areas, with multi-stem trees creating pretty enclosure around the patio areas, with layers of colourful evergreen and perennial planting beneath.

Oak central arches with stepping stones lead from the house to the lawn with wires between each supporting Clematis and Trachelospermum climbing plants. The garden close to the house is richly planted with Roses, Salvia, Irises, Peonies and Heleniums to create beautiful seasonal planting colour and interest, with winter structure provided by Pittosporum, Taxus and Rosemary.

A beautiful Foras water feature set into a pebble planted area provides a focal point of interest from the house and the sound of water falling onto pebbles, creating a peaceful backdrop to the garden.

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Transformation Captured in Three Moments

Visualising and explaining the level changes in this garden through our 3D visuals were key to communicating how each area of the garden would work and how the spaces connect with each other.

Large overgrown country garden before garden design renovation
Before
3D Visualisation of large contemporary sociable garden in Harpenden
3D Model
Contemporary Social Family Garden in Harpenden, Hertfordshire featuring porcelain paving, slate clad walls, hot tub and steel pergola with outdoor dining and lounge seating areas and large family garden
After

At first sight this garden felt smaller than it really was. Part of the problem was large level towards the back of the garden that made the garden, this would be retained as it included mature trees but a key design objective was to make this elevated area an interesting and attractive woodland area while also defining more useable spaces for a family within the rest of the garden. 

Slate clad walls were used the retain the level change and a small flight of steps was also created to give access to woodland path in this area. The resulting garden retaining the informality of its countryside setting in this area while areas closer to the house, had a more pared back and contemporary look. The drama and beautiful texture of the slate clad walls provided a perfect juxaposition to the smooth simplicity of the porcelain paving used close the house. 

The large garden also had plenty of space in which to create a diverse palettte of woodland planting for dry condition and colourful mediterranean planting for the sunny areas closest the house. Pollinator rich plants meant that within just a few weeks the garden was full of bees, butterflies, crickets and other insects which indicate a healthy bio-diverse habitat. The addtion of many metres of hedging has created a green backdrop for the owners of the garden but equally a safe habitat for nesting and resting for birds and insects.

Designer’s Insight

We’re an active family and we wanted to ensure tha the new garden had something for everyone, and that had plenty of space for socialising which is important to us . We’re more than delighted with everything that Heartwood Garden Design have created, we’ve used the outdoor kitchen all summer and it’s been the perfect spot for summer entertaining as well as for our own family. The whole process from design through to construction has been a smooth one and we’ve been guided by the team throughout the process. We’re so pleased with how the garden has turned out and the skill involved has been exceptional.

Zoe Hollowood – Harpenden

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