A CONTEMPORARY SUSSEX VILLAGE GARDEN
This newly completed contemporary Sussex village garden has turned a relatively small space that was overshadowed by high leylandii hedges and with a dark, narrow terrace that flooded, into a light and spacious garden for strolling and entertaining.
The garden for this modern house, which is set within a Sussex village, was so impractical and uninviting that it had never been used. The new garden design now makes full use of the space, and features a large water terrace with beautiful modern summerhouse designed by Morton Scarr architects. This allows for multiple sitting areas according to sun or mood, with good flow around the space and beautiful planting.
MODERN SUMMERHOUSE
There are now two terraces, one in the shadier location by the house (no longer flooding!), and one adjoining a modern summerhouse which has retractable doors and a fully flush threshold so that the terrace size doubles when open. This new terrace appears to float over a shallow pebble-filled pond and is reached by a bridge on one side and stepping stones over the water on the other. From here, a series of paths lead around the garden offering different moods and vistas from both inside the house and from within the garden. And creating layers through planting, walls and a bespoke pergola has made the garden feel very much larger and more spacious than before.
BEAUTIFUL PLANTING
The garden now offers a series of walks and vistas, with beautiful planting highlighting the different aspects and moods. Flanking the main ‘long’ path to the modern summerhouse is a short avenue of Prunus maackii which has gleaming red-coloured bark and which complements the warm colour palette of these beds. Large blocks of evergreen Nandina and ornamental grasses give winter interest, while massed tulips in shades of red followed by long-flowering perennials keep the borders full of interest throughout the year.
Elements of these beds are repeated in the shady side of the garden to give unity throughout, with blocks of Sarcococca and black-stemmed dogwoods giving structural interest and seasonal variation. Large drifts of shade-loving ornamental grasses and perennials provide a constantly changing scene, and espalier apples form living enclosures with exquisite blossom and fruit.
Credit
Built by Landform Consultants
