Rural Farmhouse - Hampshire

Status | Ongoing - Phase 1 Summer 2023

This quiet country retreat is a former estate office converted back to a house set amidst rolling fields. The client recently purchased the property including a 1.5 acre garden and adjoining 3 acre field. The existing garden at the front of the house presented large areas of gravel and did little to soften or frame the façade of the house. Various hedges and uncomfortable level changes sub-divided the rear garden making the space feel small and diminishing any connection with, or views across, the field. The existing swimming pool and terrace had large areas of concrete pavers with little planting, awkward junctions and levels, and lots of hard surfaces.

The first step was to re-wild the field creating a wildflower meadow with new access routes from the garden. This was followed by a re-design of the rear garden. Clearing hedges and trees created depth as well as space for a grove of winter flowering cherries underplanted with meadow inside the garden.

The swimming pool was renovated to resemble a pond using a dark liner, built-in cover and a simpler rectangular shape surrounded by lawn and clipped hedging with textural planting above to soften the brick walls.

Taking their cue from Arts & Crafts detailing new stone and tile steps were designed to connect the garden and a reclaimed stone terrace for seating and dining was laid with open joints and thyme planting to soften the stone. New yew topiary and multi-stem trees create vertical interest and frame the views whilst also providing year-round structure surrounded by new planting beds in whites, blues and plums.

A small orchard set in a grid of meadow and accessed by the generous new flight of steps from the swimming pool is designed to provide a setting for a future garden room for entertaining.

Works to the garden have been phased over several years with the final stage being works to the front garden which will use new planting, hedging and trees to soften the house and create intimacy as well as interest and a sense of arrival.

Photography | Nicholas Morton© Copyright