Design Brief of a Recent Formal Garden Design.

The design has taken its inspiration from the clients’ desire for formality and structure. Symmetry and formality has been a popular way of asserting regularity and control on a space. Using axial routes, symmetric patterns, repetition, and mirror –image geometry can impose a clear system onto a garden.  Due to the size and shape of the garden this was going to require some careful planning and understanding of the surrounding features. Complete formality was going to be difficult to achieve due to the irregular shape and features that the client had requested be retained.

Here you can see shed and the chicken run which currently takes up lots of room.

It was important to understand the relationship of the house to the garden in order for a formal garden to be achieved. In this design the extension that juts into the garden provided the ideal location to start to build a formal shape as the view looking back at the extension had the symmetrical appearance that would balance the formal approach of the design. Further inspiration for formality was taken from studying ‘Islamic style’ gardens . The design takes a straight line from the corner of the extension and draws this to the rear boundary providing an oblong shape to work with.  

 

 

 

The extension on the rear of the property and the existing decking

 

In order to create a squared place to provide a formal shape the design relies heavily on dense planting at the back of the garden to fill the perimeters awkward shape and give the design another straight boundary to match the extension and the fence line.

Within formal garden planning the accuracy of the symmetry is an unrelenting and essential consideration. Any central view or pathway must be accurately centred; planting bed dimensions or the positioning of sculptures or specimen plants must relate to the regime and to each other ensuring continuity throughout. Attempted formality that is not accurately laid out and planned will create ambiguity and visual discomfort. With this in mind the design uses the French doors on the extension to provide a point of centre thus giving an axis to work from. The design has a centred path that runs the length of the garden to a focal point of a specimen tree.This will draw the eye from indoors creating an illusion of extend space. On either side of the path are lawn areas buffered at the exact centre of the space by two raised planting beds. 

The ‘Islamic Style’ begins to play its part as the path and the raised beds split this section of the garden into quarters as present in so many ‘Islamic Style’ gardens. This method of quartering creates a formal space in the garden by providing mirror-imagery, symmetry and balance to the design.

Plan view of the design. Copyright RPL Garden Design 2011

 

The view from the end of the path back to the rear of the extension further accentuates the symmetrical appearance as there are two further specimen trees placed in the decking at exact the same distance from each other and boundaries of the formal shape. 

The clients’ desire for a place of relaxation has been met by providing a space at the top of the garden within one of the quarters that has a bench and has granite sets place in the lawn giving a natural peace appearance. As the design has taken the main bulk of the garden and split into four can provide the space that the client requested for defined areas for her children and herself.

View looking back towards the extension. Copyright RPL Garden Design 2011.

 

In order to maintain continuity throughout, the design has drawn on the need to keep materials to minimum the decking that is present as soon as you come out of the French doors continue past the edge of the extension to the far right fence along adjacent to the existing patio. The same decking boards are set into the plum slate path as walk boards, it has also been used as edging for the lawns and the flower beds. The purple slate path not only leads to the end of the garden but as the client approaches the back of the garden the path turns right past the planting under the existing trees and along to the chicken run. This feature will add a level of drama and interest creating an invitation to explore  to anyone walking along it. 

The design has used planting along the right hand side of the formal space to create a screen between the garden area and the ‘utility’ area of the rest of the space. The Design also proposes to use a light colour on the fence to open the space creating the illusion of being in a larger area.

The existing patio area is to remain as the client requested but it is recommended that this pressure washed to return to its previous glory, to improve this further it is recommended that Japanese blood grass is planted along the boundary next to the fence, and that some choice pots are selected and planted. 

View from extension up the garden. Copyright RPL Garden Design 2011.

 

This design clearly meets the clients’ brief of having a formal outdoor living space, the client has requested that it be bright and beautiful and this can further be accentuated by clever planting. The design has all the features that a good formal garden should have it, from the geometric layout to the symmetrical specimen trees at the entrance to the extension. This design provides the client with a beautiful formal, Islamic inspired modern living space that will provide many years of interest and joy.