Sep 2023 - Stoke Bishop.
'Japanese Inspired Sanctuary' 

This garden was designed to take you on a journey. The new composite decking, an extension of the patio, provides a larger & more flexible space for outdoor seating/dining. It is surrounded by raised planters for privacy.

From the deck you take a stepped route down to the existing paved area, with a few benches to stop at and enjoy different views of the garden. This route forms a relaxed amphitheatre on a slope, with planting and a minimalist Japanese style water feature. A new stylish paved surface forms a relaxing social area around a fire pit/BBQ that you can continue to use in the colder months.

From here you can walk on a stepping stone path leading to a secret garden area and an outhouse. We placed a hidden relaxing spot under the existing pergola where you are fully surrounded by Tasmania inspired planting. You can watch the birds landing on a small reflecting pool on the other side of the path.

On the last part of the journey, the planting is placed on both sides of the path to create a more immersive feeling within nature.

We retained the existing mature hedge, trees, and shrubs around the borders of the garden and added the Tasmanian style planting around them. We also kept some parts of the grass around the stepping stone path, but reduce it towards the end of the garden to create a wilder effect. We dotted a few more small/medium sized trees and ferns around the garden to provide privacy and an interesting vista from the house and the deck.