Projects

Beautiful Walled Garden with Fruit Cages

Having maintained and developed this garden over many years, we have had the pleasure of seeing it evolve in many ways. We installed raised beds which were originally used for vegetables but have now been turned over to roses. The Lime trees are pollarded every three years and the ones at the back have been Pleached. 

Challenges we've faced here have included; hard chalky soil - we have removed large amounts, replacing with good organic matter; Box blight - we treated and pruned hard at the right time of year and the usual challenges and advantages within a walled garden with both sunny and shady spaces. This garden is an absolute delight to work in!  

Beautiful Walled Garden with Vegetable Patch

Garden Room

The brief here was to create a luxurious dual space for both working and relaxing, including a separate area for a desk and an area for entertaining. 

We designed the build specifically to keep within the maximum allowed square footage to negate planning permission, using Vectorworks and Sketchup. It required extensive ground works, using a mini digger for trenching to install electricity as well as lights around the garden. Strip foundations, with 3 deep trenches 50x30cm were filled with pre-mixed concrete to create an extremely stable base. 

The structure was made up of wooden panels, constructed off site and then transported into position and assembled. Fully insulated in walls, floor and ceiling with Celotex and weather sealed, the layered construction means it’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer. 

The build itself was straightforward because our planning had been meticulous. As with everything we do the finish had to be to the highest standard. The brief was for a modern but comfortable feel that complimented the more naturalistic feel of the garden with it’s hazel hurdles and native contemporary orchard planting.

Larch cladding is beautiful and because of natural resins and oils it lasts well and resists rot as well as being a cost effective option. Vulcanised rubber roof and oak and anthracite bifold doors and window complete the contemporary aesthetic. 

Particularly with covid and lockdown this space has provided an area to work away from the distractions of the family and also provides a comfortable meeting/socialising space as well. 


Large Country Garden

We've been working with this customer for over 20 years and as a result we've overcome many challenges including; 
- Bind Weed and Ground Elder in the herbacious borders. To treat these it was necessary to lift everything, place it into holding beds, spray and treat before replacing. 
- Box blight which also required specialist treatment and handling 
- The garden build at the front of the house was literally on to rubble, so we had to remove 3 large skips worth before we could begin planting. This then resulted in lots of technical difficulties because BT, plumbing and oil lines had not been laid deep enough. 
Other projects included; Extensive planting, new borders, new hedging, installation of brick piers to visually connect beds with existing hedges, removal of a 20ft conifer hedge surrounding the tennis court - we removed, ground out stumps, replaced with a Hornbeam hedge and Crabapples Malus sylvestris ‘John Downie’. 
We continue to enjoy the challenges and interest that this garden throws at us and look forward to another 20 years working here! 


Grand Stately Garden

Working with both the grounds team and the gardening team it took a while to get everyone working seamlessly together. Our responsibility is to manage all the plants and walkways in the garden. We had a real challenge dealing with both overgrowth and pests such as mealybugs and spider mites whilst remaining organic. We used special natural pesticides and introduced parasitic wasps as biological pest control. We also replaced certain plants with less pest prone varieties, reinstated staging and better plant management. 

The other challenge was to produce enough flowering pot plants to supply the house which is a fairly inhospitable environment for plants so they needed replacing regularly. Also providing cut flowers for the house required us to rigorously manage cutting and planting on rotation.  We also manage the vegetable garden which has to look immaculate and produce enough fruit and veg to supply the house. Through trial and error we’ve established the best and most popular plants. We’re particularly proud of having managed the complexity of this garden and getting it back into an extremely smooth operation in all areas. 


Full Garden Build Project

This was a particularly challenging project due to very wet conditions and bad weather. We are extremely proud of the overall look and feel achieved. Through hard work, grit and determination we triumphed over the elements to deliver for the client!

Part of a complete property renovation our task was to build a garden that was sympathetic to the period property and at the same time grand enough to frame the incredible views. 

The limestone and granite patio was in keeping with both the original build materials and the new extension. The planting scheme worked with the existing yew hedges and is complemented by the distant country sky line. 

Full Garden Build

Country Garden with a Naturalistic Planting Scheme

We undertook this project in the scorching heat of summer 2018. The main challenge was hard ground and very dry conditions. We’re proud to say that not a single plant died!! Solid chalk has pros and cons with good drainage but poor nutrients. We improved the soil conditions by adding lots of organic matter. The plants we used were quite hardy, perennials and grasses and of course we watered, watered and watered some more. 

The overall look was quite stunning - the naturalistic planting scheme was in harmony with the space and setting. The customer brief was for “block planting” and by grouping plants together we achieved a highly structured yet, in places, extremely informal feel with abundant year round interest. 

Rough budget: £5-8k including all planting, material and labour. 


Log Store

The client brief was to replace the existing “shanty town” of log stores with something smarter. Over 20 years a collection of makeshift structures had sprung up to accommodate the extensive firewood storage need. 

We undertook this project in collaboration with Blakes of Winchester who we’ve worked with previously on woodwork projects to great effect. Using concrete pads we raised the floor level so no part of the structure was in contact with the ground. Additionally we used Geotextile Membrane, a landscaping fabric that’s permeable allowing for drainage but preventing water ingress. We picked a spot that was tucked away and not too obtrusive, cleared the site, using diggers we started by levelling the area. 

After ensuring that the joists remained clear of the ground we built the flooring, framework, roof and finally cladding. All of which was constructed onsite. For the roof we used vulcanised rubber which has a minimum 20 year life guaranteed. The addition of a pitch to the roof plus guttering ensured that drainage wasn’t a problem. 

Clad in feather edged treated larch boards which give a great low maintenance finish and a lovely functional yet aesthetically pleasing look. It will gradually take on a silvery hue as the wood ages, blending into the surroundings with time. 


Long Term Maintenance

This has been a long term maintenance contract, 20 years and counting! When we started working in this garden everything was very overgrown. The main challenges have been; taming overgrown climbing plants and retraining, reinstating paths and hedges and generally restoring and maintaining order on a modest budget. 

However, we are extremely excited to begin work next year on a complete garden redesign and overhaul! Watch this space for updated photos as we help this garden to achieve its full potential…


Long Term Maintenance Project

Partarre Garden Restoration Project

This was a six month restoration project, to bring the garden back to its former glory. 

Our major achievements were: 
- The large amount of box hedging and topiary which was rather overgrown and out of shape. We spent a long time pruning, with both hedge cutters and shears to achieve the structure you see in pictured. 
- Returning the traditional lawn tennis court to working order. We had to cut back the overgrown lawn and through a gradual process of mowing, scarifying, topdressing, and seeding we returned it to good health.
Wrangling the overgrown wisteria - pruning and retraining till it was respectable again. 

We got the grounds back into a good state of repair and handed back over to the regular gardener for day to day management going forward. 

Relaxing Country Garden

Compost Bins

We completed 2 different compost bin projects in 2020: One with 6 bins! This was a MASSIVE compost bin arrangement. These were in a large garden which produces a lot of waste. Constructed in an area that was previously totally derelict with a dilapidated victorian greenhouse. We had to dismantle and remove old cold frames, dig out the remains of the greenhouse. Plus there were lots of trees and overgrowth to cut back and remove. Using a large digger we cleared the area, and put in new concrete paths, before we could even begin construction. 

Simple treated softwood construction, chunky and hard wearing these bins were built to last. We put the posts into the old cinder blocks from the previous cold frame to help strengthen the structure. Two sets of three bins for a three yearly compost rotation cycle. 

The three bin project was much simpler. We were replacing some old rotting compost bins. However in both cases we painted the inside with Black Jack DPM paint to protect the wood and prevent rotting. This is critical to preserve the life of the bins and prevent water and soil contact from degrading the bins. 

In both cases the customers we’re really pleased and we are rather proud of the end results. One customer commented that they were even “better than expected”. 


Vegetable Patches

Advantages to raised beds: 

Less weeds
Better water retention in areas that have super-sandy soil
Better drainage in areas with clay soils
More growing space and easier access
No soil compaction from human feet
Warmer soil earlier in the season and for a longer season
Soil that has basically a neutral pH unless you add something to change it (because you’re filling it)
Less soil erosion (especially, if the bed is framed)


The first example shows three large raised borders, and is a small part of a much larger garden. Having 3 beds allows us to rotate the crops to the benefit of the soil. We installed the beds originally about 17 years ago and have maintained them ever since. The original dark sleepers were treated, softwood sleepers which lasted well but needed replacing in 2019. The new beds were constructed from hardwood beech sleepers which should last even longer. We also treated them on the inside with Black Jack DPM waterproofing paint to further prolong the life. With large sleeper beds it’s easy to sit on the edge of the bed when planting and weeding and it also provides an attractive rustic aesthetic.

As part of a larger whole garden overhaul we built a flat, ground level veg patch with a picket fence to keep the dog out! You can see before, during and after photos for this one. In combination with the existing greenhouse this veg patch allows easy transplantation of seedlings and an extensive growing season in spite of being mostly north facing. The trellis screen also provides modern feel and a completely separate area from the driveway without blocking the light. 

The low level raised beds in front of the brick wall were originally used for vegetables but more recently have been planted with roses - showing the flexibility and increased access you get with raised beds. Building directly on to solid chalk soil, raised beds were a great option here to make it easy to introduce more organic matter to allow plant growth which would otherwise have been tricky. Wood-chip paths provide access. The beds are made from 2x9 timber, chunky for durability but by not using sleepers we increased the potential planting area. 

The final example shows another simple 2x9 plank bed which replaced a much smaller lighter construction. Lined with polyethylene to both protect the boars and retain moisture these beds should last well. Part of a much larger vegetable garden and with ground level beds in front they allow light, visibility and access at the back of a larger planting area. 

Vegetable Patches & Raised Beds

Vegetable Garden Maintenance Project

We’ve been looking after this garden as a whole since 2018 and the kitchen garden is a project in itself! Incorporating a large greenhouse, which allows a longer growing season, in combination with the sizeable potager, when managed properly can be extremely productive. 

The whole estate is run as business and as such the kitchen garden is used by the chefs for guest and event catering. We also supply the house with flowers which is a substantial demand, to fill all the rooms. Constantly evolving in its challenges, the objective here is to be highly productive as efficiently as possible. We achieve this through a combination of traditional and modern plant management and extremely careful planning.  

The pictures show various areas of the potager as they progress through the seasons. For detailed tips and advice on what to do, and when, in the vegetable garden please follow us on social media. 


Kitchen Garden Maintenance

Landscaping Project

English Country Garden

We’ve been looking after this garden for over 10 years and have seen it change a lot in that time. Over the years we’ve added, improved and renovated. Planting hedges and trees, updating borders, lifting and dividing every single plant several times over. The planting scheme around the swimming pool is English cottage garden style with a country garden feel. 

At the front of the property we installed hazel hurdle fencing with yew hedging interspersed with carb apples (Malus John Downie) to form a substantial screen between the front of the property and the driveway.  This replaced an aged conifer hedge that was 15 feet wide and 15 feet tall which we had to remove before planting. 

The box balls surrounding the tennis court suffered terribly with box blight so we removed them and replaced with Pittosporum “Golf Ball” which is less prone to disease. The structured planting scheme offers all year round interest with the lovely scent of Lavender in the summer months. 


Fire Pit with Seating

This client called us because they had a large tree which came down in a storm leaving a big mess and a massive hole. We used a large digger to clear the roots and debris and then built a fire pit into the remaining recess. The raised wooden seating area is now backed by a wild flower meadow with supporting birch trees planted behind. The arrangement adds an extremely pleasing feature to a broad visitor prominent from the house.


Contemporary Hard Landscape Project

Our brief here was to replace the old tired garden with a contemporary low maintenance garden including 100 square meters of patio, a picket fenced vegetable patch, large lawn and modern trellis fencing to demarcate the separate areas. 

We completely redesigned from scratch including both hard and soft landscaping - vegetable patch and large Indian Sandstone patio. The weather was very hot and dry, the solid chalk earth was parched dry and low on nutrients. We had to add lots of organic matter and sequestered iron to support the low maintenance planting scheme which hugged the house creating a soft link between house and garden. 


Contemporary Landscaping Project

Arboriculture

While we’re not arboriculture specialists per se we do provide some fairly specialist tree care services. For example: 

Tree maintenance: The circled trees show a technique we’ve had great success with, as it allowed us to reinvigorate some very old/ tired trees. It involved cutting a trench 10 to 12 inches down in a circle around the tree and lining it with really good compost and in this case Poultry manure. This allows the nutrients to be reached quickly and easily by the fibrous roots of the main root ball. It’s also a great way to increase oxygen flow to the roots. It really breathed fresh life into ageing trees which had lost their lustre. 

Pruning is a huge part of the work that we do and it’s actually more complex than it at first appears. The snowy photos show apple tree pruning which if done right; keeps them healthy and fruiting well; maintaining their size so they stay manageable and the fruit remains accessible without the need for cherrypickers / unnecessary time and effort. Overgrown trees can split and are more prone to storm damage. Correct pruning can protect the longevity and health of the tree as well as the obvious aesthetic benefits. 

Additionally you can see more apple trees pictured in rows of espalier. Espalier is the horticultural practice of controlling plant growth for the production of fruit, by pruning and tying branches to a frame. We often use espalier in smaller spaces to provide fruit in a more space efficient way. But they look just as attractive and work equally well in larger gardens too. 

Another example of tree care can be seen in the tree renovation project, above the yew hedge. These trees were massively overgrown and had been allowed to completely outgrow their space. Becoming increasingly difficult to hedge cut, something needed to be done. 
Pleaching was common in gardens from late medieval times to the early eighteenth century, to create shaded paths, or to create a living fence out of trees or shrubs. Used here it allowed us to add interest, structure and create shade for the walkways. The original pleaching was a year ago so the after photos show a year's worth of growth. Once they’ve regrown to fill in and form a tighter screen, we will re-pleach in 3 to 5 years time. The choice of tree when pleaching is critical - here these are Lime (tillia) trees which are one of the best suited to the technique. Hornbeam is another excellent choice for pleaching. 

Tree planting is done for various reasons: aesthetic, environmental benefits, shade, nitrogen locking benefits for soil, improving drainage and managing soil moisture, the list goes on… We always suggest native varieties as they support our local ecosystems in the best most natural way possible. Pictured you can see an empty paddock which we planted to screen from the neighbouring industrial unit and to add a little interest at the same time as extending an existing orchard. All native varieties; Field maple, acer campestre, amelanchier lamarckii, cherries (prunus avium) apples and plums and wild service tree - Sorbus torminalis and aucuparia.

It’s really important to cultivate the ground and stake properly considering the prevailing wind direction. The addition of rabbit and deer guards are also essential in some areas. It’s also best practice to keep a good space around them which can really speed growth and facilitate the establishing roots.  



Garden Screening Ideas

There are lots of different options to choose from when planning garden screening. Here are a few of our favourites. 

Pleached Screening is an extremely attractive option with seasonal interest. You can grow it to extend, it lets in and filters light, dissipates and screens wind, if treated properly they can last far longer than fencing - several lifetimes!! We love it and think it’s definitely worth the investment. Pre-pleached plants can be expensive so if you have the time then pleaching your own is much more cost effective and can be very rewarding. 

The pleached Hornbeams (Carpinus betulus), against the white wall around the swimming pool in the photos, were pre-pleached, bought in as large root balls - quite costly but fast and effective. 

We pleached the crab-apples (Malus 'John Downie') ourselves. You can see them pictured above the Hornbeam hedge with beautiful views in the background. They were an excellent windbreak around a tennis court. It took about 5 years to train them and they are now really easy to maintain and we simply hedge-cut to maintain the shape of the screen.

With Hazel hurdles the visual effect is stunning and traditional and it’s also extremely practical. Because it allows wind to pass through it is’t really strong. Provided you treat it regularly it will last much longer than fencing. Organic, sustainable and traditionally british craft it’s a beautiful thing to include in any traditional garden project. It’s flexible in that you make it into any shape / size. 

The example along the top of the wall running towards the garden office is continually woven meaning it’s even stronger and more durable.

The shorter hazle example is screening for an oil tank and gas cylinders. The oil and gas suppliers need to gain access so the panel at the left hand end is an access gate. As this is on the main driveway it’s much nicer to look at than the previous bare tanks.  

You can also see a nice example of both hedging and hazel hurdles used together. With a yew hedge below and Malus 'John Downie' crab apples planted within. We removed a dying conifer hedge and replaced with oak posts, hazel hurdles treated with creosote and then planted small yew trees interspersed with the crab apples to create more height and interest. Once grown in the trees will provide full height screen to whatever size and which will be relatively low maintenance - pruning once a year. 

Fencing  

The narrow slatted fencing we built in situ. Made from cedar it has natural resins which protect against weather and rot making it durable and low maintenance. We built two taller panels which were mounted as screening and to provide a modern focal point with seating and planting to be added in front. We built the shorter panels which were mounted on top of the wall to provide screening from the college behind but also included a gate on the right hand side to allow access.

Another more cost effective example in soft wood can be seen with the hedge on the left and the house on the right. These were to be painted in a dark colour to provide an attractive modern screen to this small decked courtyard area.

A more standard option is Closedboard or feather edge fencing with concrete posts and boards. Strong, flexible and quick to instal the use of concrete posts or wooden posts with concrete spurs means they can practically last forever.   


Modern Garden Design - Circular Decked Seating Area With CorTen Steel Screening

Colourful English Cottage Garden

The original brief was just to put in a hedge but through conversation with the client the plans grew to encompass the whole back garden. We put together a design and mood board which the client loved and we went from there… 

The design brief was for an English country kitchen garden with orchard, wild flowers and cottage planting. Plans also incorporated a Victorian greenhouse from White Cottage which is to be installed soon. 

The biggest challenge in creating this garden was the sheer amount of material we had to plan, order, coordinate and import before we could start work. It was also logistically challenging as we used a wide range of trades to complete this complex plan, including;. Plumbers, electricians, bricklayers, welder, landscapers, horticulturalists and a hurdle maker. The hurdles were ordered 6 months in advance and made bespoke for this garden along with the arch over the gate. 

The firepit was a later addition to the plans and the effect is much more integrated than a shop bought fire pit. Mild steel edging and red brick sets bring the pit into keeping with the traditional wall and other features. Brick base for the greenhouse also brings harmony between the different elements of the garden. 

The most stunning element is the garden wall, with a beautiful tile crease and soldier course on top and white cement mortar for a traditional lime mortar effect. We also added armoured cables through the cavity to allow us to install up and down lights so the garden is just as beautiful and useful after dark. 

For the planting scheme, the client asked for loads of colour in a cottage style, roses, peonies, anthemis, hornbeam and verbena bonariensis and many others.  

The client absolutely loves the garden and we’re delighted that they have retained our garden maintenance services so we get to see it grow, mature and bloom. 



Old Meets New: A Modern Outdoor Kitchen

Our brief here was: A cottage / natural style design blending house and garden to completely modernise and update the outside space. 

Originally the client wanted a natural swimming pool. So the design was inspired by the wild and flowing energy that this would have brought. In the end they decided against the pool but we retained the wild, natural and flowing feeling within the design. A large outdoor dining and cooking area was also important. 

The main challenges were poor access which required us to level the front garden before we could begin. Starting work on the project in November 2020 meant that we worked through 3 months of heavy rain. We had to abandon the site for a month! We also had to remove over 100 tonnes of soil, clay and flint from the site so there were a few challenges! 

In spite of the challenges everything came together in the end beautifully! We maintained a close eye on detail without exception with grey sawn York stone paving, clay paver landings to break up the huge terrace and add interest, roof trained mulberry trees brough shade the outdoor kitchen space, the layout of the garden and lawn with a stunning planting scheme we perfectly hit the design brief and the client was absolutely over the moon!  



Contemporary Garden with Pool

The brief for this project was a modern contemporary design to blend the house and garden and make all zones around the house one cohesive flowing space. 

The swimming pool was the main focal point so we started with the pool design and chose a great pool company to partner with on the project. We used a rounded shape for the pool and mirrored it throughout the design. 

Originally there were three small distinct areas at differing heights so we levelled the garden to open up the space. The construction of the garden pod / writing room behind the pool and the outdoor shower changed the use of the space so it became a functional extension of the house. 

Our biggest challenge was the VERY narrow access to the back garden which was also extremely steep! We had to install shuttering to protect the windows on the ground floor and a 10 metre ramp to enable us to import and export materials from the site. A huge amount of soil was removed and then a large amount of topsoil and construction material brought in. We also had to remove an enormous conifer hedge at the end of the garden and replace with something pleasing for both the client and their neighbour. 

We compromised on the planting scheme, blending contemporary  and cottage style. The ultimate effect was to soften the very modern hard landscaping and bring tranquillity to the space. 

The client loved the design from the beginning and it translated perfectly, fulfilling the brief. 


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Hampshire Garden Design & Maintenance Consultancy Est. 2000

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