BEACH THEMED GARDEN

HERTFORDSHIRE

This garden I made some time ago is a good example of how television programs like Ground Force etc. influenced the style trends in garden design. This particular one has a beach theme complete with fine white sand and a bamboo beech hut.

Built very much for entertaining rather than gardening there is a large deck constructed entirely with a hardwood called "Iroko", which has a beautiful grain structure and warm colour. A series of long steps lead down to the 'Beach' area which has a small fire pit and the beach hut which was later converted into a cocktail bar.

For the children there is a self contained play area with a rubber safety surface behind the garage.

As a designer it is part of my role to recognise the difference between long term trends and short term fads. In the case of themed gardens like this one it was always likely to be the later. In this design care has been taken to ensure that the hard landscaping, decking, paving, fencing, play area, are constructed to a high standard and have been designed in such a way that the garden can be changed around them. This means that the design can be updated without any great expense as the garden already has a quality framework.

Click on the images to the left to see larger versions