Simple Family Garden

Papworth Everard, Cambridgeshire.

Here the clients wanted to create a level lawn area, a patio and a minimal amount of planting for ease of maintenance so as to be suitable for family use. They had some quotes for retaining walls and turfing which were way beyond their budget.

I listened to their requirements and laid out some options which would achieve their objectives without breaking the bank.

In place of brick retaining wall we used sleepers which gave a substantial saving. The slabs that were installed by the house builders have been re-used as the path along the side of the house. The patio and path along the back of the house were done with Marshall Saxon Paving. This product offers excellent value for money, installation costs are cut as there is no need for joint filling and they have a very hard wearing surface which will continue to look good after years of use and will withstand regular cleaning. The later being very important for this site where it will be in shade throughout the winter months and will need cleaning every Spring to remove algae build up.

The design of the garden is quite simple, the garage wall has been left free of planting to allow for use as a "Goal" for football and a planting bed has been created to break up the corner where the house and garage converge. The remaining planting is mainly shrubs that can easily be pruned and trained to cover the walls and fences.

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