It's not often that you see an immaculate showpiece garden that accommodates the needs of three lively children without compromising the design. Yet with this family garden, designer Lynne Marcus has succeeded in creating a beautiful space, boasting impeccable structural bones and gorgeous planting that also doubles up as a football pitch and playground.
The clients came to Lynne with a request for child-friendly garden that would offer security around the swimming pool and lots of interest. They wanted to reflect the decor in the house with a look that was contemporary, but jot minimalist, using bold colours. A lawn was also essential. "Families always say they want lots of grass" says "Lynne. "At first the children thought they were losing lawn space, but I've made plenty of room for games".
A fresh start?Lynne had a relatively blank canvas for the main garden, which was mostly grass and a few tired shrubs. But there were some key challenges to overcome: remodelling the existing swimming pool and integrating a new pool house, a small stream running along the boundary, a high water table and the house itself. It's a fairly stark modern design, with most of the living space on the first floor, so it was essential to take into account the fact that views of the garden would be mostly from above: "The view had to be geometrically interesting," she explains. For Lynne it was crucial to balance the proportions and create a comfortable transition from home to garden. Making the swimming pool safe was the other major consideration. Fencing was not an option, so she designed a cubic arrangement of raised beds with glass gates that link back to glass-fronted balcony. The result is that at ground level the pool is discreetly screened by Mediterranean layers, including a trio of mature olives trees underplanted with scented herds and summer-flowering alliums, Verbena bonariensis and Agapanthus. Silver-leaved Astelia chathamica complements the olives and provide a robust contrast to clumps of switch grass, Panicum vergatum. Viewed from the house, it's like looking down on a sumptuously woven carpet.
Beyond the pool there is plenty to explore. A network of paths leads you around the garden: a screened play area, bamboo hideaway, glass gazebo, vegetable bed and maze fit comfortably in the design - leaving space for planting and the all-important football lawn. "For kids, it's not just about having a play area, but about an interesting route to get there. Paths are important. If you have room, there's nothing better than being able to cycle about or run on pathways and go round different corners."
Secluded spaces to sit ?There is plenty of interest for the adults, too, with lots of different seating areas. The pair of yew 'sofas' - Minister stone benches with yew 'upholstery' - defines a quirky, secluded spot (pictured on the left of the main picture, opposite). "I wanted to enclose this sitting area, so it would feel more intimate - you can sit here with a glass of wine and feel like you're part of the garden."
As you move away from the house, three clipped yew balls appear under to float above a sea of grasses and entice you towards a more informal space around the simple gazebo. Sited by the perfectly mossy banks of the stream, the cool shade is enhanced by an intimate collection of highly ornamental trees - Katsura trees (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) C onus kousa and cut-leaved Japanese maple (Acer palmatuym var.dissectum) - and a lush understory of ferns and zantdeschias. "Sitting there in the summer, you feel like you are nestled in among the planting."
The success of Lynne's design lies in the strong geometry, repetition of shapes and materials, and layers of the garden. The verticals and horizontals and differing heights of clipped evergreens, raised beds, trees and pleached hornbeams are carefully positioned to both lead and deceive the eye. And, in contrast, Lynne's soft palette of favourite grasses - Miscanthus sinensis, Stipa gigantean, Panicum virgatum and Descahmpsia cespitosa - brings texture and warmth and provide a foil to the seasonal colours. "I love using box and yew hedging with trees and some smaller shrubs, but they are just a part of the whole. By adding grasses, perennials and ferns, you have a tapestry that goes on through spring, summer and autumn."
The client couldn't be happier with result, while Lynne is delighted to see the garden working as a beautiful but playful space: a formal garden with a relaxed heart.
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