Central Marlow Garden

A small traditional garden created for clients who had moved in to a recently refurbished apartment in a historic building in central Marlow.

The brief was to create a garden which complemented the style of the building, but with an eclectic mix of materials and an informal feel to the hard landscaping and planting.

This was achieved by mixing natural stone paving, setts and red brick along with granite cobbles and pebbles of varying sizes in an irregular pattern.

A new boundary was established, replacing utilitarian metal railings with a new evergreen instant hedge of Portuguese laurel and more decorative timber picket fencing. Additional height and screening were added to the garden with some specimen trees and shrubs to blur the boundary and give a sense of enclosure (the garden borders a public park).

The planting which followed gives a loose and relaxed feel, with a good proportion of evergreen plants and those which offer interest through the seasons – very important in a garden which will be viewed all year round.

Planting included a selection of mediterranean type plants for the sunny areas along with grasses for additional movement and structure.  Shadier areas were populated with ferns and shade loving perennials.  Plants were added to the pebbled areas to give the impression of self-seeded plants and further informality.

A bird bath water feature was added as a focal point along with lighting to highlight the key plants and areas and extend the use of the garden into the evenings.