A traditional and contemporary garden design near Grantham, Lincolnshire
For this project, Tythorne Garden Design were asked to design a garden for a lovely couple with a large barn conversion in a tiny village near to Grantham, Lincolnshire. Characteristically traditional on the outside, the former farm building had a superbly contemporary interior. With a keen eye for design, and a confident sense of style, our customers had perfected the art of successfully blending traditional and contemporary.
Creating a garden to complement interior style
Wanting to continue this combination of traditional and contemporary outside their property, our customers chose to initially focus on a tired and largely neglected corner of their grounds. Having previously been landscaped several years before, the area had fallen into disrepair and it was definitely time for a fresh start. With the exception of the large driveway (which was to be retained) Tythorne Garden Design were given a ‘free hand’ to design a new concept.
A garden design with circles
The new garden design features lots of circles and centres around a new, and rather futuristic-looking, summerhouse from Ornate Garden. A perfect destination for evening drinks with a few friends, this spherical structure sits on its very own island in the centre of a circular formal pond. Access is provided by a line of large stepping stones which 'float' above a wide water rill.
The pond is surrounded by a large circle of paving, and this has been edged by a new yew hedge. This creates another circle and provides evergreen structure and texture. In time, the hedge will also help to offer a little additional protection from the winds coming across the neighbouring fields.
A large sweeping path cuts through the hedge-lined hideaway, connecting it to other areas of the garden. These include a very generously-proportioned seating and dining space (complete with a transparent roof to ensure that good times can be enjoyed whatever the weather), two cosy ‘hidden’ occasional seating areas, a large swathe of beautiful Spanish Oat grass (Stipa gigantea), and fantastic drifts of attractive mixed planting.
To continue the circular theme, a pair of raised beds constructed from vertical oak boards provide add a little extra height and texture. One contains a great selection of culinary herbs, whilst the other features an eye-catching multi-stem silver birch (Betula jacquemontii) surrounded by a ring of deliciously fragrant lavender.
Complementary hard-landscaping materials
As with any well-designed garden, it was essential that the hard-landscaping materials selected for this project had to complement the property and its location. Small sandstone setts were chosen for the summerhouse space and the smaller circular seating areas, and these are an almost perfect colour match for the property’s mellow stone walls. As a contrast, slightly larger smooth blue/grey natural stone pavers were picked for the sweeping path and as the edging for the gravel drive. We particularly love these pavers, their colouring offers a definite 'nod’ to the seemingly never-ending Lincolnshire skies. Elsewhere, durable low-maintenance porcelain paving provides a practical and attractive surface for the covered seating and entertaining area.
Blending contemporary elements with a traditional setting
A fantastic opportunity to create something a little different, this was a wonderful project for Tythorne Garden Design. This is a delightful garden, combining attractive hard-landscaping, water for sound and visual interest, and glorious drifts of planting for year-round colour and texture.
Blending contemporary elements with a traditional setting, this is a magical garden in the heart of rural Lincolnshire:
"Outdoor spaces are essential places to escape, entertain and relax. We asked Ian to help us with ours...then dreams became reality."