Urban Gardens
Landscape Design
Lush Foliage and Bold Furniture Transform a City Yard
Lacy ferns, dense bamboo and sculptural seating make this shaded London landscape feel secluded, spacious and stylish
A bare-looking yard was the very opposite of what interior designer Julia Thompson had in mind for her London home. “Her house has a big, strong personality, and she wanted it to be reflected outside,” says landscape designer Barbara Samitier, who took on the project.
Composed of a shaded lawn, dull borders and a dying tree, the space needed a radical revamp. But there was a (very lovely) complication: Coco the dog. The design Samitier came up with had to be pooch-proof as well as dramatic.
Composed of a shaded lawn, dull borders and a dying tree, the space needed a radical revamp. But there was a (very lovely) complication: Coco the dog. The design Samitier came up with had to be pooch-proof as well as dramatic.
As soon as Samitier saw these giant porcelain floor tiles, which are a little over 3 feet square, she knew they were perfect for the yard. “They look as if they belong in an old warehouse and they’ve aged,” she says. Like the floor lamp and sofa, they’re part of a deliberate strategy of using items often seen indoors.
Behind the sofa, Samitier planted black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra), which conceals the fencing. “It makes the garden look bigger, as you don’t know where it stops,” she says.
The tall grass is Calamagrostis x acutiflora. To the right of the side table, Samitier planted the architectural Yucca gloriosa.
Floor tile: Alhambra Tiles; find large-format outdoor tile
Behind the sofa, Samitier planted black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra), which conceals the fencing. “It makes the garden look bigger, as you don’t know where it stops,” she says.
The tall grass is Calamagrostis x acutiflora. To the right of the side table, Samitier planted the architectural Yucca gloriosa.
Floor tile: Alhambra Tiles; find large-format outdoor tile
The tiles’ tones include blue and brown, which blend beautifully with the foliage and the rusty frames of the mirrors Samitier scattered around the yard.
Antique mirror: Frost
Antique mirror: Frost
Plants like soft shield fern (Polystichum setiferum) keep the yard green and full of interest.
Steppingstones lead from the seating area through borders to the dining table. The path is made with York stone that was in the yard before and recut. Between the stones, Samitier used Soleirolia soleirolii, a ground cover also known as baby tears and mind-your-own-business. “It forms a green carpet in shade or semishade,” she says.
The dining area is in dappled shade created by the trees in neighboring yards, and it’s situated on a deck. “I try to use more natural materials as you move away from the house,” Samitier says. “Stone and timber create some softness and start blending a bit more into the planting.”
The pots are planted with white coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’). “Some of the pots contain plants that will be there all year round and some add color,” Samitier says. “They’re in summer colors because lots of the planting is evergreen.”
The dining area is in dappled shade created by the trees in neighboring yards, and it’s situated on a deck. “I try to use more natural materials as you move away from the house,” Samitier says. “Stone and timber create some softness and start blending a bit more into the planting.”
The pots are planted with white coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’). “Some of the pots contain plants that will be there all year round and some add color,” Samitier says. “They’re in summer colors because lots of the planting is evergreen.”
At the back of the yard, a cobbled path meanders through planting that’s designed to encroach on it and elicit a feeling of exploration. The cobbles, like the steppingstones, were reclaimed from the yard.
Samitier positioned two concrete chairs on reclaimed railroad ties. They add a different texture to the area but continue the natural material palette.
The placement of the armchairs puzzled the homeowners initially, but it was the result of Samitier’s study of the light in the yard. “I knew it was the spot where the sun comes through the tree canopy, and because you’re looking at the trees in the neighbors’ gardens, you forget you’re in London,” she says.
The dark foliage of the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’) forms a dramatic backdrop.
Concrete chairs: Solid Soul Design; browse outdoor chairs
Samitier positioned two concrete chairs on reclaimed railroad ties. They add a different texture to the area but continue the natural material palette.
The placement of the armchairs puzzled the homeowners initially, but it was the result of Samitier’s study of the light in the yard. “I knew it was the spot where the sun comes through the tree canopy, and because you’re looking at the trees in the neighbors’ gardens, you forget you’re in London,” she says.
The dark foliage of the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’) forms a dramatic backdrop.
Concrete chairs: Solid Soul Design; browse outdoor chairs
The wall behind the chairs is painted dark gray. “It makes a wonderful background to green, and the foliage really stands out,” Samitier says.
Ginger lily (Hedychium forrestii) grows by the wall. “It’s hardy, and it flowers for a long time,” she adds.
Wall paint: Railings, Farrow & Ball
Ginger lily (Hedychium forrestii) grows by the wall. “It’s hardy, and it flowers for a long time,” she adds.
Wall paint: Railings, Farrow & Ball
The cobbled path leads to a hangout area for the couple’s son in the back of the yard. The wall in front of it had been lower, but it was raised to hide the boundary at the end of the yard. Samitier finished the area with decking, adding a metal riser with a bullnose edge to the step.
Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’ grows at the front of the border. To the left of the path is Salvia ‘Amistad’, which flowers for six months.
Ajuga reptans ‘Catlin’s Giant’ grows at the front of the border. To the left of the path is Salvia ‘Amistad’, which flowers for six months.
Coco has stayed on the path since the design was finished.
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Read other stories about urban gardens
Find a landscape designer in your area
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Garden at a Glance
Who lives here: Paul and Julia Thompson, their son and their dog, Coco
Location: Southeast London
Size: 2,206 square feet (205 square meters)
Designer: Barbara Samitier Gardens
The Thompsons wanted the outside space to live up to the interior of their Georgian townhouse, to include seating and dining areas, and to be a real garden too, with seasonal interest, fragrance and movement.
Like many London yards, it’s visited frequently by foxes, which is why a Coco-proof design was necessary. “If a fox is hanging out, she makes a beeline for it,” Samitier says. “We had to think about how to divert her, so she wouldn’t trample the plants.” Samitier’s plan, therefore, had to include big pots and spiky plants to keep Coco on the path.
Samitier put plants next to the home so that they would appear to merge with the houseplants inside, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior.
Steppingstones lead through the first planting beds to a seating area. It’s furnished with a giant Anglepoise floor lamp and an L-shaped outdoor sofa that wouldn’t be out of place in a living room.
Sofa and side table: Gloster