Landscape Design
Urban Gardens
London Oasis Has Space for Relaxing and Entertaining
A designer creates a lush backyard with seating and cooking areas near a soothing water feature
Landscape designer Tom Howard had to tackle a couple of challenges in transforming an overgrown London backyard into an easy-to-maintain space where the owner could relax and entertain: He had to incorporate two beautiful mature trees and muffle noise from the nearby train.
Before: “The garden was overgrown, and it has a noisy railway line right behind the back fence,” Howard says. “There were also a couple of established trees — a magnolia and a pear — that we needed to work the design around.”
The owner asked Howard for a barbecue area where he could entertain friends and family. The limestone paving Howard chose for the patio is similar in color to the interior flooring. “It’s a lovely natural stone that goes well with the yellow stock brick on the [home addition],” he says.
Limestone paving: London Stone
Shop for limestone paving on Houzz
Limestone paving: London Stone
Shop for limestone paving on Houzz
The barbecue area has space for a Big Green Egg steam oven. “We built the kitchen ourselves and used a concrete enclosure for the Egg, as it gets really hot,” Howard says. “There’s also a fire-retardant board beneath the barbecue.”
The unit has cabinets for a gas tank and cooking equipment. The counters are matte gray granite that’s just over an inch thick.
“It doesn’t show up the dirt and works well with the limestone floor and the slate elsewhere in the garden,” Howard says. “The cabinets are made from the same hardwood as the [horizontal] fences, but we’ve run the slats the other way.”
See inspiring photos of outdoor kitchens
The unit has cabinets for a gas tank and cooking equipment. The counters are matte gray granite that’s just over an inch thick.
“It doesn’t show up the dirt and works well with the limestone floor and the slate elsewhere in the garden,” Howard says. “The cabinets are made from the same hardwood as the [horizontal] fences, but we’ve run the slats the other way.”
See inspiring photos of outdoor kitchens
Next to the barbecue area is a living wall, which can be enjoyed from the window seat in the addition.
“We used concrete blocks and lintels to create the back, and clad it with split-faced slate,” Howard says. “We planted a mix of evergreens in the vertical pods, which are watered with a drip-line irrigation system.”
A computerized timer system, hidden behind a gate, controls the yard’s irrigation.
Slate: London Stone
Find out how to add a living wall
“We used concrete blocks and lintels to create the back, and clad it with split-faced slate,” Howard says. “We planted a mix of evergreens in the vertical pods, which are watered with a drip-line irrigation system.”
A computerized timer system, hidden behind a gate, controls the yard’s irrigation.
Slate: London Stone
Find out how to add a living wall
Howard built a high fence at the rear of the lot. “We stained it darker to lose it slightly and planted a yew hedge in front,” he says. “This will grow to around [13 feet] high, which will help to reduce the noise of the trains and provide a green backdrop.”
In front of the hedge, Howard planted a mix of ferns and euphorbias to brighten up the dark area.
A shed hides behind the fence on the right. It’s accessed via a limestone path.
In front of the hedge, Howard planted a mix of ferns and euphorbias to brighten up the dark area.
A shed hides behind the fence on the right. It’s accessed via a limestone path.
“We didn’t want the path to only lead to the fence, so we built a decking area halfway along where the owner can sit on beanbags beneath the tree,” Howard says. “It’s nice to be able to walk around a garden and spot different things.”
The pavers protrude into the flower beds. The design is both aesthetically pleasing and practical, as you can stand on them to reach the back of the border.
Lights on some of the pavers wash the path with a subtle beam.
Lights on some of the pavers wash the path with a subtle beam.
Howard created a gently splashing water feature next to a seating area made of concrete blocks and hardwood.
The soothing water feature spans the width of the yard. The alcove behind the lower spout conceals the pump, and the pipework goes to the top spout, which is set into a slate surface.
The pool is made of concrete covered in a couple of coats of pond sealant paint. Limestone gravel at the bottom lightens it up, and nontoxic chemicals keep the water clear.
The pool is made of concrete covered in a couple of coats of pond sealant paint. Limestone gravel at the bottom lightens it up, and nontoxic chemicals keep the water clear.
A limestone steppingstone appears to float above the concrete. An LED strip around the stone creates an ambient glow in the evening.
Next to the water feature is a raised bed, which provides height and interest. “It works well with the water feature as a backdrop from the house,” Howard says.
The bed is planted with a Japanese maple surrounded by boxwood balls and grasses.
The bed is planted with a Japanese maple surrounded by boxwood balls and grasses.
Howard’s team made a feature of the beautiful pear tree by building a bench around the trunk. It’s underplanted with ferns. Another LED strip illuminates the tree at night.
The planting plan shows a mix of blues and purples, with some fragrant confederate jasmine that will climb up the fence on the right.
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More on Houzz
Read about other urban gardens
Find a landscape contractor
Shop for gardening products
Who uses it: A single man
Location: Southfields area of London
Size: 56 by 33 feet (17 by 10 meters)
Designer: Tom Howard
The landscaping project was done in conjunction with the renovation of an Edwardian house. The homeowner, a bachelor, had seen Howard’s work on Houzz and showed it to interior designer Claire Burrage of Clara Bee.
“She asked me to come along to a meeting, and we took it from there,” Howard says. “It was a large project, and we came in during the last seven weeks.”
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