A Small Backyard Haven With Secluded Seating
The journey through this English garden reveals a new view at every turn, from tall trees to grasses and a pretty pond
Sarah Alcroft
August 17, 2019
Houzz UK Editorial Team
How do you turn a thin patch of scrappy lawn into an inviting yard with multiple vistas? That was the task facing landscape designer Paul Richards, who created this magical haven in Lancashire, England.
“The garden had been a very boring grass rectangle with a narrow border up each side,” he says. “The owners wanted a series of places to sit, lots of interest and something to garden. So my challenge was to create a number of different areas in what is quite a small plot, and for all of them to feel like little enclosed spaces.”
“The garden had been a very boring grass rectangle with a narrow border up each side,” he says. “The owners wanted a series of places to sit, lots of interest and something to garden. So my challenge was to create a number of different areas in what is quite a small plot, and for all of them to feel like little enclosed spaces.”
Backyard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in their 40s
Location: Halsall, Lancashire, England
Yard size: About 600 square feet (58 square meters); 13 by 46 square feet
Designer: Paul Richards Garden Design
Key to Richards’ clever design is the winding pathway, which takes people on a journey through different areas, each with its own view. “Because it’s a fairly long, thin garden, we wanted to make it feel like a series of spaces,” Richards says.
There are four separate seating areas. “There’s a patio immediately outside the French windows, then a path leads to a second patio with a bench, then another path takes you to the deck by the pond, then finally there’s a seating area on the other side of the pond at the end of the garden,” Richards says.
Look for a local landscape designer on Houzz
Who lives here: A couple in their 40s
Location: Halsall, Lancashire, England
Yard size: About 600 square feet (58 square meters); 13 by 46 square feet
Designer: Paul Richards Garden Design
Key to Richards’ clever design is the winding pathway, which takes people on a journey through different areas, each with its own view. “Because it’s a fairly long, thin garden, we wanted to make it feel like a series of spaces,” Richards says.
There are four separate seating areas. “There’s a patio immediately outside the French windows, then a path leads to a second patio with a bench, then another path takes you to the deck by the pond, then finally there’s a seating area on the other side of the pond at the end of the garden,” Richards says.
Look for a local landscape designer on Houzz
Richards brought in four good-sized trees to pepper through the space. “We wanted to give the garden some height from the word go,” he says.
The tree on the left between the bench and pond is a Prunus serrula (Tibetan cherry), which will grow to about 16 to 23 feet tall and create some shade. The other three are an Acer davidii (multistemmed), an Amelanchier lamarckii and a Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ (mountain ash).
Find outdoor furniture in the Houzz Shop
The tree on the left between the bench and pond is a Prunus serrula (Tibetan cherry), which will grow to about 16 to 23 feet tall and create some shade. The other three are an Acer davidii (multistemmed), an Amelanchier lamarckii and a Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ (mountain ash).
Find outdoor furniture in the Houzz Shop
“There’s quite a lot of height in the other planting as well,” Richards says. “That was deliberate to provide layers of screening, so that, as you look down the garden, you don’t see the whole thing. You have to walk through it to find out what’s there, creating lots of interest. That’s also helped by the way the path goes from one side to the other.”
The couple were eager to do some gardening as well as having seating areas to enjoy, so Richards planted a wide range of perennials, shrubs and grasses, including white Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’, silvery Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (behind the tall grass) and thyme, all seen here.
The couple were eager to do some gardening as well as having seating areas to enjoy, so Richards planted a wide range of perennials, shrubs and grasses, including white Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’, silvery Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (behind the tall grass) and thyme, all seen here.
To create the small patio outside the French windows, Richards relaid some Yorkstone pavers that were already in the garden, but he needed to bring in new pavers for the patio with the bench (seen here), for which he chose riven Indian sandstone.
To avoid the two stones jarring, he used different materials for the path that connects them. “The paths are brick-edged with gravel infill,” he says. “That meant we didn’t end up with two different stones abutting each other.
“With the angles of the paths and the fact the planting is quite high, you don’t really see the other patio till you get to it, so visually they don’t jar,” he adds.
To the right of the bench, a Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ brings in color — the young leaves are red, then turn green as they mature.
To avoid the two stones jarring, he used different materials for the path that connects them. “The paths are brick-edged with gravel infill,” he says. “That meant we didn’t end up with two different stones abutting each other.
“With the angles of the paths and the fact the planting is quite high, you don’t really see the other patio till you get to it, so visually they don’t jar,” he adds.
To the right of the bench, a Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ brings in color — the young leaves are red, then turn green as they mature.
The owners wanted to have a pond to attract birds, insects and frogs. Richard designed it with wildlife in mind. “Although it’s fairly straight-edged, there’s a pebble beach to help creatures get in and out.”
The pond planting includes a small variety of waterlily, Pontederia cordata (pickerel weed), and Iris pseudacorus.
There are quite a few plants in the garden that will also bring in insects, including some Eupatorium maculatum (Atropurpureum Group), the tall, feathery purple plants seen here, and Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’, which attracts pollinators. “If you bring in insects, then you also bring in birds, which the owners are quite keen on,” Richards says. “There are several feeders throughout the garden as well.”
At the back of the deck against the fence are some Hebe pinguifolia ‘Sutherlandii’. “There are eight or nine plants, and they’ll grow into a cloud,” Richards says.
The silver ball is the owners’ decoration, bringing in a flash of light and interesting reflections amid the plantings.
The pond planting includes a small variety of waterlily, Pontederia cordata (pickerel weed), and Iris pseudacorus.
There are quite a few plants in the garden that will also bring in insects, including some Eupatorium maculatum (Atropurpureum Group), the tall, feathery purple plants seen here, and Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’, which attracts pollinators. “If you bring in insects, then you also bring in birds, which the owners are quite keen on,” Richards says. “There are several feeders throughout the garden as well.”
At the back of the deck against the fence are some Hebe pinguifolia ‘Sutherlandii’. “There are eight or nine plants, and they’ll grow into a cloud,” Richards says.
The silver ball is the owners’ decoration, bringing in a flash of light and interesting reflections amid the plantings.
The deck is the perfect spot to position a couple of lounge chairs on a sunny day. The platform and coping around the pond are made of western red cedar.
Richards planted some perennials around the pond, including Agapanthus ‘Bressingham White’, seen here.
He also planted lots of climbers along the boundary, which will in time cover the trellis fence panels in flowers and greenery. The varieties include Clematis montana ‘Marjorie’; the vigorous Clematis armandii; Jasminum officinale ‘Inverleith’; Clematis ‘Willy’; and Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’ (late Dutch honeysuckle).
Richards planted some perennials around the pond, including Agapanthus ‘Bressingham White’, seen here.
He also planted lots of climbers along the boundary, which will in time cover the trellis fence panels in flowers and greenery. The varieties include Clematis montana ‘Marjorie’; the vigorous Clematis armandii; Jasminum officinale ‘Inverleith’; Clematis ‘Willy’; and Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’ (late Dutch honeysuckle).
At the back of the garden is a small studio, and Richards included a deck just outside it from where the owners can enjoy the pond from another angle, as well as the long view back down the garden.
Grasses add movement to the planting, including tall Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, seen here; Stipa gigantea; Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’; and Carex morrowii ‘Fisher’s Form’.
Grasses add movement to the planting, including tall Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, seen here; Stipa gigantea; Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’; and Carex morrowii ‘Fisher’s Form’.
Also a magnet for pollinators is the dark purple Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’, seen here on the left. “Buddlejas are sometimes seen as unfashionable, but I use them quite a lot, because you get color through the summer — and at height — and they’re so good for butterflies and bees,” Richards says.
There are also plenty of bulbs in the garden for spring color, including a range of alliums, Tulipa ‘Spring Green’ and ‘Ballerina’, and Narcissus ‘Thalia’.
The owners love their new garden. “They say it’s changed the way they live in their house,” Paul says, “because it draws them outside.”
More on Houzz
Browse inspiring gardens
Find a landscape contractor
Shop for outdoor products
The owners love their new garden. “They say it’s changed the way they live in their house,” Paul says, “because it draws them outside.”
More on Houzz
Browse inspiring gardens
Find a landscape contractor
Shop for outdoor products
What are you working on?
Related Products
Related Stories
Landscape Design
9 Peaceful Garden Scenes to Bring a Moment of Serenity
Lose yourself in these beautiful gardens and see if any inspire design ideas for your outdoor space
Full Story
Landscape Design
Tour 6 Gorgeous Gardens Showcased at Palm Springs Modernism Week
Designers celebrate desert plants, sculptural stone and indoor-outdoor living at the recent midcentury design festival
Full Story
Events
8 Small-Yard Design Ideas From the 2021 Chelsea Flower Show
Try some of these design ideas to create a leafy sanctuary in even the smallest of outdoor spaces
Full Story
Landscape Design
Yard of the Week: Lake House Landscape Composed Like a Symphony
By Becky Harris
A beautiful design solves drainage and erosion problems on a North Carolina lakefront property
Full Story
Landscape Design
Yard of the Week: Lakefront Retreat for Relaxing and Entertaining
A family’s renovated weekend property features expansive meadow gardens, a rustic fire pit area and a labyrinth
Full Story
Landscape Design
A Contemporary Landscape With Lush, Layered Plantings
By Becky Harris
Biodiversity, seasonal interest, an enticing path and outdoor living areas are a few highlights of this Toronto yard
Full Story
Landscape Design
Yard of the Week: Whimsical Walled Garden for Play and Discovery
A landscape designer found on Houzz turns a backyard ruin into a secret garden for a family with a young daughter
Full Story
Landscape Design
Tour a Designer’s Gardens in the North Carolina Mountains
By Becky Harris
The nature-inspired landscape surrounds a new dogtrot home with a meadow, a steep hillside, bogs and a natural stream
Full Story
Landscape Design
Yard of the Week: Lush Aquatic Garden Welcomes Wildlife
The peaceful London landscape, with two ponds and a trickling waterfall, is a sanctuary for garden visitors of all types
Full Story
Landscape Design
A Magical Australian Garden With Room to Explore
Step into a landscape architect-designed yard with distinct elements that complement a traditional-meets-modern home
Full Story
Lovely garden - and it doesn't feel too 'designed'. Just right and fits a lot into a small space.
It’s amazing what a talented designer can do with such a small space. Bravo, for a job well done.
I still find it incredibly beautiful, but with one caveat: instead of the bench, perhaps a more comfortable day bed, so you can nap, read, or enjoy, the new, and relaxing environment?