Escape to a Bright Backyard Retreat in Southern England
Smart design and contemporary plantings transform a tired, overgrown lot
Homeowners Liz and Andy Sergeant were eager to update their backyard in Hertfordshire, in southern England, to create a space designed for relaxed indoor-outdoor living. “We wanted to feel as though we could unwind immediately when we stepped into the garden,” Liz says,” like being on holiday.”
To make their vision a reality, the Sergeants brought in landscape designer Fiona Green. Green laid out a plan to transform the tired backyard into a fresh, Mediterranean-inspired retreat with vivid plantings, culinary herbs, a patio for alfresco dining and a secluded outdoor lounge.
To make their vision a reality, the Sergeants brought in landscape designer Fiona Green. Green laid out a plan to transform the tired backyard into a fresh, Mediterranean-inspired retreat with vivid plantings, culinary herbs, a patio for alfresco dining and a secluded outdoor lounge.
AFTER: Green divided the backyard to create two separate garden rooms — an outdoor dining area and a private lounge — connected by a smaller square of turf and a vibrant palette of plants. The garden shed was spruced up with a fresh coat of paint, and existing apple and silver birch trees were retained for structure and screening.
Thanks to floor-to-ceiling sliding glass windows installed before the backyard remodel, the view of the now-stunning backyard can be appreciated as soon as one enters the home. “Guests are bowled over when they first come into the house,” Liz says. “The first word is usually ‘Wow!’”
Shed paint: Wild Thyme, Cuprinol
Thanks to floor-to-ceiling sliding glass windows installed before the backyard remodel, the view of the now-stunning backyard can be appreciated as soon as one enters the home. “Guests are bowled over when they first come into the house,” Liz says. “The first word is usually ‘Wow!’”
Shed paint: Wild Thyme, Cuprinol
Green sunk the outdoor dining patio to match the floor level of the home’s dining room for a smooth transition from the home into the garden. New raised beds enclose the outdoor patio and double as seat backs for the built-in wraparound benches. The raised beds emphasize the grade change and make the patio feel like a natural continuation of the house. “When the rear glass doors are fully open, it really does feel like one seamless space,” Green says.
Built-in cedar benches and table: custom; patterned throw pillows: John Lewis
Built-in cedar benches and table: custom; patterned throw pillows: John Lewis
To ensure that rainwater would not drain into the house, an ACO trench drain was installed along the threshold between the house and patio, shown in the third photo, and a second narrow drainage channel was installed around the base of the raised beds, seen here. The patio slopes away from the home to direct rainwater toward the outer drainage channel.
A set of four 3.1-inch-thick (80 mm) stone steps bridges the transition from the sunken patio to the rest of the garden. “The low steps make the patio area seem more spacious, and the transition from this [level] to the upper part of the garden calming and more gradual,” Green says.
A set of four 3.1-inch-thick (80 mm) stone steps bridges the transition from the sunken patio to the rest of the garden. “The low steps make the patio area seem more spacious, and the transition from this [level] to the upper part of the garden calming and more gradual,” Green says.
The raised beds, made of concrete treated with a render, were finished with a coat of paint in very pale gray. “I find that white walls don’t work particularly well in the British climate,” Green says, “but pale shades of gray or buff do, and provide a lovely foil for the planting.”
The raised bed closest to the kitchen is planted with chives, peppers, oregano, thyme and rosemary for easy snipping.
Cut stone pavers for patio and steps: presealed Sawn sandstone in Harvest, London Stone
The raised bed closest to the kitchen is planted with chives, peppers, oregano, thyme and rosemary for easy snipping.
Cut stone pavers for patio and steps: presealed Sawn sandstone in Harvest, London Stone
An inviting outdoor lounge sits on a raised cedar platform, tucked in the back corner of the garden in an area that catches late-afternoon light.
“In the early years, we would drag our chairs to the bottom of the garden to enjoy the last rays of sunshine in the evenings,” Liz says. These days, Liz and Andy enjoy the space with more frequency and invite friends over to share it with them. “We are definitely outside more now, as it is so easy to go between the interior and the exterior,” she says. The overhead cedar beams, recently planted with climbers, create a feeling of privacy and light enclosure.
The ceramic urn is a family piece — once belonging to Liz’s aunt — that has been repurposed as a focal point in the back garden. Green planted golden sedge (Carex elata ‘Aurea’) at the base to hide the lighting fixture.
Outdoor sofa: Madrid line from John Lewis; lime-green throw pillows: Raft
“In the early years, we would drag our chairs to the bottom of the garden to enjoy the last rays of sunshine in the evenings,” Liz says. These days, Liz and Andy enjoy the space with more frequency and invite friends over to share it with them. “We are definitely outside more now, as it is so easy to go between the interior and the exterior,” she says. The overhead cedar beams, recently planted with climbers, create a feeling of privacy and light enclosure.
The ceramic urn is a family piece — once belonging to Liz’s aunt — that has been repurposed as a focal point in the back garden. Green planted golden sedge (Carex elata ‘Aurea’) at the base to hide the lighting fixture.
Outdoor sofa: Madrid line from John Lewis; lime-green throw pillows: Raft
Sedum ‘Jose Aubergine’ grows in the foreground, with Carex elata ‘Aurea’ and Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ behind it.
Plants
Liz worked with Green to select a color palette that would be fresh and vibrant year-round. Having previously lived in Italy and France, Liz wanted the garden to reflect a laid-back Mediterranean feel. In the end, Green proposed a planting scheme of perennials, bulbs, shrubs, climbers and small trees that relied heavily on medium green, zingy chartreuse and deep purple foliage.
Some of her hardworking favorites are purple-leaved coral bells (Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’) and stonecrop (Sedum ‘Jose Aubergine’) paired with orange-flowering geum (Geum ‘Prinses Juliana’) and golden sedge.
Plants
Liz worked with Green to select a color palette that would be fresh and vibrant year-round. Having previously lived in Italy and France, Liz wanted the garden to reflect a laid-back Mediterranean feel. In the end, Green proposed a planting scheme of perennials, bulbs, shrubs, climbers and small trees that relied heavily on medium green, zingy chartreuse and deep purple foliage.
Some of her hardworking favorites are purple-leaved coral bells (Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’) and stonecrop (Sedum ‘Jose Aubergine’) paired with orange-flowering geum (Geum ‘Prinses Juliana’) and golden sedge.
In spring and summer, knee-high globes of blooming purple allium bulbs (Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’) and purple spikes of salvia (Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’) add movement to the planting beds around the outdoor patio.
For year-round structure and winter interest, Green also included a mix of evergreen shrubs and small trees. Boxwoods (Buxus sempervirens), clipped into spheres and cones, are sprinkled through the garden to balance the free-form perennials. English hollies (Ilex aquifolium), trained as half-standard trees, march along the property fence.
For year-round structure and winter interest, Green also included a mix of evergreen shrubs and small trees. Boxwoods (Buxus sempervirens), clipped into spheres and cones, are sprinkled through the garden to balance the free-form perennials. English hollies (Ilex aquifolium), trained as half-standard trees, march along the property fence.
In the evening, subtle outdoor lighting turns the garden into a pleasantly glowing landscape. All bulbs are low-voltage warm white LEDs. “On colder nights, we can admire the garden from the comfort of the house,” Liz says, “whilst in the summer, we can linger longer in the garden as darkness falls.”
Read more stories about landscape design
Read more stories about landscape design
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Liz and Andy Sergeant and their son
Location: Harpenden, Hertfordshire County, England
Lot size: About 1,830 square feet (170 square meters)
Designer: Fiona Green of Green Tree Garden Design
BEFORE: “Our busy lifestyles meant the garden had become neglected in recent years,” Liz says. Shrubs were overgrown, and the lawn showed the wear and tear of backyard football matches. “As the years went by, our needs began to change,” she says.