Small Contemporary Garden Design - Bracknell, Berkshire

Most of us live in very ordinary houses often on housing estates among many other properties that look exactly the same.  It is expensive and highly disruptive and often not possible to change an ordinary house into something more interesting.  The one way to differentiate your house from others around it and get more useable space is to create a beautiful, unusual garden.

This is exactly what I set out to do with the garden at a property on a typical housing estate in one of the older parts of Bracknell, Berkshire.  The houses are not inspiring architecturally, but are well built and have good internal proportions.  The garden has been used mainly for growing vegetables as an overflow from its owner’s allotment.  

 Garden Design, Bracknell, Berkshire - Before

The brief was to have a smaller vegetable area that looked more attractive and with raised beds to help ageing backs with maintenance.  The rest of the garden needed to have places to sit and eat that took account of morning and evening sun, and provided screened storage for bins and garden equipment.  The clients particularly wanted a pretty garden with more colour and seasonal interest.

Garden Design, Bracknell, Berkshire -Plan

 

The scheme includes a large dining and seating area by the house with a circular area for a dining table that is linked to another, smaller circular seating area via a pathway that curves through three wooden arches.  The smaller circular seating area is is partially covered by a wooden pergola.  It is in the shade during the day, but gets the evening sun.  The curves and circles in the garden design give the garden a natural flow and move users through the space providing a gentle journey around the garden.  The paving will be blue-grey granite with an edging of black granite setts.

 

 Garden Design, Bracknell, Berkshire - 3-D View

 

Along one boundary there are three raised vegetable beds.  These will be constructed from Oak railway sleepers set on end with a wide Oak plank set across the top so that each raised bed also functions as an informal bench seat.  

 Garden Design, Bracknell, Berkshire - 3-D View

The bottom of the garden has been dedicated to storage.  The whole area is screened by the circular pergola and a piece of slatted screening that closes off the view the house.  There is a bespoke timber storage area to accommodate three wheely bins.  These can be opened from the top so the bins can be filled easily and from the front so they can be pulled out for emptying.  There is also a custom made timber storage cupboard for a wheelbarrow, compost, pots and other garden equipment.  This also has a hinged top as well as a front opening door.  This area will be paved with self-binding gravel.

Garden Design, Bracknell, Berkshire - 3-D View

 There is a curved lawn with a border for herbaceous plants that will provide summer colour.  There is a deep border by the boundary opposite the vegetable area that will be planted with a mixture of shrubs and herbaceous plants that are shade tolerant and will give interest throughout the seasons.

 Garden Design, Bracknell, Berkshire - 3-D View

 This scheme uses all the available space, design is unique and will create an urban oasis for the clients that gives them an additional outdoor room as well as providing a beautiful view from their house windows.  It may also surprise people walking through the gates of this very ordinary Bracknell house.

If you would like help designing your garden, please drop me an email, or visit my Web site for telephone contact details.  You can also see examples of my work on my Facebook page and Houzz profile.