Beautiful front garden surrounding extension
Ilkley, Yorkshire
THE BRIEF Our clients, Neil and Jo, had moved into their home a year previously and were wanting to commission a beautiful front garden surrounding their new extension with front porch and main entrance. Having had interior renovations and restyling inside with the help of an interior designer and an architect, they approached Melissa Morton Garden Design for a gorgeous and elegant revamp that would maximise their outdoor space, enhancing connection between inside and outside.
THE CONCEPT We were delighted to be invited into this project at the pre-build stage as it enabled us to create a beautiful front garden surrounding a new extension in partnership with the architecture and landscaping team (see below). Our main priority was to enhance the connection between inside and outside, using picture windows to frame key plants and water features as focal points. Creating tableaux of plants and curated spaces to give viewers an enhanced feeling of wellbeing, all year round.
THE FEATURES
- relocated entrance gate to enhance the route into the garden and the new main door.
- new focal point – a water feature – which aligns with the entrance and porch window for maximum wow factor
- dedicated herb and cut flower area, taking over previously redundant space
- hedging of various heights and widths to create a visual dynamic and enhance the sense of depth of the garden
- open area in front of the kitchen window to enhance feeling of space
- enhanced direct route to the new front door, reducing traffic to overused back door
THE PLANTING
This planting concept was inspired by a recent garden visit to Middleton Lodge, North Yorkshire and the Dutch and Belgian landscape designers which influence our planting designs. Blocks of low maintenance yew hedging at various heights are set out in a staggered layout to add visual interest, all year round, while tall grasses provide foliage contrast and movement. The strong lines and geometry extend the perception of space in a small garden.
Mood board showing inspiration for our European-style planting design
*WHY GET A GARDEN DESIGNER INVOLVED EARLY ON?*
By having a chance to get involved when the extension was still in the concept stage, we were able to recommend a design that offered:
> Better circulation between your garden and house
> Better value for the homeowner, saving them money by avoiding potential mistake
> Improved wellbeing, with curated views that bring the outside in
> Decrease ongoing maintenance costs / time commitment
> Pride in owning a beautiful / elegant garden
Positions of the front door and size of windows in the proposed architect plans were adjusted as a result of the garden design. This demonstrates the value of planning a garden while thinking about changes to the structure of the house.
THE BEFORE SHOTS
Melissa Morton Garden Design