Garden design hotline #24:

An eco-friendly garden in London is highly desirable because of growing environmental trends. Earth Designs responded to this client’s call for help to transform their outdoor space in East London.

Upcycling the junk

The client had been gathering lots of reclamation materials and junk ready to upcycle. They wanted us to devise a framework that they could use to put their found items to good use and to create a garden that really caught people’s eyes. Junk materials such as denim jeans, old oil drums, or old items of crockery could be placed on the flooring at intervals and bedding plants changed to create seasonal interest.

Raising it up

Katrina suggested a series of raised planters, constructed from different materials. Some of the raised planters would be made from mosaic, timber, bricks, or gabions (wire-frame cages) filled with sourced items. The tops of the beds could be used as perching places for the clients to sit down with the addition of some coping stones or timber. A daybed would be positioned down the right-hand boundary giving the client somewhere to stop and rest in this space.

Planting out the eco-friendly garden

The client wanted a grow-your-own plot in the garden. The raised beds allowed for plenty of areas for growing vegetables and crop rotation. For the boundary, Katrina suggested a fruit tree as it is a great space-saving method to grow fruit. A box hedge on the patio helped retain a sense of planting directly outside the house.
If you would like a garden design consultation and live in south-east England or London, book your free garden design consultation now by contacting Katrina and Matt on 01702 597587 or email us at info@earthdesigns.co.uk.