A Family Garden Design in East London – Focus on Dining

Brief

A family garden design is needed for this client who recently renovated the inside of their house and following the arrival of a new baby have now turned their attentions to the garden.

As an inherited space it is in desperate in need of a modern garden design in order to make it a more usable space. They would like something that is a low maintenance design and suitable for all the family to enjoy, with a big focus on outdoor dining.

Solution

This modern family garden design utilises diagonals to break up the space. A sandstone sett pathway leads from the back door to a square patio, laid on a diagonal with mint fossil sandstone paving in a random pattern. Two sides of the patio are bordered with fibre clay planters, one of them a tank planted with lavender, the other a column containing a box ball.

These planters frame the entrance to the next area, which comprises two diagonals of artificial lawn. A huge timber archway, placed to provide support for the mature existing jasmine, stretches across the space, and will act as a swing seat for adults and children alike.

A second archway forms the entrance to the the final section of the garden, which will comprise a second, smaller, paved patio. The patio will feature two large railway sleeper benches with off-set archways built into their structure. A pizza oven and BBQ offers ample provision for alfresco dining. Planting in the space will be simple and bold with a Mediterranean theme. Standard bay trees and olives will be under planted with a variety of textured evergreens, some culinary, some floral and some grasses, to provide year round interests and texture.