Woodland glade
Blackheath
Year
2022 - present
A large expanse of lawn over thin, rubbly turf made way for a planting of small trees, shrubs and plants suitable for its situation: in the shade of a mature ash (long may it live) and evergreen oaks (Quercus ilex).
The clients had the imagination and open-mindedness to consider this wholesale transformation. The intention is to evoke an open woodland glade.
Whilst the tree canopy is thinner in winter there are many early flowering bulbs which give way to shade tolerant plants into summer and a greener, woodsy feel as the canopy closes up.
It was a sea of lawn with a narrow strip of a border along the edges
Stage 1
The first stage was creating routes through the garden and managing 'waste' materials.
Access lines were used to route all
foot and machinery traffic. The most common cause of plant failure on a landscaping project is soil compaction. By having clear tracks through the site you restrict compaction to known and smaller areas. Ideally these are to become some kind of path, if not the soil can be de-compacted at the final stage before planting.
The circular area is for the pond.
All green material was kept on site to be used in a large hugel bed - a technique which combines composting and growing beds to maximise soil health.
At the base of the pile are the larger woody materials. One of the final stages here is the turves cut from the paths. They were inverted and then a final layer of topsoil is added for planting.
Stage 2
We next moved on to the hard landscaping. The main construction was a new fence and decking area. We used 'Lignia', a treated softwood for all timber areas.
The existing fence was on its last legs...
...and was replaced with a custom build fence
Around the house the starting point was a narrow cobble track and an existing stone patio.
The new decking was wrapped around the corner of the house, taking the place of a narrow cobbled path and extending the usable space of the existing stone deck.
Recycled plastic joists were used where practicable as a substitute for wood. They have the added advantage of a much longer lifespan vs timber.
The compost bay sits in the shadiest part of the garden
The final stage before planting was to bring in a layer of manufactured top soil. In most cases it's preferable to use the soil on site, adapting the plants to the soil conditions. In this case the soil had been neglected for many years and was almost devoid of organic matter. There was also a substantial layer of builders rubble underneath, as if often the way in urban gardens.
Ongoing development
We planted in autumn which is the best time of year in this part of the world for putting plants in the ground. The garden will take some years to fill in and at this early stage a close eye is needed to direct and edit the planting as it evolves. The goal is to create a dynamic plant community which changes over time and is steered by the gardener.
The planting the following spring, beginning to fill out
