Garden Tour: A Decked Plot Gains a Lawn and a Sociable Patio
Enjoy before and after pictures showing the transformation of this previously hard-to-use space
The owner of this small London plot came across garden designer Robert Silva while browsing on Houzz. “She emailed and said she’d looked through my portfolio and liked my work and that I was very local to her. So we arranged a consultation and went from there,” Roberto says.
The owner was very clear in her brief: she wanted a sociable, modern, low-maintenance and evergreen garden with a bike shed and a lawn for the small dog she’d soon be welcoming into her home. “Because she knew exactly what she wanted, it was easy for me to propose something almost on the spot,” he recalls. “It cut the cost for her a lot, as I didn’t have to do three options and then go back to discuss them. Taking out that stage meant it was about half the price of what it would ordinarily have been,” he says.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
The owner was very clear in her brief: she wanted a sociable, modern, low-maintenance and evergreen garden with a bike shed and a lawn for the small dog she’d soon be welcoming into her home. “Because she knew exactly what she wanted, it was easy for me to propose something almost on the spot,” he recalls. “It cut the cost for her a lot, as I didn’t have to do three options and then go back to discuss them. Taking out that stage meant it was about half the price of what it would ordinarily have been,” he says.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
The owner had several plants in the garden that she wanted to keep. The Virburnum tinus, in the centre of the rear boundary, has become a focal point after Roberto pruned it into an umbrella shape.
He also retained a large Ceanothus and a Phormium, both visible on the right here. He added another, white-flowering Viburnum on the left to create a triangle of tall plants. “I use that technique quite a lot. It creates harmony and balance for the eyes,” he says.
Roberto filled the rest of the beds with low-maintenance, largely evergreen varieties that would grow to soften the boundaries and look good all year round. He planted climbers either side of the Viburnum – on the right, semi-evergreen Solanum jasminoides ‘Album’ and on the left, evergreen Clematis armandii – so that, in time, the fence there will be green all year round.
In the back right-hand corner, he planted a Fatsia japonica, which will grow into a large, lush plant. Next to that is a Hydrangea petiolaris, which will cling to the fence as it grows and flower in early summer.
He also retained a large Ceanothus and a Phormium, both visible on the right here. He added another, white-flowering Viburnum on the left to create a triangle of tall plants. “I use that technique quite a lot. It creates harmony and balance for the eyes,” he says.
Roberto filled the rest of the beds with low-maintenance, largely evergreen varieties that would grow to soften the boundaries and look good all year round. He planted climbers either side of the Viburnum – on the right, semi-evergreen Solanum jasminoides ‘Album’ and on the left, evergreen Clematis armandii – so that, in time, the fence there will be green all year round.
In the back right-hand corner, he planted a Fatsia japonica, which will grow into a large, lush plant. Next to that is a Hydrangea petiolaris, which will cling to the fence as it grows and flower in early summer.
The bulk of the original garden was decked. Roberto removed this to make way for a small lawn on the top level and a newly paved space outside the house, where the owner could put garden furniture. “She wanted a bistro table and a sofa, so it would be a space where she could have breakfast and also lounge with friends,” Roberto says.
The fence at the back of the garden was originally painted light green. Roberto clad the entire boundary with new, horizontal slats to avoid the issue of removing and replacing neighbour-owned fencing.
Originally, the owner had a large barbecue, seen here on the right peeking out from behind the Phormium. Roberto had other plans for this semi-hidden spot in the garden – a new bike shed.
Find garden designers in your area on Houzz.
The fence at the back of the garden was originally painted light green. Roberto clad the entire boundary with new, horizontal slats to avoid the issue of removing and replacing neighbour-owned fencing.
Originally, the owner had a large barbecue, seen here on the right peeking out from behind the Phormium. Roberto had other plans for this semi-hidden spot in the garden – a new bike shed.
Find garden designers in your area on Houzz.
Upgrading the owner’s existing bike shed was a starting point for Roberto’s design. The storage space was previously a falling-apart painted plywood construction that took the garden’s sunniest spot and stole valuable space close to the house.
Roberto installed a newly built bike shed in the spot where the barbecue used to be. It’s slightly hidden by the planting and further blends into the garden thanks to a green roof.
Bike shed, Brighton Sheds.
Bike shed, Brighton Sheds.
The bike shed’s sedum roof attracts wildlife and provides a nice view from the upper floors of the house.
More: How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden in Spring
More: How to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden in Spring
Since the photos were taken, the owner has added an outdoor sofa along the fence where the bike shed used to be.
The old steps were clad in shabby decking.
Roberto and the owner agreed on cream porcelain tiles to update the step treads and patio, which he suggested because they would tie well with the dark wood flooring indoors.
He also suggested painting the existing render green. “I said, ‘People usually paint their render grey – let’s do something that looks more Mediterranean-y, but that fits in the context of an English garden and will go with terracotta and the Ceanothus, which has blue flowers,’” he says.
Roberto recalls that it took two to three months to be able to apply paint to the render, as it had to be completely dry. And now it’s done? “It’s really beautiful,” he says. “It’s a uniform light green when it’s dry, but in the rain, it develops dark green patches. The owner really likes that.”
Slab Khaki porcelain paving, London Stone.
He also suggested painting the existing render green. “I said, ‘People usually paint their render grey – let’s do something that looks more Mediterranean-y, but that fits in the context of an English garden and will go with terracotta and the Ceanothus, which has blue flowers,’” he says.
Roberto recalls that it took two to three months to be able to apply paint to the render, as it had to be completely dry. And now it’s done? “It’s really beautiful,” he says. “It’s a uniform light green when it’s dry, but in the rain, it develops dark green patches. The owner really likes that.”
Slab Khaki porcelain paving, London Stone.
Roberto planted a pair of Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’ either side of the steps. “Box is traditionally used in this way,” he says, explaining that the owner wanted something that would fulfil a similarly architectural role, but without the issue of box caterpillar. “You can trim Pittosporum into a dome – particularly this variety, which has a natural dome shape – and it’s evergreen,” he says.
The purple flowers in front of the Pittosporum are Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’. “It’s evergreen, good for bees, and very long-flowering,” Roberto says. “It’s important in a small garden to get things that flower for a long time.”
There’s some lavender here, too, which is also very bee-friendly, and the owner has planted herbs in the terracotta pots.
There’s some lavender here, too, which is also very bee-friendly, and the owner has planted herbs in the terracotta pots.
On the other side of the patio, Roberto created a small cut-out bed. “This is the shady part of the garden,” he explains. “There are some ferns and tulips to create a striking display.”
The tulips are early-, middle- and late-season flowering, so the garden will be constantly colourful up until June. There are more bulbs – daffodils, alliums and more of the tulips – planted all around the borders. “Then, from June onwards, the climbers come into their own,” Roberto says.
The owner plans to put a barbecue in the gap between the two beds, against the fence.
The owner plans to put a barbecue in the gap between the two beds, against the fence.
The owner was set on having a traditional lawn, particularly as she was about to get a dog – pictured here enjoying the grass.
“A chamomile lawn is a good alternative [for a small space],” Roberto suggests. “You can walk on it, you don’t have to mow it, it’s evergreen and it attracts insects. It’s an option for someone who’s struggling with a lawn, but still wants something green.”
And how does the homeowner feel about the transformation? “She was very happy that I managed to fulfil her brief perfectly,” Roberto says. “It looks more spacious, as it was very crowded before, and she liked that I’d managed to hide the bike shed and make the seating area more attractive.”
Tell us…
What’s your favourite detail in Roberto’s transformation of this petite plot? Let us know in the Comments.
“A chamomile lawn is a good alternative [for a small space],” Roberto suggests. “You can walk on it, you don’t have to mow it, it’s evergreen and it attracts insects. It’s an option for someone who’s struggling with a lawn, but still wants something green.”
And how does the homeowner feel about the transformation? “She was very happy that I managed to fulfil her brief perfectly,” Roberto says. “It looks more spacious, as it was very crowded before, and she liked that I’d managed to hide the bike shed and make the seating area more attractive.”
Tell us…
What’s your favourite detail in Roberto’s transformation of this petite plot? Let us know in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A woman in her thirties, her housemates, and a small dog
Location Highbury Fields, north London
Property A Victorian four-bed terraced house
Garden dimensions Around 5m x 4m
Designer Roberto Silva of Silva Landscapes
Project year 2022
Photos by Roberto Silva