Garden Tour: A Tropical Haven With Space for Play and Socialising
This family garden design builds on the original lush planting, creating a multi-zone, verdant retreat for its owners
This triangular garden is attached to a terraced house that had belonged to the same elderly owner for around 50 years; it had a Victorian feel and a lot of established plants and trees. “There were a number of really beautiful plants in it that we tried to keep, including some palm trees,” designer Nigel Gomme of Cityscapers explains. “The Victorians loved exotics and the jungle theme we developed was, in part, already there before we started.”
Along with the inherited tropical theme for the garden, one of the owners is Anglo-Brazilian and wanted lush planting with bold, architectural plants that would remind him of home. There were also practical considerations: the owners have small children and asked for a large lawn for them to play on, plus they needed to connect two new garden buildings and the house with the garden. Scroll down to see Nigel’s creative design.
Along with the inherited tropical theme for the garden, one of the owners is Anglo-Brazilian and wanted lush planting with bold, architectural plants that would remind him of home. There were also practical considerations: the owners have small children and asked for a large lawn for them to play on, plus they needed to connect two new garden buildings and the house with the garden. Scroll down to see Nigel’s creative design.
It’s easier to understand the triangle-shaped plot from this landscape plan. At the very top, there’s a glass-fronted summerhouse/studio, designed by architects Coupdeville. On the left, there’s a raised, angled, decked pathway that provides an alternative route from the bottom of the garden to the top – handy if the lawn’s wet.
A sauna and hot tub cabin is located at the bottom right-hand side of the plan, and another raised path hugs this apex of the triangle, providing access as well as seating.
Below the lawn on the left-hand side there’s a sunken courtyard with a dining area that’s accessed directly from the house. To reach the lawn, there are steps up from here. Each decked pathway can be reached from the outer edges of the lawn on either side.
A sauna and hot tub cabin is located at the bottom right-hand side of the plan, and another raised path hugs this apex of the triangle, providing access as well as seating.
Below the lawn on the left-hand side there’s a sunken courtyard with a dining area that’s accessed directly from the house. To reach the lawn, there are steps up from here. Each decked pathway can be reached from the outer edges of the lawn on either side.
The raised walkways are made from the hardwood, yellow balau. “It’s from Indonesia and is really hard and really stable,” Nigel says. “It’s also one of the more affordable hardwoods and is FSC-certified – the only type of wood we use.”
This path zigzags its way through the planting, taking you from the courtyard by the house up to the studio at the top of the garden. “The angular design reflects the shape of the garden itself,” Nigel explains. Seen here is the trunk of one of the ancient plane trees. “It gives you an idea of just how mature they are,” he says.
The lush planting visible in this shot includes Hakonechloa macra, a semi-evergreen, shade-loving Japanese forest grass, and Cornus kousa, a small tree that produces white flowers. “The flowers are amazing in midsummer and look like origami,” Nigel says, adding that this compact tree is great for small gardens and can tolerate quite a lot of shade.
This path zigzags its way through the planting, taking you from the courtyard by the house up to the studio at the top of the garden. “The angular design reflects the shape of the garden itself,” Nigel explains. Seen here is the trunk of one of the ancient plane trees. “It gives you an idea of just how mature they are,” he says.
The lush planting visible in this shot includes Hakonechloa macra, a semi-evergreen, shade-loving Japanese forest grass, and Cornus kousa, a small tree that produces white flowers. “The flowers are amazing in midsummer and look like origami,” Nigel says, adding that this compact tree is great for small gardens and can tolerate quite a lot of shade.
This shows the continuation of the path just seen and shows some of the planting on the opposite side of the walkway.
In the foreground on the left you can see spiky Phormium leaves, hydrangea, hostas and dahlias. Just by the step is Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’. “This is an evergreen shrub I like to use a lot,” Nigel says. “It’s really versatile.”
Also visible are two of the many tree ferns used in the garden, helping to frame the path.
Poised to transform your outside space? Read reviews of garden designers in your area in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
In the foreground on the left you can see spiky Phormium leaves, hydrangea, hostas and dahlias. Just by the step is Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’. “This is an evergreen shrub I like to use a lot,” Nigel says. “It’s really versatile.”
Also visible are two of the many tree ferns used in the garden, helping to frame the path.
Poised to transform your outside space? Read reviews of garden designers in your area in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Another walkway leads to the sauna and hot tub area, from where this shot is taken.
On the right you can see the loop of an irrigation system hanging on the tree fern. “Tree ferns need watering from above, as they take water through the crown,” Nigel explains. “These are Jurassic plants. They were around with the dinosaurs and survived them, so are tough as old boots. They’re also very striking and other-worldly, because they’re so primordial.”
On the right you can see the loop of an irrigation system hanging on the tree fern. “Tree ferns need watering from above, as they take water through the crown,” Nigel explains. “These are Jurassic plants. They were around with the dinosaurs and survived them, so are tough as old boots. They’re also very striking and other-worldly, because they’re so primordial.”
This view of the second walkway shows the cabin in the distance.
Polystichum tsussimense (Korean rock fern) softens the edges of the pathways.
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The cedar-built sauna and hot tub cabin was made using the ancient Japanese craft of shou sugi ban. The process involves charring timber – in this case, with a blow torch. Not only does it create this wonderfully textured, blackish finish, it also preserves the wood, increasing its water-repelling abilities and reducing fungal growth.
On the left, you can see the trunk of one of the vast plane trees, while on the right is a palm tree saved from the original garden.
There are several seating areas in the garden – this L-shaped area opposite the cabin; a triangular bench on the left-hand walkway, and generous, comfy seating in the sunken courtyard.
On the left, you can see the trunk of one of the vast plane trees, while on the right is a palm tree saved from the original garden.
There are several seating areas in the garden – this L-shaped area opposite the cabin; a triangular bench on the left-hand walkway, and generous, comfy seating in the sunken courtyard.
Here’s the bench close up, with bamboo growing behind it on the left.
“Bamboo is invasive in the wrong context, but if you’re prepared to cut back the tough, thick runners it puts out each year, it’s not too much of a problem,” Nigel says. “The problem with bamboo is generally if you leave it to run rampant, as it gets on with things without much maintenance, and then it will spread.”
“Bamboo is invasive in the wrong context, but if you’re prepared to cut back the tough, thick runners it puts out each year, it’s not too much of a problem,” Nigel says. “The problem with bamboo is generally if you leave it to run rampant, as it gets on with things without much maintenance, and then it will spread.”
Turn around from this peaceful seating area and you have a view across the lawn from the bottom right-hand side of the garden, looking towards the studio.
This is the walkway bench on the studio side of the garden. In the foreground is one of Nigel’s favourite plants, Cotinus ‘Grace’. “In the autumn, it turns almost psychedelic shades – intense reds, yellow, purples. It’s incredible,” he says.
In fact, the whole garden has been planted to look good in the autumn; many of the grasses will turn shades of gold as the season kicks in, and here you can see Acer palmatum ‘Seiryu’ and Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ adding rich reds to the mix.
The wife in the couple is Italian and these tall, thin Italian cypruses (on the left) are a nod to her culture, as well as creating a vertical accent and an evergreen foil to the deciduous plants.
The wife in the couple is Italian and these tall, thin Italian cypruses (on the left) are a nod to her culture, as well as creating a vertical accent and an evergreen foil to the deciduous plants.
The house is down the steps you can just see here. The left-hand walkway is visible to the right of the firepit.
At the bottom of the steps is a shady, sunken courtyard. Nigel planted tree ferns in a raised bed behind the bench seating in this area. “We used the ferns almost as a silhouette and wanted the planting to remain open, so you can see the rest of the garden from here,” he says.
Evergreen grasses, a climbing evergreen jasmine and another Cotinus also feature.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite element in this lush, shady family garden? Let us know in the Comments.
Evergreen grasses, a climbing evergreen jasmine and another Cotinus also feature.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite element in this lush, shady family garden? Let us know in the Comments.
Who lives here? A family with two young boys
Location Notting Hill, west London
Property A stucco-fronted Victorian terrace
Garden dimensions Approx 550 sq m including outbuildings; roughly 450 sq m if you exclude them
Designer Nigel Gomme at Cityscapers
Photos by Nigel Gomme
“The site was a dream,” Nigel says, referencing this view of the back of the garden, with the old church tower beyond. “With a backdrop like that, you’ve got a great start. There are also four huge, 150-year-old plane trees that fill the garden with a lovely dappled light.”
The existing trees were a significant factor in the design. Not only did they contribute to the plant choices (which needed to be happy in the semi-shade created by the tree canopy), but in order to protect the roots, Nigel couldn’t excavate or lay hard surfaces near them.
“The semi-shade is one of the reasons a tropical garden works,” Nigel says. “You can use a lot of ferns that flourish in shade and also some palm trees that will do well in this kind of dappled light.”