Garden Tour: An Unusable Slope Becomes a Relaxing, Sociable Space
This triangular plot was too steep to use, but the imminent arrival of a new garden room gave the project impetus
The owners of this contemporary space, attached to a 1970s house, asked garden designer Henry Scott to turn an unusable, sloping section of their perimeter garden into a spot where they could relax and entertain. They’d also just ordered a substantial garden room for use as a home office, but needed help locating and visually connecting it to the garden.
It was thanks to Houzz that the owners found Henry; they were matched with a number of garden designers while searching for a suitable local professional on Houzz and, after reviewing them all, picked Henry to tackle their tricky plot.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
It was thanks to Houzz that the owners found Henry; they were matched with a number of garden designers while searching for a suitable local professional on Houzz and, after reviewing them all, picked Henry to tackle their tricky plot.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
The previous photo showing the garden room newly in situ highlights the issues its arrival threw up. The uneven ground made for a gap below the structure and a lack of smooth access. Henry solved this by creating steps and cladding them in the same tiles as the terrace.
Style-wise for the garden, the owners wanted something modern and light that was a mix of Mediterranean and Asian styles. “Trying to blend olive trees with acers was a challenge,” Henry says with a smile, “but in the end we pulled it off and the trees were really where the two styles came from.”
The plot falls into two zones, this one, which is sunny, and an area around the side of the house, which is shadier. To tie the two sides together, Henry included Pinus mugo (dwarf mountain pine) and Sesleria, an evergreen grass, in both sections of the space.
The large planter on the steps, powder-coated in anthracite grey, is filled with Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass).
Find garden designers in your area on Houzz.
Style-wise for the garden, the owners wanted something modern and light that was a mix of Mediterranean and Asian styles. “Trying to blend olive trees with acers was a challenge,” Henry says with a smile, “but in the end we pulled it off and the trees were really where the two styles came from.”
The plot falls into two zones, this one, which is sunny, and an area around the side of the house, which is shadier. To tie the two sides together, Henry included Pinus mugo (dwarf mountain pine) and Sesleria, an evergreen grass, in both sections of the space.
The large planter on the steps, powder-coated in anthracite grey, is filled with Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass).
Find garden designers in your area on Houzz.
As this zone is both sunny and closest to the home’s kitchen, it lent itself to being the sociable part of the garden.
The new home office building is perpendicular to the back of the house and this effectively creates a courtyard. “A garden building can really change the dynamic of a garden,” Henry says.
Taking a cue from the anthracite grey colour of the garden room, Henry chose varying shades of grey for the garden furniture and hard landscaping, lending a contemporary look.
Two different types of porcelain tile feature here: a wood-effect design makes up the stepping stones (see next photo) and covers the area beneath the sofa. The main terrace is a clean-lined, very pale grey design for a crisp, modern finish.
Wood-effect porcelain paving, TileHaus. Comblanchien porcelain paving (1200x600), London Stone.
The new home office building is perpendicular to the back of the house and this effectively creates a courtyard. “A garden building can really change the dynamic of a garden,” Henry says.
Taking a cue from the anthracite grey colour of the garden room, Henry chose varying shades of grey for the garden furniture and hard landscaping, lending a contemporary look.
Two different types of porcelain tile feature here: a wood-effect design makes up the stepping stones (see next photo) and covers the area beneath the sofa. The main terrace is a clean-lined, very pale grey design for a crisp, modern finish.
Wood-effect porcelain paving, TileHaus. Comblanchien porcelain paving (1200x600), London Stone.
From the sunny terrace, stepping stones lead across a new lawn. This area is – only very loosely, Henry is keen to explain – the Asian area, as it’s the shadier of the two zones and acers prefer dappled light.
Here Hakonechloa macra (Japanese forest grass) spills onto the stepping stones, while a fledgling climber, Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine), has been trained to – eventually – cover the brick wall behind.
The sunnier terrace takes on the more Mediterranean look and features plants that cope well with strong sun. Henry planted a trio of pencil cypress trees in front of the fence.
Also planted in the area are three Greek olive trees, more Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass), plus Verbena bonariensis and Agapanthus, both of which are very bee-friendly. “In all our gardens, we put in a good mix to increase biodiversity,” Henry says.
Here Hakonechloa macra (Japanese forest grass) spills onto the stepping stones, while a fledgling climber, Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine), has been trained to – eventually – cover the brick wall behind.
The sunnier terrace takes on the more Mediterranean look and features plants that cope well with strong sun. Henry planted a trio of pencil cypress trees in front of the fence.
Also planted in the area are three Greek olive trees, more Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass), plus Verbena bonariensis and Agapanthus, both of which are very bee-friendly. “In all our gardens, we put in a good mix to increase biodiversity,” Henry says.
The view up the path shows one of the olive trees at the end, as well as the tops of the dwarf pines, seen earlier. The tree in the foreground is an Acer palmatum (Japanese maple).
Henry advises that a path like this, which has grassy sections of around 150mm between the pavers, is best maintained with a strim or mow every couple of weeks.
This planting plan shows what a tricky shape the plot Henry designed is…
…and how it fits into the property’s perimeter garden (the section we’re looking at is towards the top right).
More: How to Lay Out a Garden
More: How to Lay Out a Garden
The kitchen doors overlook the sunny terrace. “Previously, there were no steps here,” Henry explains. “The top step is where the old step finished and the lawn started. We excavated that section and raised the lower section.”
From this angle, you can see through to the side of the kitchen, where the Japanese feel comes in.
From this angle, you can see through to the side of the kitchen, where the Japanese feel comes in.
Verbena bonariensis adds colour to the seating area between the sofa and fence.
More grasses soften the ground around one of the olive trees.
Henry installed a new slatted fence made of Siberian larch to match the wood of the office building. Running the length of the garden, it helps to unite the two zones.
Tell us…
What are your favourite elements in this contemporary garden? Let us know in the Comments.
Tell us…
What are your favourite elements in this contemporary garden? Let us know in the Comments.
Who lives here? A retired couple with older children who’ve just moved out
Location Harpenden, Hertfordshire
Property A 1970s, architect-designed house
Garden dimensions Entire plot, 1,200 sq m; newly designed section, around 250 sq m
Designer Henry Scott of Pehrsson Scott
Project year May 2021
Photos by Henry Scott
“It was a mess, really,” Henry says of the garden before his redesign. “The owners weren’t using it due to the slope; before we started, it dropped down by almost two metres.”
Here, you can see the owners’ new garden room, which they had already purchased before contacting Henry. He was tasked with incorporating it into a redesigned outdoor space.
“They couldn’t work out where it would fit and not look completely out of place, so we plotted it on the plan,” he says. He also chose materials and colours in the garden to tie in with it.