Wiltshire
When we first viewed this house, the ground fell sharply away from the south facade of the house and a large yew tree blocked out most the light from the main eating terrace. Our main gesture was to build up the levels in front of the Georgian part of the house, so it sat more comfortably in its setting. This was achieved by installing a series of banks in a horseshoe shape. These banks were then embellished with planting, most notably a series of trained crab apple trees which have become a well-loved feature of the property.
An equally important but much more nerve-racking move was to reduce the crown of the yew tree by over 50%. Topiarising this tree succeeded in allowing significantly more sunlight to the most used part of the garden while saving an old master of the garden. On either side of the horseshoe, we create a series of garden rooms. The idea was for each space to have its own identity yet still be partly visible from other parts of the garden and have an impact on the overall feel of the garden.