Backyard patio with a covered seating area, garden area, outdoor dining table with umbrella, and a play area with a small soccer goal, surrounded by lush greenery and trees.



GARDEN DESIGN
CONTEMPORARY PLANTING
PERGOLA
MANICURED LAWN
IRRIGATION SYSTEM
WORKING ON A GRADIENT
GARDEN LIGHTING
PORCELAIN PATIO
CORTEN STEEL

The Pines

The client wanted to turn a tired, sloped garden into a sociable space for family gatherings – with level areas, full use of the plot, and a clear view back to the house.

I doubled the patio area to create dining and seating zones, then added self-binding gravel paths to guide you through the space. Corten steel edging managed the level changes and gave clean lines to the borders.

The lawn takes a soft ‘peanut’ shape, edged with planting beds to help ease the levels. A raised oak pergola sits on a platform built with corten steel retaining walls, creating a clear focal point. A BBQ zone is built into an existing base for easy use.

At the back, I added a veg garden built from oak sleepers. To deal with surface water, I designed a bespoke herringbone drainage system with a soakaway, then finished with drainage sand, soil and premium turf. The new lawn is irrigated with a fully automatic Hunter system linked to a local weather station.

A bench at the top gives a view back over the garden, framed by multi-stem trees for privacy and structure.

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