Informal Town Garden Design in West Berkshire

Garden Design Brief : rejuvenate a small back garden, making it attractive to wildlife and incorporating raised beds for both ornamental and edible plants

The existing garden of this house in the heart of town was full of over mature shrubs, and in need of a complete overhaul.
The key request from the client was for a natural-looking garden that would not only attract wildlife, but also be an accessible vegetable garden and provide informal sitting at different times of day.

The resulting layout has two large, informal raised beds flanking a central, circular paved area which links the existing terrace by the house with the rest of the garden beyond. The retaining walls that form the raised beds are clad with natural stone, and narrow pathways behind these beds give easy access for maintaining the ornamental planting and harvesting vegetable crops and herbs. As the new, gravel path leads off from the circular paved area, it sweeps past a new, screened-off utility area by the shed on the left and a small evening sitting area on the right before becoming an informal, stepped path through the small woodland garden under the mature trees at the end.