Large contemporary garden

This upwardly sloping rear garden in Hertfordshire, measuring around 300sqm, was a relatively blank canvas. The brief was to create a garden with a distinctive, classic contemporary look using clean, formal lines that would complement the modern interior and exterior of the house. A large expanse of lawn was desirable however the design divided this into three separate green spaces that exploited the change in ground levels. A series of steps lead from the lower limestone patio to the main lawn. It was important to capture the afternoon sun so a second limestone patio/sun terrace was created on the upper level, edged with granite setts and surrounded by planting in raised beds. A key feature in the garden is an atmospheric pergola walk that straddles a pathway of stepping stones and granite chippings, flanked by architectural shrubs and low box hedging.