The Farmhouse Estate Garden

Surrounded by sixty acres of agricultural land in a beautiful North Yorkshire setting, this red brick farmhouse and attached barns are being completely overhauled by the new owners. An exciting collaboration of Yorkshire architects and builders and a London interior design practice, the new property features a stunning new courtyard with interior pool and windows making the most of the long country views. We were called in mid build and tasked with creating a dream garden for this special project. The brief included areas for entertaining, outside dining, a koi rill, beautiful herbaceous borders, a kitchen garden and the feel of a Mediterranean space but in keeping with the Yorkshire farmland visible in all directions. Taking inspiration from the wider landscape – with its field boundaries, its natural and man-made enclosures – the new garden is designed to flow out from the rooms of the house, encouraging inside-outside living. It is accessed by formal entranceways. The southern access leads up through topiary to an elevated rill garden in a central courtyard area. The raised corten rill is surrounded by scented white planting and topiary. Corten pergolas provide shade and a route for climbers such as roses and white wisteria. Continuing along the southern access we pass a lavender border and access a party space with rooftop topiary, floating seating around a fire pit. This area overlooks a renewed orchard, which will be planted with wildflowers. In the east garden, directly off the interior pool is a lawn and herbaceous borders intended as a formal lawn space. This leads to a family lawn, coming off the main children’s play area. The northern access features an autumn walk punctuated with topiary. From here one can step up into the large kitchen garden, or continue to reach the dining terrace. Elevated to allow long views (and eyeline into the family lawn), the dining terrace references Mediterranean outside dining with a long table, seating and sculptural corten fireplace. Pleach trees add enclosure and wind breaks. A ‘secret garden’ hides behind this space, intended as an area for children to run off and play in (as well as the family lawn) during a long lunch or dinner. Build late 2019, spring 2020.