Contemporary garden design in Medmenham, Buckinghamshire
Artscape was commissioned to build this bespoke contemporary garden design for a property in Medmenham, one of the oldest villages in England. Working closely with the client’s garden designer (Teresa Pulford of Bluestem Garden Design) we set out to improve the existing Buckinghamshire garden with stylish new landscaping elements including a wooden wall, log store, formal pond and beautiful, low maintenance planting.
Softening the hard landscaping
Artscape’s landscaping and planting expertise was called on to enhance the paved areas. This was achieved by introducing interest through container planting and decorative pebbles. Breaking up hard landscaping with eco-friendly pebble inlays adds texture and character, while also helping to improve drainage, mulch plants, and create structure. Pebbles and gravel are an ideal choice for an eco-friendly garden design style in Buckinghamshire. This garden design features new hard landscaping elements and a new planting scheme. Improve the paved areas to look and feel more inviting. Our Artscape paving experts can advise on the best materials for your garden project.
Planting is the perfect way to blur boundaries and make pavers feel less stark and look more appealing. When selecting planting for the paved areas we considered foliage colour, form, scent, texture, size, and seasonal interest. The planting here was selected to achieve a Mediterranean feel and add depth and lushness to the space. We incorporated some tall plants, such as olive, in large containers to create shade and add vertical interest.
New nature-friendly planting
The planting features an easy-to-maintain mix of perennials, grasses, and shrubs. This adds softness to the seating area and brings an everchanging display of flowers, foliage, textures and colours to the garden. The plants will attract more birds and butterflies to the garden, and will be beneficial for insects too.
Tranquil, low maintenance garden design
Planting focused on providing colour, movement and interest throughout the year. The planting scheme features low maintenance perennials and shrubs chosen to suit the soil type and garden aspect. The white, mauve and soft green plants soften the edges of the landscaping and the refined palette suits a contemporary style garden and creates a calming effect.
Hardwood feature wall with log store
This stunning wooden wall has been built with Ipe hardwood, an exotic timber with beautiful brown and amber tones. Ipe is prized for its impressive strength, durability and resistance to rot, abrasion, and weather. The wall built by Artscape also incorporates a log store for the clients’ wood burning stove. Having an organised log store with dry, pre-chopped wood makes the process of lighting a cosy fire easy, whether it’s for your outdoor fire pit or a wood burning stove. A well-designed log store can have a sculptural feel designed and built in any size or shape to suit your outside space.
Formal water lily pond
A new formal water lily pond provides a focal point and has brought atmosphere to the garden, adding reflective light, movement, and character, while also being beneficial to wildlife. Every garden in Buckinghamshire could be enhanced with a pond, which can be built in any size or shape.
A formal pond has clean lines and straight edges. It will usually be symmetrical with a bold geometric square, rectangular or circular shape. The edges and paving lines link the pond to hard landscaping close by and give the garden an orderly, exacting look. This formal pond has been given a black coating which maximises reflections.
Hardwood deck
This pond design includes stepping stones and a suspended seating deck which we built in Ipe hardwood to match the log store nearer the house, which appears to float above the water. Decking over a section of a pond provides some valuable shade for wildlife and wonderful close-up wildlife watching opportunities for our client.
Expert pond planting
Artscape’s horticultural experts selected the different types of plants to create structure and diversity in the pond for wildlife to hide and live in. Floating plants, like waterlilies, provide shade to the water below and the leaves act as platforms for a variety of insects. This elegant aquatic plant also has beautiful bowl-shaped flowers in summer. Marginal plants can also be selected if desired to provide more vertical interest and wildlife value around the edges of a pool.
Planting around the pond includes lots of Verbena bonariensis, which has lovely flowers and an uncluttered habit. The tall, narrow stems topped with flat heads of bright purple blooms bring height and vibrant colour to the scheme. This is also a superb plant for bees and butterflies.
If this beautiful garden has inspired you to improve the grounds at your Buckinghamshire or Berkshire home, please get in touch with us at Artscape for an initial consultation.
