Contemporary Gardens

Blackheath Design

Designed by Michelle Brown & constructed by The Garden Builders

blackheath Garden Design, Living Green Wall

The original house was pulled down and a new Hauf House was commissioned and built onto a complicated pile foundation system. The whole under-laying sub-soil is very heavy London clay and for this reason the pile foundations were chosen, the entire hard landscaped areas around the house were built up on 1m+ deep compacted, free draining backfill so that water tables were effectively dealt with. This was a major concern of the client and one we worked closely with him to make work.

Imported timber sleeper walls were built from sections of sleepers inverted and concreted into the ground to form vertical joints, they needed to be inverted to form the curves drawn, large concrete foundations and benching was required as was protection to the inside face of the timber to prevent rotting. A large scale dark granite edge detail was laid along both the house perimeter and the outside perimeter, with a contrasting in-fill of silver grey mixed sized granite paving.

A large circular natural lawn was laid with immense underground land drainage included. For the older children an artificial cricket area was integrated into the lawn and covered with cricket nets. The surrounding planting was a mix of large imported trees, (these were craned into position and provided instant interest and cover). A mix of evergreen shrubs and fruiting plants were imported and placed and a huge range of summer flowering perennials put into the mix. All irrigated with a rain harvesting tank and solenoid system.

For the front garden, new solid Oak automated gates were installed, new stock brick walls and piers needed to be built to support this. A huge feature of the front is the living green wall, which is approx. 95% Heucherea Spp, this was a request by the client and designer to give a massive focal point throughout the growing season. Many passers-by stop and comment on this wall, it's a stunning feature to admire as you drive into the property.

The driveway is a fully SUDS conforming porous block paved driveway made from a combination of granite chipping's and concrete to form the blocks. It works really well with the granite terracing. Large specimens of tree ferns and Acer's formed other feature planting within this colourful and tasteful frontage.
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