The Low Maintenance Garden Makeover

Before: This riverside plot needed a major facelift that would preserve the stunning river views, whilst also creating a beautiful but low maintenance garden. To make matters harder, the house stands 1.3 metres above ground level, dominating the garden which is fully visible from a huge picture window.

Click on the small images to make them bigger and click on zoom to make them larger still. For more before and afters, go back to Garden Makeovers or click next.

Next Makeover :The Small City Garden Makeover

Before

After

After: The solution needed to be simple, stylish and sympathetic to the setting with informal planting. So what makes this garden work?

Frame A View

The garden's designer, Andy Sturgeon, advised that, in order to preserve the view, taller planting should be on the boundaries where it would also add privacy and screen out distractions in neighbouring gardens.

Add Colour All Year Round

A rectangular lawn created a foil to borders of plants containing evergreens, perennials, bulbs to add seasonal splashes of colour, and ornamental grasses to blend with the natural environment. Find plants for your garden in our Plants & Plantcare pages.

Create A Practical Feature

The original oak cubes would form a sculpture-cum-path running through the planting to a small summerhouse. See our buyer's guide to paths and summerhouses for more ideas.

Splash On Colour

Both Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ and A. christophii flower all May, alongside Granny’s bonnets and foxgloves, create a pink and purple froth above evergreen box balls, hebes, grasses, dianthus and lavender.

Find A Spot For Seating

On fine days, the sunny top deck is a great place for sitting out, watching the sun go down by the river.

More Garden Design Ideas & Advice
- Garden Design Ideas
- Garden Buyer's Guides
- Grow Your Own
- Garden Planning Advice

Pictures & Words: Nicola Stocken Tomkins/www.garden-collection.com