Little England

A private garden set within a  farm in Sussex started in 2007, phase 2 is currently on site. The landscape design played a major role in binding new, and refurbished buildings to obtain planning permission. A Natural swimming pool, in what had been the farm yard, is cleaned with plants not chemicals. Brick paviors and oak decking terrace is set at a lower level than the main buildings. So far, the plinth for the pergola has been built in soft red and grey glazed headers and lime mortar to match those on the Oast, this is articualted to relfect the pergola peirs that will be built in the second phase. This plays an important role as a transferium between the cluster of existing buildings and the new house in terms of geometries and materials - the house side is planned to have an arcade of trimmed hornbeam hedges facing a timber dwelling, whilst the brick and tile piers with climbers and espalier fruit trees address the pool garden. Overall, the geometries are kept  tight close the buildings with a feathering into the rolling wooded surroundings. The garden is a series of outdoor rooms with interconnecting views planned as a sequence.  Colours and textures have been carefully selected. The reeds cleaning the pool meld into ornamental grasses and tall flowering perennials and then to a wild flower meadow sward which falls away to a lake, or is dotted with orchard trees ot the west. Over 7 years the design has has changed but the original concept for the layout  remains.