Here’s how EAT Landscape’s Liverpool garden design transformed a substantial outdoor space into an edible wildlife garden for relaxation, contemplation and entertaining guests. Urban gardens have never looked so delicious!
The extensive garden, roughly half of which was informal woodland, featured a large lawn and a modest patio. However, it lacked accessibility, with steps down from the patio and non-linking, uneven pathways. Our client was looking to retain the lawn to welcome guests and for children to play on.
The garden was to include natural elements and features to attract wildlife and build on the strong sense of place generated by mature trees. We also needed to reimagine the wildlife pond, introduce complementary water features, and reinvigorate the overgrown planting areas with edible vegetation and colourful nature.
Due to the property’s location in a conservation area, we required planning permission to do the work.
The Solution
To address the inaccessibility, we added a no-steps route from the house into the garden and extended the patio with a new lawn-level terrace. This allowed us to expand the space available for eating outdoors and entertaining.
We added two new pathways, laid out like the fronds of a fern unfurling. The left hand path curves around two reshaped lawns and a mature Silver Birch to a new circular tree seat. On the right, a geometric path leads from the new terrace through abundant planting beds to a bowl with a bubbling water feature and pergola. It gradually winds its way past the wildlife pond and into the woodland area, with a tranquil seating area and corten water bowl.
The organic design includes curved lawns and planting beds, and we built on the existing palette of materials and sandstone slabs, complementing them with clay pavers that match the house’s brickwork. We made the woodland more exciting and inviting by adding informal, low-key pathways and features to explore, and created colourful flowering borders near the boundary patios.
Warm-coloured perennials and trained fruit trees add interest to the building’s exterior, while Japanese Maples, Hydrangeas, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and evergreen shrubs are incorporated into the more shaded right-hand side of the garden. We also seamlessly integrated edible plants such as herbs, soft fruit bushes and strawberries.
Finally, we left an area of smaller lawn to grow into meadow grass to attract wildlife and planted spring bulbs for early Spring colour.
Looking to transform your large garden?
Let EAT Landscape create a grand design for you.
