Walton Manor I was approached by the clients, Jo & Anthony to design a garden to reflect the family’s tastes and lifestyle. Having recently moved to the property, the clients were keen to get started on the 4-acre garden, which was predominantly laid to lawn with an old, dated wooden pergola, and several shrub borders towards the edges of the property. There was a lack of planting close to the house and very little reason or desire to venture out into the extended garden at all. A large kitchen extension had been added to the rear of the property and the whole property had been refurbished and modernised. It was important that the design for the garden mirrored the quietly, elegant stye of the interior of the house, whilst also creating a garden for entertaining, and attracting and supporting wildlife of every kind. Their wish list included a covered dining area, a terrace for lounging and entertaining and a separate area for enjoying the afternoon sun. The family also requested a natural wildlife pond, and a small kitchen garden. designer Tracy Blackband project type Large Country Garden Term Ongoing client Private Style Modern Country Garden date 2024 – Generous planting borders have been designed to link the garden to the house and vice versa. The garden can be enjoyed from inside the kitchen even when the weather is inclement. Spending time in one of the many terraces and ‘garden rooms’, close to the planting will give you an immersive experience as well allowing you to enjoy the variety of wildlife attracted to the garden. Herb borders have been included by the dining terrace, which will emit a heady aroma during the warmer summer months. The mix of hard landscaping materials, both the porcelain Kandla Grey slabs and the matching stone pavers were chosen to break up the space and add interest in the different forms and textures each provide. I also added a gravel garden with planting pockets for the same purpose. The addition of trees closer to the property will add much needed height and interest to the space and will eventually introduce a play of shadows on the terraces. Whilst the cottage garden staple perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses have been chosen as much for their beauty as their attraction for insects and wildlife, the inclusion and idea of the wildflower borders was also to attract wild birds. Underplanting of bulbs will help to extend the flowering season. Extending from the lounge, a pergola walkway, planted with Wisteria and evergreen Clematis invites you to explore the wider garden and the existing flower borders, creating a route of flow around the garden. Symmetrical borders line the walkway, alternating between wildflower borders and ornamental plants, including a pair of multi-stemmed Prunus serrula, all hedged with yew to lead you into the extended garden. It’s lovely to see the garden being enjoyed by the whole family, even Milo, the dog. There is still some work to be completed around the pond area, a water feature to be installed within the gravel garden and a bar to be built on the lower terrace.