Front garden in Westbury Park for improved kerb appeal
For this front garden in Westbury Park the client’s requirements were to maintain the off-street parking and dramatically improve the overall appearance. They hoped to replace tired fencing, an ugly wall in addition to resurfacing the existing driveway. Thought had been given to practicalities such as on-going maintenance as well as sustainability.
The front elevation of the property is set off by the introduction of brick walls and piers. These were designed to be in-keeping with the period of the property. The client had requested their inclusion for two reasons. Firstly, to prevent the problem of litter from blowing into the planting bed and secondly to re-use existing bricks that had been carefully stored. Painting the caps and coping back tied in with the smart painted base plinth of the house. A decorative planter in a subtle green is positioned next to the door.
The tired tarmac driveway was replaced with permeable resin bound gravel. Resin bound drives are a sustainable solution to providing a surfacing that addresses drainage on site. By allowing water to infiltrate, the rainfall can drain through the material without directing water into an overloaded underground drainage or sewage system. As the front garden also slopes toward the pavement and road we installed a linear drain connected to a soak away to ensure there is no surface water run-off.
Natural stone setts in limestone run through the areas of resin bound surfacing. This firstly creates a softer feel by breaking up an expanse of one materials and secondly adds textural contrast. New fencing replaced the unattractive concrete wall while a mid-height tongue and groove fence replaces the worn existing. We created more security and space for the children to play by closing off access to the side and rear of the property with matching gate and fence.
The deep planting bed from the existing garden was retained. An existing mature Portuguese Laurel tree gives height and maturity to the garden. Beneath this ornamental grasses, again for structure, were mixed with evergreen or semi-evergreen perennials to give seasonal interest.
MATERIALS & PRODUCTS
Corten steel Adezz
Sandstone setts London Stone
Resin bound Gravel S&J Resin
Planter Garden Trellis Co
Fencing Jacksons
