Formal Cottage Garden & Kids Fun Features within the Landscaping
Category: Cottage Gardens & Traditional Gardens
Garden Design Project: COTFGD001
This formal Landscape Design project involves various parts of the grounds around a much-extended country property,
set in countryside surroundings, but in an elevated position overlooking the Firth of Forth.
The main areas developed during this Landscape Design project were the 300m2 garden immediately in front of the house, an elevated,
wooded area to the rear of the property, and a sloping paddock to one side of the house.
The brief for the gardens to the front of the house was to create a simple, timeless, Formal Garden appropriate
to the country Cottage Garden style frontage of the house, and to the nature of the rural surroundings.
The client required access through the gardens along the front of the house, an attractive approach to the front door,
and a Paved area immediately outside the kitchen, where there was a further door.
The left hand lawn includes a Pyrus tree the only survivor from the original garden.
The right hand lawn includes Stepping Stones path which provides access, down stone steps
to the sunken Patio which forms the middle level.
This Indian SandstonePaved Patio provides a sheltered sitting area outside the kitchen.
The stone-faced raised Flower Beds that surround it include herbs for cooking.
This 'formal' Cottage Garden is set on three levels, following the levels of different additions to the building, which reflect the gradient of the natural landscape.
The upper section includes the path to the front door.
This is paved with Indian Sandstone and flanked by lavender borders and a lawn to each side.
Further Stone steps leading down from the patio provide access to the lower level, which includes, a Paved Patio area for a barbecue,
a lawn with borders around two sides and a Stepping Stone path running around the other two sides of the lawn leading to
the Driveway and paddock at the gable end of the house.
The rear woodland area was intended to become a further play area for the client's children.
Access to this area was created by building a stone Retaining Wall and setting in a series of
informal turfed steps formed by oak Sleepers.
These steps lead to a 100m2 play area set into the woodland, with willow hurdle edging, playbark, a scratch-build treehouse and a handmade oak swing.
Reclaimed stone sets have been used as a lawn and path edging throughout to enhance the 'always-been-there' feel of the Cottage Garden.
The main feature included in the paddock was a 14 foot diameter sunken trampoline.
Due to the sloping ground a circular retaining wall was set into the side of the hill, the front end of which projected above ground on the downhill side.
This was then banked up with soil, profiled and turfed to create a quite sculptural effect.
The trampoline sits perfectly within the circular pit.
Draining was included at the bottom of the trampoline to prevent flooding.
Other aspects of the project included an oak-framed log store and stone sett-edged grass verges and steps on the roadside boundary of the house.
Planting includes a mixture of perennial Plants and Shrubs with an emphasis on deep reds, blues and purples.
The borders were planted in traditional Cottage Garden style as far as possible, given the climate.
Other suitable plants were chosen to provide a simple formality in some areas of the garden, while still being sympathetic to traditional planting and period style.
This Landscaping project has proved to be a great garden with something for everyone, adults and kids alike.
This 'formal' 
Further 
The rear woodland area was intended to become a further play area for the client's children.
Access to this area was created by building a stone 
