Designing a property that is elongated but not too wide at the same time is always a challenge. With a few design tricks, even a long, narrow garden can be achievednot act like a hose. Read on to find out how the landscape architects tackled the problem on this project.
Long, narrow garden: planning and designing
38 meters long and 6 meters wide – this property required thoughtful garden planning. The landscape architects opted for round shapes and curved paths that create a visual balance with the elongated floor plan of the garden. The wavy, rounded shapes of the paths and beds not only allow the eye to slide straight ahead, but also send us on a visual journey.
About the project:
Who lives here: Family with daughter
Where: London, United Kingdom
Plot size: 6.25 mx 38 m
Landscape Architect: Kate Eyre Garden Design
Project year: 2017
Project cost: £50,001 – 75,000 (approximately 55,000 – 83,000 euros)
Photos: Paul Debois
When the owners bought the house and the property, the garden had not been maintained for several years and was already overgrown. See for yourself how a long, narrow garden can become a garden paradise!
Small visual barriers make the property appear wider
The owners turned to landscape architect Kate Eyre to create oneCreating a garden that looks modern, but still looks like a piece of nature. The long property was divided into several areas, which are visually separated from each other by various design elements.
Outdoor living room
The shape of the garden had to be adjusted so that it didn't look too long and flat. This was achieved by playing with the shapes and materials. The left side of the terrace is laid with outdoor tiles and the right side with hardwood flooring. The arch, which represents the boundary between the two materials, attracts the eye and deceives the viewer's eye.
An outdoor living room has been set up directly behind the house, where you can enjoy the sun during the day. Large mirrors on the fence opposite the seating create the impression of a certain spatial depth.
Between the mirrors there are concrete pots with Chinese star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), which also add a new dimension to the garden. The climbing plant has evergreen foliage and wonderfully fragrant white flowers that can be seen from May to August.
Outdoor Essplatz
The next “room” in the garden is the outdoor dining room, which is located next to the lounge area. Plastered raised beds for purple bells and boxwood balls were built next to the table.
There was also a place near the dining areaa grill set up, where you can grill meat and sausages. To prevent smoke and odors from entering the interior, the grill was built as far away from the house as possible.
Near the house, part of the garden fence is made of horizontal wooden slats. This makes the living and dining areas appear more open and allows sunlight to penetrate through the gaps.
Planting ideas
Flowering purple bells (Heuchera) were also planted next to the steps leading to the next level of the garden.
On the shady side of the garden a Japanese maple tree (Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood') planted. Due to its height, it also visually shortens the elongated property. Next to it is a striped bed with Mexican feather grass (Very thin package).
The pebbles create a nice contrast to the grass
The lawn forms the third “room” in the garden. On the right we see a row of loquat trees (Photinia x fraseri). These cold-hardy evergreen shrubs grow well in the shade, and their reddish foliage delights with its colors all year round.
The colors that dominate the garden are dark pink, orange and white
On the other hand, snowball hydrangeas 'Annabelle' (Hydrangea arborescens) and large-flowered magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora) planted. Thanks to their spectacular white flowers, they serve as a breathtaking eye-catcher in the garden.
A home gym was built at the very end of the long garden. Next to it there is another area with pebbles. On the sun loungers, the owners enjoy the sun that reaches this part of the garden in the morning. The red New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax 'Sundowner') is an eye-catcher in the flower bed with its sharp, sword-shaped leaves.
