This Kensal Rise garden fell victim to the freak tornado. Most of the plants were destroyed, and the informal layout had been trampled by builders working on the house. Materials had compressed the soil, which had also been contaminated by burst bags of concrete.
The garden had a decked play area at the far end, which was undamaged, and the owners wanted something that went with the modern twist that was being given to the back of the house, but still gave a nod to informality. It was important to make the garden child friendly, but stylish.
The result was a deceptively simple design, with some rich planting. It gave a couple of nice deep stretches of flowerbed, and defined the space. There was plenty of lawn, space for a swing set and seating.
There were already a number of handsome stones in the garden, spread amongst the remnants of flowerbeds. Gathering them together at the front of the garden gave them greater impact, and this large stone, warmed by the sun, makes a great seat.
Thyme was planted through some of the smaller stones, and other culinary scented herbs were planted nearby, all two steps from the kitchen door.
Rosemary, sage and thyme are evergreen, and give a nice touch of colour, especially in winter.
Preparation involved removing a skipload of waste, saving plants that still had some life in them. The soil was then dug over with a rotovator, including manure and sand, to balance out the alkalinity of the cement that had leached into it. Then three highly experienced horticulturalists trampled it with great expertise, to eliminate air pockets, and the lawn was laid.
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