steeply sloping front garden in
Purley

Brief

The main brief was to re-build the steps to the front door to make them safer and easier to use. Flint walling for the entrance walls as before and no lawn, some of which was over a garage roof.

Design and outcome

The garden was measured and the number of steps worked out so that all the risers were even and in according with building regulations. The original layout of the steps was followed as much as possible, re-built using Indian sandstone and brick walling. The frontage incorporates flint panels, a nice feature which we re-incorporated.

The garden extends over the garage roof, and instead of the previous hard to maintain lawn, it is now an attractive gravel garden with a circular brick feature and flint chippings.

As the evening sun falls in a spot at the top of the garden, a small patio for a bistro set enables a quiet moment to be enjoyed, privacy enhanced by some screening shrubs.

The large planting beds have plenty of sun loving perennials and shrubs that thrive in the poor chalky soil - Erysinum, Euphorbia 'wulfenii', Stipa tenuissima and Cerastium and Stachys lanata among others. A row of Lavendula 'Hidcote' at the entrance works well to form a low hedge.

'We love coming home, up the steps to our new garden, it gives us so much pleasure'

Mr and Mrs S, Purley