Intertwined : Reimagining a Victorian Garden for Modern Family Life

Brief:
A warm, characterful Grade II listed home with a large but neglected walled garden that no longer meets the needs of a young family; practical issues include misaligned access, unsuitable bin storage, and an impractical side path. The redesign needed to create functional spaces for entertaining, discovery, play, and retreat, while being fully family‑ and pet‑friendly, with improved storage for bins, bikes, gardening, and composting.
The clients are creative, forward‑thinking, and proud of their home, seeking a garden that matches its beauty and atmosphere. The new design should elevate the garden’s character in line with the house and their style, transforming an unloved space into a cohesive, emotionally resonant environment that feels useful, inviting, and deeply connected to the architecture.

Key Design Principles:
Atmosphere: Crafted through light and shade, layered textures, and gentle, characterful forms that reflect the home and its owners.
Energy & Flow: A central spine guides movement and emotion, connecting functional family spaces while maintaining beauty and cohesion.

Design Approach:
A balance of softness and structure, using natural materials, organic forms, and sculptural topiary to create a garden that feels both fluid and defined, with a series of “garden rooms” shaped by walls, planting, and subtle shifts in atmosphere.
A meandering, immersive journey, with offset steps, winding paths, and layered views that reveal the pond, entertaining spaces, and topiary swirl garden in sequence—inviting exploration through enclosed pockets and more open, flowing areas.
Deep, vibrant planting and crafted sightlines, from energising layers in corten planters to framed views back toward the house, blending discovery areas, bright swirling beds, and forest‑like textures to create a garden rich in character and emotional variety.