We had the great pleasure of creating this rural garden in 2011, and it has been a delight seeing it mature into its landscape setting.  The garden was created at the same time as the building of the new property, and the clients were committed to including a great raft of sustainable technologies along the way.  The landscape therefore plays host to a domestic wind turbine and a large ground source heat pump.

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Furthermore, the brief included the creation of a natural swim pond, and we responded by designing a water body which at one end responds to the clean modern lines of the house, with sleek decking in balau hardwood interfacing with sharp paving, while at the other end responding to the wildlower meadow and agricultural scene.  The water is filtered naturally by a community of native aquatic plants, and the deep swimming area regularly reaches temperatures very conducive to a dip!

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Iris, meadow sweet and loosestrife are blended to form a natural tapestry around the southern edge of the pool, while intermingling drifts of grasses and perennials sweep across the garden between the pool and the house.  The gentle gradient in the garden is articulated by means of long sinuous walls and steps, sweeping across the vistas from the house and accentuating the wide horizon and dramatic open skies.

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All photos © Alistair W Baldwin

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