Church View
SWALLOW
CHURCH VW.
Initially brought in to restore a crumbling wall and rockery surrounding a beck running through a garden that had deep sentimental value being built by hand by the client and her husband many years ago. The cause of the collapse being drastically fluctuating water levels and weather conditions in recent years. The walls being made from locally found limestone with a strong cement mortar had succumbed to frost damage. While assessing the site, it felt quite stark and disconnected from the house and recently laid patio. We proposed some additions and planting interventions to create a circular and visually stimulating journey around that section of the garden bringing a more cohesive and connected feel to the space.
A large raised corner bed separated the patio from the lawn, new paths of crazed sandstone meandered along the planting edge. Additional pergolas were positioned for privacy matching existing style pergolas on the site. A drystone wall and gabions were used for the repaired beck wall allowing water to pass in and out as the levels fluctuated rather than working against its pressure. It also created habitat niches for the many great crested newts present on the site. Planting areas varied in water saturation, ranging from the very dry exposed to damp sheltered and partially shaded. Edging cobble stones helped visually finish the large patio that wrapped the entire house. All these additions help create better flow, connect and give definition and interest to the entire space.
Due to the presence of protected great crested newts all the demolition and construction work was done sensitively and steadily by hand. A series of temporary habitat spaces of sand and rock along the beck where formed to allow the newts to safely reside whilst the work was carried out.
PLANTING
Balancing the clients planting tastes with existing plants in the garden so as not to feel out of place meant delicately complementing somewhat conflicting styles of traditional English gardens with Japanese and Mediterranean influences over the shallow chalk landscape. A Japanese Kanzan cherry purple lace leaved maple gave height and colourful focal points throughout the seasons. Pittosporum varieties were positioned to give an undulating structure connecting the newly planted beds whilst melding with other established planting throughout the garden. Other shrubs, flowering perennials, ferns, climbers, evergreens and ground cover planting were weaved throughout completing the composition.
MATERIALS
Locally sourced Jurassic oolite clipsham limestone matched the existing walling stone that was retained and reincorporated with a lime mortar applied where necessary. Leftover sandstone paving was used as a seat on the new bridge wall section whilst recycled additional crazed paths were colour matched with the existing patio. A crevice bed from leftover walling stone as created for habitat whilst clipsham limestone boulders grounded the large scree bed of river stone and limestone chippings, doubling as a soakaway for the beck during extreme weather. Granite cobble stone edging defined the existing paved areas and dowelled FSC timber was utilised in the construction of the large corner raised bed and pergolas.
