A LARGE COUNTRY GARDEN

This old Dorset farmhouse was marooned in a very sterile garden with minimal planting and a huge expanse of gravel car parking immediately in front of the house. The new design had to make the drive and parking areas less dominant and provide a more sympathetic setting for the house, while not obscuring the views from the main rooms within.

1. An intimate terrace at the side of the house by the conservatory.

2. Primary entrance routes to the house are now clearly defined, and the whole entrance front softened with planting that spills down onto the driveway.

3. Colourful planting around the drive strikes a welcoming note.

4. The new long border looking South with a distant view of the Dorset hills beyond. An open-sided pavilion has been re-sited to provide a focal point in the middle distance.

5. The farthest end of the long border runs out into longer grass, which helps the garden merge with the rural landscape beyond.

6. The main drive and car parking area rearranged to create more intimate spaces around the house.

7. Looking back at the house from the far end of the long border, the planting now beginning to frame this view of the house.

7. Colourful planting provides interest around the drive up to the house.