Palace Road, Crouch End

The client had decided to tackle his overgrown back garden. He wanted a smart, easily maintained space with some planting to provide interest throughout the year.

Removing the lawn cut future maintenance requirements. The small concrete terrace was replaced by a deck laid across the full width of the garden, which made the space appear more generous. A path of concrete paving slabs set in complementary decorative chippings, broken only by the deck, runs the length of the garden, giving a sense of unity and increasing the apparent size of the garden. This effect is compounded by the blocks of clipped evergreen hedging projecting from the sides of the garden which conceal the shed, and provide a permanent structure as well as a contrasting backdrop to the colourful perennials that dominate the planting areas.