Project Value between £20K and £35K | APL Awards 2017 Contender

In the second of our focus pieces on Paxman projects in the APL Awards 2017 shortlist, we turn our attention to a private rear garden in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.

Following our post on our first shortlisted scheme earlier this month, our next contender is vying for gold in the Project Value between £20K and £35K category.

The Client Brief

Blessed with a large open aspect garden, the client yearned for a garden with both character, form and function. Above all else they wanted to make the most of every outdoor living experience.  Within the final masterplan, we agreed a blend of seating and dining areas, paths and planting, linear and circular designs.  The design also strove to keep maintenance to a minimum.   All planting and turfed areas needed to work effortlessly with the hard landscaped elements.  This would ensure mowing, plant care and weeding would be straightforward.  We also considered the wish to incorporate home composting solutions and capture rainfall run-off from the existing garden outbuildings.

The creation of a breakfast terrace would be perfect for lazy mornings, with a backdrop of water and Mediterranean colour and form.  The circular patio and ensuing pathways would meander to the relaxed but formal decking area at the rear of the garden.  A perfect setting to take in the late afternoon and evening rays, with a timber pergola providing a shady respite en route.

The Garden

The clean, crisp breakfast terrace, its curved backdrop, waterfall and drop pool came to life in 2015.  With waterproof rendering, a circular patio and matching coping and pathways, every second of outdoor time is maximised.   Every element leads from sunspot to sunspot, through a timber walkway to a decking, flanked by timber panels, renewing boundaries.  Terraces are linked by a mulched step-stone walkway, enjoying recessed navigation lighting for late summer evenings.  Retained soil borders are refreshed. Paving matches throughout with linear and curved border details continuing the themes.

You can see the complete shortlist of nominated landscaping projects and companies here.  Winners will be announced at the APL Awards Dinner on March 17 2017 at The Brewery in London.