Designing a Large Family Garden with Curved Lawn Shapes

Private Residence

Pinner, Middlesex

Private Client

Status: Completed

This large house in a private cul-de-sac on the edge of Pinner, had a plain looking garden with some huge trees and needed a major overhaul to turn it into a gorgeous family garden for entertaining and relaxing.  We used curved lawn and planting shapes to create a naturalistic yet stylish garden, leading the owners all around the space with comfortable paths and new views.

The brief was to better use the large garden by designing a large family garden with curved lawn shapes, creating safe access from the raised terrace into the main garden to the rear, and make use of a large area to the rear of the property that had become almost wasteland behind some large existing trees. An existing studio was to be given a new lease of life with new paving around it, and a much more attractive woodland setting. All of the existing features in the garden were at odd angles to each other, and the use of curved lawn shapes allowed us to hide this, linking the spaces elegantly.

The CGLA design team created generous decking steps to lead from the main terrace down in comfortable stages to the main lawn. We used a lovely composite decking product from Millboard in “Burnt Cedar”, which wears well, does not rot, and remains essentially non-slip.The main patio was extended with a raised decking platform in the same material to provide sunny seating at the level of the main bifold doors, and screen fencing was added to both sides of the house for privacy and elegant screening of a shed area to the side of the house.

The main retaining wall of the patio was disguised by larger planting, and paths were added using Breedon Gravel  to give dry access to the studio to the rear and a new oval sun deck in the main lawn area. The gravel and lawn areas were edged in steel edging from Everedge which keeps the curvy shapes immaculate and makes mowing to the edges of the lawn simple

An existing stand of huge conifers were retained for their value as privacy and screening, but cleared gently at the lower levels and scrub removed to give access through a new cut-through in the central part of the garden, giving glimpses of the new garden beyond and inviting the visitor to come into the space.

New larger tree planting was added in strategic places to give some scale between that of the smaller shrubs and perennials and the large conifers and featured purple leaved plum and birch trees to provide additional colour and interest to what had been an almost entirely green garden.

Grading of the lawns and the addition of drainage to the main lawn have improved the texture and usability of these, and the new organic and sculptural shapes bring unity and flow to the space, which is further enhanced by large drifts of planting. A simple water feature is placed within the deep planting to give a focal point visible from most of the garden and adding welcome sound that masks traffic noise.

The overall effect was planned to be colourful and relaxed, aimed largely at family use, but also suitable for larger functions.

Once the garden designs were complete, the landscaping was carried out by the CGLA team, working with the owners to guide and adjust as needed throughout the installation, including nursery visits to select trees. The garden has been recently planted and will develop over the years as this matures.

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CGLA are an award winning team of Landscape Architects, Garden Designers  Landscapers and Garden Maintenance Operatives working in Buckinghamshire, London and the South East, as well as on prestigious design projects across the UK and abroad. We are currently working in Oman, Jersey and France, and welcome enquires for design, landscaping or garden maintenance. Contact us here