Georgian manor farm garden

A design and build challenge for the front garden for a manor house farm at a well known adventure activity and riding centre that sits in a valley in the North Lakes. Yellow roses and lavender, and some kind of herb area were in the brief along with creating a formal traditional shape affront an asymmetrical building.

The garden had to sit naturally in the scale and rural and historic character of the landscape and buildings.

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A sloping site, poor soil and severe weed and drainage problems had to be overcome as well as the difficulty of planting for long season colour and to suppress weeds in a site exposed to brutal temperature extremes and high rainfall.  The front of house site meant that evergreen structural elements were needed through winter.

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The activity centre’s blue and yellow logo colours were chosen for the planting theme and a wide range of ways of using this were found. A set of herb steps were added to one side of the lawn to complement a lavender hedge atop a dry stone retaining wall dividing the sloping site into flat lawn and floral areas. A rose arch, water feature and seating areas were included. Traditional local building materials, methods and local craftsmen were used.