Tropical Garden, Bristol

The Garden Brief

This project was an exciting opportunity to delve into the world of tropical and exotic inspired plants. The clients were very trusting and said ‘go wild, it’s a blank canvas’. They wanted something luscious and exotic.

The garden is reached by a decked terrace and staircase down from the house. The steps provide a good link, but the house sits quite high above the garden. The clients wanted a garden which was both beautiful to view from above and also drew them out from inside. A garden which enticed them out to explore.

The existing garden was a large lawn with run down planting borders and a couple of sheds. The space had served the family well. Now, however, with the children grown up the family were looking to give new life to the garden. The clients had found a new interest in tropical inspired plants and were keen to create their own lush oasis to escape into.

The Garden Design

Bold, structural and exotic planting are at the heart of this design. Architectural leaves, hot colours and layers of textural green create the oasis atmosphere in this design.

Areas are separated out by the planting and inviting stepping stone pathways draw you into exploring.

The garden sits just around the corner from a busy road which can be heard from the garden. The clients were keen to mask the sound of the road with a moving water feature. I designed a sunken pool fed by a rill which emerges through the planting and flows water into the pool. The sunken pool slopes up to the ground with a pebble ‘beach’ to create a wildlife friendly access and added textural sound to the water. Planted with aquatic plants, the clients have informed me that this is now the local watering hole for wildlife. Birds, insects and even the local cats have been enjoying the pool!

Connected to the water feature and through a stepping stone path spilling with plants I created a sunny seating area. This far corner of the garden catches the last of the light. Surrounded by luscious planting and with the gentle babble of the water it is the perfect location to sit back, relax and enjoy the sunset from.

Without the existing sheds I could maximise the width of the garden. I kept a large lawn for the family to enjoy. Large stepping stone planks break up an area of the lawn nestled amongst planting. This area is a sunny afternoon spot, surrounded by planting and overlooking the sunken water pool.

Immersed in luscious layers of architectural planting the garden provides a beautiful sanctuary to escape into.

The Plants

The planting was the really fun bit. The clients had already started to indulge in a few tropical inspired plants such as a Fatsia japonica and Tetrapanax, which I wove into the new planting plan. Existing trees provided the top canopy. Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’ provides an evergreen backbone to the garden. Clusters of Muso basjoo (a hardy banana tree) provide exotic structure. Evergreen and perennial ferns such as Blechnum spicant, Asplenium scolopendrium and Matteuccia struthiopteris meander their way through the shady areas. Hakonlechloa macra give texture spilling onto paths and lawn. Beautiful large leaf structures come from the Rodgersia pinnata ‘Superba’ and Astilboides tabularis. Punches of hot and striking colour come from the abundant perennials including Kniphofias, Hemerocallis, Alstromeria, Digitalis lutea, Digitalis ferruginea, Dierama, Persicaria amplexicaluis ‘Firetail’, Crocosma, Eucomis cosmosa ‘Sparkly Rosy’, Iris, Geranium palmatium, Nerine bowdenii, Gladiolus communes subsp. byzantinus, Eremurus, Aralia cordata, dahlias and more!

The photos are taken during planting and without all the plants in. More images to follow this spring/summer.

I designed this garden whilst working in the Artisan Landscapes design team, who built the garden.