A Contemporary Wildlife Garden

Our own back garden! When we bought the house, the garden was a complete blank canvas with only a few trees in it, including an old, rotten apple tree which was completely blocking out the stunning view of Wallace Monument and the Ochil Hills beyond. We wanted to create seating areas, maximise the views, have lots of lovely planting and space to grow our own produce.

Our decking surrounded with wildlife friendly planting

"We love our garden so much we chose it as the venue for our wedding ceremony!"

Before

After

First to be tackled were the veg beds as we were keen to start growing our own produce. Sleeper beds were built in a relatively small space but is big enough to keep us going in potatoes, onions, salad, beetroot and a lot more. We painted these black for a contemporary look.

Next was the main deck area – this is a generous size with space for a large table and chairs as well as in built benches each of which seat another 3-4 people. Bespoke troughs were built then rendered and painted pink then planted. An Acer davidii tree is also planted into the deck. Glass squares set into the deck give a contemporary glow at night and the upcycled firepit gives an eco friendly heat well into the evening.

Deck complete, it was time for our main focal point a bespoke Cor-Ten steel globe which is lit at night. New fencing was put up at all sides. To either side, contemporary horizontal slatted fences were constructed and painted slate grey. To the rear of the garden, a contemporary log fence was built and stained black, highlighting the views beyond and being a wonderful contrast to the planting.

Being a big fan of focal points, lots more have been added around the garden including a contemporary Cor-Ten steel lantern, a metal rose, old chimney spout, pink flamingos a giant golden cockerel and more!

One of the main things about our garden is the stunning views. We wanted to frame those views so created an “archway” clad with upcycled slices of deck. As you walk into the garden, the view of The Wallace Monument is perfectly framed.

Grey sandstone paving was used to create a morning patio and edged with granite setts. The curving path leads you round to the deck and is in-set with sparkling pebbles collected on holidays. A new lawn was laid and edged in granite setts.

A playhouse nestles between the apple trees and a mud kitchen sits at the end of a border creating a garden for the whole family.

The planting is a mix of fruit trees, shrubs such as euonymus alatus and contorted hazel and wildlife friendly planting such as eryngium, echinops, sedum and buddleia.