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. upcyc

"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. 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. A Prunus serrula tree is also planted into the deck. Glass squares set into the deck give a contemporary glow at night and the 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. To the rear of the garden, a contemporary log fence was built and stained black, highlighting the views beyond. Other focal points such as a contemporary Cor-Ten steel lantern, a metal rose and an old chimney spout were added to the borders.

The planting was a mix of fruit trees, shrubs such as euonymus alata and contorted hazel and herbaceous such as allium, heuchera, hosta and astrantia. Upcycling plays a key role in our garden with old pallets used to construct our quirky shed, sand pit, gate and herb planters; old tyres used as planters and off-cuts of wood and cedar shingle samples used to make a bird table.