Gravel garden redesign in Tisbury

The brief from the client was to create an easily maintained garden with interest throughout the year and to include a water feature. The existing garden had a square lawn which sloped down to a patio and some planting along the edges.

The solution was to get rid of the grass and use gravel and stone to create a Mediterranean-style garden. Hard landscaper Mike Kynock and his team turned the design into reality which included a new patio and steps with a retaining wall to create easy access from the sloping garden to the house plus steps and a trellis to access the composing area behind the garage.

Wooden sleepers lead from the back gate to the patio and two trellises to the side of the house screen the garden from the road. A wisteria was planted to climb up the back of the house and a combination of climbing roses, honeysuckle and a passion flower were planted along the walls and fence.

Three circular borders were created each with different planting to create a Mediterranean-type feel to the garden. The largest was planted with Hebe ‘Marjorie’ in the middle surrounded by Verbena bonariensis, Achillea ‘Red Velvet’, Salvia ‘Rose Queen’ and Geraniun nodosum.

The second border was planted with Heuchera ‘Plum pudding’ in the middle surrounded by Gaura ‘The Bride’, Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’. Erigeron karvanskianos and Geranium sanguineum.

For the water feature I chose a simple stone bowl with water pumped up from a hidden reservoir – solar powered – to trickle soothingly over the surrounding pebbles. Planting included grasses – Stipa tenuissima and Hakonechloa – combined with Knautia macedonia and Astrantia.