North London – Small Garden with Naturalistic Planting

Client brief

The client wanted to make better use of a sloped garden without undertaking a full ground remodel. The brief called for a large patio area close to the house for everyday use, a separate upper-level seating zone with a fire pit, and a garden office with a clean, uncluttered outlook. A degree of natural character was important — the client didn't want the garden to feel entirely hard landscaped.

Design approach

The design resolves the level change by creating two distinct terraces connected by a central stepped path, with a ramped access route along one side to allow a mower to reach the upper lawn without lifting. The lower level is dominated by a generous patio in large-format paving, providing ample space for outdoor dining and everyday outdoor living directly from the house.

The upper terrace centres on a pergola-covered seating area with a fire pit, framed by bold, architectural planting — clipped topiary spheres, ornamental grasses and dark-foliage specimens chosen to reinforce the contemporary feel without requiring intensive maintenance.

Rather than converting the entire upper level to hard landscaping, a section of lawn was retained along the boundary, softened by a raised planting border running the full width of the fence. This gives the garden a natural quality and seasonal interest that balances the harder elements elsewhere.

The garden office to the right of the site was integrated into the overall layout with a cladded facade and a planting scheme of small specimen trees and minimalist ground cover, designed to give an attractive outlook from inside the office without drawing attention away from the main garden.

The result is a garden that works on two levels — literally and in character — combining the clean lines of a contemporary design with enough planting and texture to feel genuinely alive throughout the year.