Queens Park Garden

The design of this Queens Park garden is very much influenced by the colours, textures, paintings and Asian influences reflected in the clients home, from their travels abroad.

In this Queens park Garden, light steel frames divide the gardeb, tricking the eye, making it look deeper
In this Queens park Garden, light steel frames divide the gardeb, tricking the eye, making it look deeper
Stage 1

The Brief

It was important to create a sense of intrigue and anticipation, and to offer a journey through the garden, rather than presenting the whole space at first glance. The clients were keen to retain space for a large shed at the rear, and a dining table for 6-8 people to entertain. Otherwise we had an open brief to make the best possible use of the limited space – approx. 50sq m.

Stage 2

Design and Build

The view out is framed by two open Japanese style screens in powder-coated steel, creating a picture window onto the rest of the garden. The intention is to draw you down the focal axis path that leads down to the back of the garden where the clients wheel sculpture is placed on a cube of corten.

Deep planting beds provide a translucent screen to the newly designed, raised Iroko deck area, which provides a lounge area for the family maximising the southerly aspect. In the centre of the deck is a corten sunken fire pit, with a simple self-contained cube water feature directly opposite, balancing the design. A third Japanese style screen of opaque Perspex, frames the space and deck, and hides from view the shed behind.

A Corten Steel Moon window becomes a feature of this garden.
A Corten Steel Moon window becomes a feature of this garden.
Aerial view of this Queen’s Park garden, where the strong lines are well defined, sometimes softened by the planting.
Aerial view of this Queen’s Park garden, where the strong lines are well defined, sometimes softened by the planting.
Stage 3

Finished Project

Along the left hand boundary a feature wall of Cor-Ten hides an existing ugly fence, and a central circle is cut out and fitted with opaque perspex, echoing a Japanese moon window; especially enchanting when lit up at night.

The Planting is quite simple, with large hummocks and undulating mounds of grasses, ferns and Pittosporum, occasionally punctuated with bursts of white flowers. Lighting is key in this sleek Queens Park Garden, emphasising the features at night by back lighting the opaque glass, the sculptures, moon windows, trees and up lighting the bamboo.

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The view from the top floor of the Queen’s Park house shows the entire garden, looking bigger and deeper than is used to before the design was completed. The Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ is a key feature to be enjoyed from the windows. At the back, a wooden sculpture attracts one’s eye.
A shadow gap under the hardwood timber step lightens the construction. The grasses planted en mass, Anemanthele lessoniana, and the evergreen ferns, Dryopteris x erythrosora, overhang creating an inviting path.
A cosy chair to rest on the hardwood ipe deck, near a corten feature fire pit, recessed into the deck. The planting act as a separation between spaces, here with evergreen grasses against a powder coated steel frame.
The view from the kitchen towards this Queen’s Park garden, with the steel frames, the blue slate paving, the timber path and some herbaceous planting.
The perspex installed in the powder coated steel frame hides the shed at the back of this Queen’s Park garden. Some comfortable chairs are sitting on the hardwood timber deck, surrounded by lush evergreen planting beds.
At the back of this Queen’s Park garden, a wooden sculpture from Asia sits within the evergreen grasses, Luzula nivea, now flowering. A bamboo screen creates a green background behind a gravel path, leading to the invisible shed.
A family size table and chairs are installed on the blue slate paving, near the Corten steel panel feature. A powder coated frame creates a translucent division, with the purple foliage of Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ coming through.
Anemanthele lessoniana sways in the wind, creating a soft mound, to separate the decked seating area from the main patio. An Acer palamtum ‘Atropurpureum’ frames the path.
Close up showing the square Corten steel water basin, surrounded by a lush combination of Anemanthele lessoniana and Trechelospermum jasminoides in this Queen’s Park garden.
The lush planting, mainly evergreen, overhangs the hardwood deck, accentuating the main path to the back of this Queen’s Park garden. The eye is attracted to the wooden sculpture sitting in front of a tall bamboo screen.
The corten steel feature wall has been installed in front of the neighbour’s unsightly wall. A circle has been cut out and filled with white perspex. There are three circles in this garden, becoming a strong element of the design.
The Corten steel circle has been cut out of the panel, becoming a hanging feature in another part of this Queen’s Park garden. It contrasts against the lush foliage of Anemanthele lessoniana and Trachelospermum jasminoides, both evergreen.
The furniture has been chosen for its simplicity and comfort, and for its lightness. The chairs can be moved around to enjoy the sun in different parts of this Queen’s Park garden or when the fire is lit up at night, using the recessed corten steel fire pit feature.
Towards the back of this Queen’s park garden, a white perspex and steel frame help to disguise a shed for storage. A row of soft ferns is planted in front, with a lime green Japanese Maple, echoing the purple foliage in its shape.
A wide view of this Queen’s Park garden from the kitchen, showing the effect of the steel frames dividing the garden; organising the space whilst making it look deeper. The eye bounces on the alternate features such as the japanese maple or the corten panel and sculptures.
Anemanthele lessoniana sways in the wind, creating a soft mound, to separate the seating area from the main patio. An Acer palamtum ‘Atropurpureum’ frames the path.
Queen’s Park garden before the design and landscaping were completed.
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Photos by Marianne Majerus