Sometimes I get asked by a prospective client if I would work on their tiny bit of space. I would then recall some of the smallest creations such as a 2m x 2.3m courtyard in Kensington that I designed in 2010; or the 2 neighbouring balconies in Bloomsbury, 1m deep x 4m long…tiny light wells in Chelsea, or postage stamp roof gardens in Clapham. For me it’s all about realising the potential of the space no matter what the size or logistical constraints. Clients with very small outdoor spaces tend to be passionate about them and want to use them often. Working in these environments had taught me about personalising a space within a contemporary framework.
In contrast to large gardens where small detailing is important to give human scale, in small gardens large objects, shapes and plants slow the eye movement across the space and give it volume and scale. Some of the most successful small spaces I’ve created featured very large paving, tall architectural plants, bold colours, dramatic seating and sculpture. Attention to detail and refined finishes are paramount in a confined garden space as the eye scans every detail from close-up.
In this example a very large Georgian house on Chapel Street in Belgravia SW1 has only a small 30 sqm garden. I planted 3 Japanese maples alternating in a triangle to move the eye across with a huge water feature in the centre and giant Japanese temple bamboo either side of it. Depicted here, 5 years after planting they have reached 6 metre tall and give the space a real jungle feel. I thinned them out for the first time in 5 years to take these photographs and thus showed more of the ground cover ferns and other textures such as slate mulch and lighting.
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