Architectural Succulents

We were approached by the owner of this garden primarily to reduce the eye-watering summer water bills, and replace the thirsty lawns with something more interesting. The back garden had a good existing structure of rock walls, although they were mostly obscured by overgrown shrubs, we were able to incorporate this into the design and use them as framing elements for the new planting. The owners were keen on something architectural and striking for the back garden, so succulents and cacti with some feature rocks and different coloured pebble finishes were installed around the pool to give some “wow” factor to the pool terrace. One small area of “lawn” remains but now consists of a soft, fragrant carpet of low-water thymes and other ground covering plants which receives water once or twice a week. A gentle, more cottage-garden style was employed for the semi-shaded side gardens, on one side with masses of lavender and roses framing the view from a seating area to the back garden, and the other with mainly foliage plants lining a stepping-stone path to the front garden. In the front borders, Portuguese and Mediterranean climate natives create a soft, but colourful scene which changes through the year and requires little maintenance. These different styles and areas draw one through the garden on a journey and, throughout, there are places to walk through and admire the plants as individuals and together as a whole.