Wildlife Garden Cornwall

Description

Part of a new development in Truro, this contemporary house is my client’s forever home having retired here from Buckinghamshire. The steeply sloping site was once farmland and the developer had left the outdoor space very empty – typical end of build lawn and fence finish only.

The top end of the garden near the house is elevated and had some good views, however a new housing development was also being built which needed some screening. From the front of the house to the bottom end of that garden there is a heigh difference of approx. 17m which made access a bit tricky.

Design Brief

My clients wanted to encourage as much wildlife as possible into this empty plot, and they were fine with this being potentially a little untidy. To this end they wanted to include a wildlife pond, trees and a good range of plants for pollinators. Keen to grow some veg and flowers, space for this was wanted along with space for an outdoor train track!

Something more orderly was wanted nearer the house along with a slightly more formal pond, however loose, naturalistic planting was to be used throughout.

Garden Design

Using the existing tiered spaces, seating near the back of the house was created with an open lawn space for loungers and a pond nearby surrounded by planting. The next level down is used for raised beds and the imminent train track, with the third terraced area used for a pergola and seating area to take advantage of the wonderful views out. Connecting the three tiers are steel arches over the steps.

A winding hoggin pathway traverses the extremely steep slope taking the clients safely down to the very bottom of the garden where a natural wildlife pond is sited.

Semi-mature trees were planted throughout the garden including cherry, oak, beech, field maple and walnut, along with fruit trees and nut trees. A range of shrubs were planted along the fenceline such as hawthorn and laurel. A swathe of flower meadow turf was installed on the steep slope next to a heather bank, with the rest of the planting given over to perennials, grasses and bulbs to attract pollinators.