country cottage garden design, Fife, Scotlands

creating a rural idyll

Recently stepping down from full-time farming, yet still full of beans, our clients invited us to transform the garden of their retirement cottage.

the brief

We were to design a traditionally themed rural garden with cottage style planting.

Our clients were to build the garden themselves and so the design was to be simple yet stunning.

We were to provide shelter and privacy from the neighbouring farm steading yet keep the views to the surrouding countryside open.

the new garden design

• design :: the design captures all the charm of a traditional cottage garden mixing open lawn, large mixed flower borders and soft gravel paths.

• lawn :: the garden was levelled and a large turf lawn stretches down to the bottom of the garden where a gate willl eventually open onto the fileds.

• patio :: a sheltered patio large enough to seat six people fills the top corner of the garden and recycles the stone from a tumbled down outbuilding.

• paths :: gravel paths create a flowing gentle journey through the garden from the top lawn to the main lawn.

• planting :: a bright, cheerful palette of hot colours blended with deep purples and cool lemon is highlighted with neutral grasses with move elegantly in the breeze.

• wildlife :: the garden is already a haven of wildlife with bees, hoverflies, and butterflies all enjoying the abundance of flowers.