Back Garden, South Edinburgh

In this small new build back garden, the clients had already built a lovely U-shaped raised bed for growing veg and were keen for this to be incorporated into the new design.  They wanted somewhere where they could sit and enjoy the sun but didn’t want to extend the paving outside the house since they were planning to extend the kitchen.  The rear part of the garden slopes up towards the boundary fence and the clients told me what a pain it was having to mow the lawn on the slope!

Along one side of the garden we built a large U-shaped raised bed to mirror the existing one on the opposite side.  This provides easy to reach space for the clients to grow herbs and more veg.  Unlike the existing one, this raised bed includes a built-in seat, providing a cosy seating area around a new patio. 

The grass was removed from the slope and a generous planted border was created.  This was filled with a mix of shrubs and grasses which will grow to fill the space, providing a low-maintenance solution and also giving a degree of privacy from neighbouring gardens.  In the middle of the slope we also created a small deck, a multi-purpose space which can be used for play equipment, or as a further small seating area to give a different view of the garden.

The clients had asked whether it might be possible to include a bin store and bike shed in the garden too.  These fitted in perfectly near the side entrance to the garden.  The bike store was built with a green roof to look attractive when viewed from the upstairs windows.  A small planted bed near the house screens the view of the bin store from the seating areas within the garden.

Photos by Claire Cox Photography