Alchemille Garden Design
Telephone: 07909 936718

The Thames Retreat

Having very little space and being set on a steep river bank, this garden presented a real challenge.  Not only did it need to have all year interest but it needed to be low maintenance - nobody wants to be clambering up and down a hill to tend a garden with the prospect of ending up in the river!

With the hard landscaping in place (a paved dining area right outside the house with steps leading straight down the bank to a shingled riverside terrace), the planting needed to add a touch of drama to a steep, dry, south-facing bank.  In such a small space every plant has to earn its place in the scheme so each one was carefully chosen.  Deep rooting architectural plants rub shoulders with low ground hugging shrubs and perennials to give just the right amount of contrast. 

Although only small, there's always something new happening in the garden.  As one plant fades back into the landscape, another takes centre stage.