Cornwall

This south-facing front garden in Cornwall adjoins a well-used pavement and a quiet road, with a much busier road nearby. The twin aims of creating privacy and a sound barrier were priorities, as were retaining a small area of lawn for barefoot walking and creating some paved areas for displaying sculpture.

Dense evergreen hedging on the southern boundary, planted inside the existing low wall, will soon make the garden completely private. Inside, a mixture of fragrant shrubs and lush herbaceous and evergreen plants creates a ‘jungly’ atmosphere, with vibrant summer colours followed by strong autumnal shades. My design obscures the house from view at the entrance gate and invites visitors to look into the different parts of the garden as they approach the front door. By bringing plants and trees much closer to the house, it also creates an environment where birdsong will replace traffic noise.