Small Urban Garden Almington Street N19
Contemporary Garden in Islington
For Almington Street, London N19, the client desired a small urban garden offering a pleasing view from the house. The objective was to create a tranquil outdoor space, blending contemporary and traditional styles with a simple lawn and lush plants. Initially, the landscape was flat with a raised rear, overgrown vegetation and deteriorating fencing. The Acacia Gardens team worked tirelessly to clear the plot before embarking on the hard and soft landscaping. The striking focal point of a pair of intertwining steel ribbons emerging from a shallow pool took pride at the rear of the garden.
Almington Street N19 Small Urban Garden Key Features
Hard Landscaping
Hard landscaping began with a comprehensive garden clearance. The team carefully levelled the terrain to ensure that every unwanted element was removed. We created levels in the garden, including notable features like a raised patio at the rear. Incorporating self-binding gravel softened the garden’s overall appearance and infused it with a warm, Mediterranean essence. Using employed Corten Steel edging complemented this, which lends a naturally weathered and rustic charm. This material choice was consistently reflected throughout the garden, as seen in the decorative pots, a cosy firepit, and a functional barbecue setup.
Soft Landscaping
The garden boasts a diverse selection of plants that vary in height, each bringing its unique presence. These plants are carefully chosen to flower at alternating times, ensuring that there’s always something in bloom and creating a dynamic sense of movement throughout the garden. This deliberate variation, combined with the rich textures and the abundance of verdant shades, adds interest to the overall composition and becomes a lively and ever-evolving space. To further enhance the aesthetic and infuse a touch of the Mediterranean, Corten Steel elements are thoughtfully paired with rustic terracotta pots, offering a blend of old and new.
Patio Installation
Directly adjacent to the house, we installed a porcelain paving patio. This choice of material was pivotal in ensuring the interior smoothly transitioned to the outdoor space, creating a unified and harmonious environment. Moving towards the rear of the garden, we introduced a distinct feature of a slightly elevated, gracefully curved patio accompanied by a step. This elevation not only added depth to the garden’s design but also furnished homeowners with an alternative location for alfresco dining. It’s an ideal spot for those looking to bask in and make the most of the sun’s warmth at varying times of the day.
Prominent Features
A prominent feature in the garden is two gracefully intertwining steel ribbons that create a visual journey. The sculpture gracefully emerges from a serene and shallow pool of water. This element is thoughtfully designed to mirror the surrounding windows and lush plantings, creating a sense of unity and reflection. Serving as a magnetic focal point, this feature effortlessly draws the observer’s gaze, guiding it from the home’s interior spaces outward. It can also be admired from the elevated dining area, strategically positioned at the garden’s far end. This layout ensures a harmonious flow and connection between the indoors and outdoors.
The garden beckons the observer from within the home’s confines through meticulous design and thoughtful, hard landscaping. It’s a seamless transition where kitchen tiles extend outward, urging one’s curiosity to explore. The water feature’s design, mirroring the window relief, and the dance of intertwining steel ribbons craft a visual guide, directing one’s gaze from indoors to the inviting raised dining haven at the garden’s culmination.
Herman Pobrati
Managing Director Acacia Gardens Ltd
Client Feedback
“Really lovely people to work with. Very engaged and patient with our needs and what we wanted. Very easy to work with. We’d been let down badly by our previous designer, and they took over what was essentially a building site, solved a host of problems that we’d been left with, with minimal effort and fuss and have given us a lovely garden. The team are reliable and very friendly and after care/follow-up has also been very good.”