Few people ask ‘what will my garden look like in 20 years?’ So its highly pertinent to look back on one of our earliest creations with a mixture of pride and warmth. Designed by Paul Shaw and Rob Jones in 2001, the garden is a supreme example of sustainability. The back garden is dominated by a man made water feature which appears so natural. Occupying two thirds of the garden, the scale works, by borrowing the uninterrupted views of the surrounding Chiltern Hills. Swathes of naturalistic plantings soften the edge whilst a boardwalk of Southern Yellow pine, sitting in and above the pond, entices you across, and is still completely sound.

Meanwhile the front garden offers a practical solution to the annual arrival of a car or lorry careering out of control down a hill opposite as black ice catches drivers unaware, hence the mound of water worn glacial boulders and a natural planting of Alders and Birch.

Beautifully and sensitively maintained and nurtured by the owners, the garden is a paradise for them and the 70 different types of birds that have been recorded, as well as weekly visits from badgers, foxes and deer.

If you’re wondering about any of the wonderful pieces in the garden – they can all be found below.

Birdbath:
Diana Barraclough, Hungerford
www.dibarraclough.org.uk

Three Dancers sculpture
Lucy Unwin, Burford
www.lucyunwinsculptures.com

Wire Alium (behind the decking)
Lucy Strachan
www.thesculpturewebsite.co.uk

“Hobbit” gate
Designed by client and created by James Noble from a Sussex oak which fell during the 1987 hurricane.
www.organicfurniture.co.uk

Arched gate
Created by local craftsman, Robert Plumridge, imitating a design found on the Highgrove Estate