Private Landscaping Project

Private Landscaping Project: Hertfordshire

The client

Transforming an unkempt 200-year-old walled garden into a desirable outdoor space that can be enjoyed all year round was the challenge presented to Haddonstone by one of our landscaping clients.  We were commissioned by our Hertfordshire-based client to help transform their large residential garden, which they had inherited when they purchased the property over 10 years ago.

Whilst the garden certainly exuded charm, our client felt its original appearance was a little ‘scruffy’.  They were keen to incorporate stylish hard landscaping elements that would add structure, whilst enhancing and complementing the original design.

The brief

Our client had originally worked on an outline design with a professional landscaper, before developing the plan to suit their individual tastes.  Our team then worked closely with them to develop a bespoke design that provided both the practicality the polished look that they were looking for.  Our client chose our products as a cost-effective solution that offered high-quality landscaping options that would work sympathetically with the original walled garden.

Our client was keen to create several strong focal points and to introduce pathways to encircle the lawn, allowing the garden to be enjoyed all year round.  They were also keen to play with perspective – important because the garden is formed across a number of levels.

The solution

Foremost, our client was keen to emphasize the significant redbrick entranceway to their garden, approached from a lower-level courtyard.  Two existing original brick piers had crumbled and needed to be professionally restored by a specialist builder, so that they seamlessly blended with the remaining wall.  Our cast stone pier caps and ball finials were then chosen to sit on top of the restored gate piers to protect the bricks and to enhance the entranceway.  Our team then worked with our client to produce two sets of cast stone steps that lead up to the upper garden.  From the courtyard, this cleverly gives the perspective of just one set of steps and reduced the need to excavate too much ground, thereby exposing the original wall to the risk of collapse by using forceful digging equipment.

Inside the garden, a contemporary pool area was formed through combining Haddonstone cast stone steps, copings, a pool surround and additional pier caps and ball finials.  The pool area was designed over three levels, using copings to skillfully incorporate the existing red brick wall.

Additional Haddonstone elements were chosen by the client including a State Vase and an Eastwell Urn, both of which created additional focal areas and are accessible from separate pathways.  Our client also chose several complementary Haddonstone Elizabethan Jardinieres and an Armillary Sphere sundial.

The entire landscape was completed using a combination of Haddonstone and TecStone material in Portland colour.

Haddonstone components produced for the project:

• Stylish pier caps in varying profiles
• Decorative ball finials
• A range of steps, produced in differing lengths and profiles
• Copings created the smart pool area and offer protection to the interior redbrick wall
• State Vase
• Eastwell Urn
• Elizabethan Jardinieres
• Armillary Sphere sundial

The result

Our client was delighted with our high levels of customer service throughout the project and the quality of their cast stone products.  We provided all technical drawings and were on-hand to assist, and to answer any questions.  The stonework was delivered by our own transport fleet with mounted forklift and the installation of the stonework by our client’s contractor was straightforward.

Over time the Haddonstone landscaping elements have weathered but this has only added to the overall design, whilst working sympathetically with the original redbrick elements.

Our client maintains an ongoing positive relationship with us and continues to purchase their high-quality cast stonework for their garden.