Formal Garden in Woodland, Crowborough, East Sussex, UK
Formal garden in woodland with a Mediterranean twist
Formal garden in woodland might sound strange, but this is an extremely exciting project to design a formal contemporary garden to suit the beautiful countryside and valley viewed from the house. The house is an 18th century sandstone house with large sandstone walls and buttresses. The house has been extended with a magnificent double-height glass extension. The front garden reflects the grand frontage of the old house with a tiered formal garden with a Mediterranean-Cottage style twist. The main back garden sits within the sandstone walls, surrounded by woodland, before dropping to a lower section of the garden (to be designed at a later stage). This formal garden adjoins the glass extension and reflects the topography, the architecture and the surrounding land and woodlands. A manicured lawn leads seamlessly onto two large entertaining spaces. The main garden to the side of the property is a naturalistic / ‘contemporary wild’ area with woodland planting and specimen trees. An initial Concept shows the Koi pond in the upper garden, but after careful consideration a contemporary Koi pond as a large water feature with floating steps and a different, tropical feel is in the lower garden. The new indoor swimming pool complex has a wild meadow roof so the building blends into the valley beyond.