Sympathetic Courtyard Design for an Old Renovated Chapel

A well-planned garden design should reflect the personal style and your needs, but it should also give the garden a sense of belonging within its surroundings. It is essential for a garden to complement your home and the location in which you live, connecting with both the landscape as well as the hardscape. One of our recent garden designs ticks all those boxes. While updating the style of the garden, it still harmonised with the old style of the property.

Where It Began

Our clients, based in Melton Mowbray, asked if we could design a garden that would increase their seating areas within a narrow space.

Their current garden was stepped on different tiers, using gravel red brick and gravel, and contained overgrown planting which sapped light from the garden. A complete transformation was required to change the material for a more suitable hard standing to enable space for more seating and ease of maintenance.

Transforming the Space

The new garden needed to complement the style of the old chapel. To do this we used Indian sandstone paving to replace the gravel areas, whilst maintaining the existing red brick steps and walls. We laid the paving on full mortar beds and grouted using a resin-based eco grout to prevent weeds from growing between the joints.

At the start of this project, the preparation of groundwork and drainage for hard standings included the introduction of an Aco channel drainage system along the side of the house to capture any surface water running from the paved areas. Apart from some of the larger tree-like shrubs, all the existing planting was removed to make way for smaller, self-containing shrubs and perennials for all-year-round interest, scent and colour.

To add further interest to the patio space on the front, new stone seating and an open log fire pit, built from red brick, to blend in with the existing walling, created a perfect cosy corner for toasting marshmallows and entertaining family and friends in the new garden. The new fire pit was fitted with a steel sleeve to protect the brickwork and prevent cracking of the walls. Existing flower beds were replenished with new topsoil and compost to prepare the areas ready for planting.

The Final Result

Our clients were delighted with their stunning new garden which has completely transformed their outdoor living space. With new pockets of seating areas in the front and back of the garden area, they are now able to enjoy the benefits of a more useable garden.

This garden landscape design hits the brief in every way as it is both in keeping with the old property and requires very little maintenance. Replacing the gravel with hard standing increases the entertainment space while creating little quiet nooks for reading. To ensure this stays as good as new, we plan to pay four complimentary aftercare visits to check everything is just as it should be. The whole family is looking forward to relaxing in this beautiful, tranquil environment this summer.

Needing to refresh an old garden? Call our design team today on 0116 210 0760.