Cotswold Cloister

Making a route to this lovely house both practical and beautiful was the brief from clients in the Cotswolds.

Surrounded by stone buildings on three sides, paths were laid in reclaimed York stone, with planting gaps left for creeping thyme and marjoram.

Although the space was awkward, by manipulating the shape of the borders the whole garden area felt convincingly symmetrical, although the plan shows this is far from the case.

The planting is billowing, soft and very English, but retaining some formality with clipped box edges and four standard trees.