Portfolio ABOUT POPPYHEAD CONSULTANCY
Poppyhead Consultancy is a Manchester-based garden and landscape design practice, directed by Liz Ackerley, delivering contemporary landscape projects across Cheshire
and the North West. Design schemes are delivered for both private and commercial clients from small urban oases to larger rural retreats. Liz Ackerley is a chartered landscape architect and garden designer with particular interests in modern sustainable design approaches, food growing, and sensory and healing gardens.
www.poppyheadconsultancy.com
Key architectural plants
Planting in both the front and rear gardens consisted of a strong architectural pallet with limited fl owering perennials in line with client preferences. These included:
● Acanthus spinosa ● Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ ● Bergenia cordifolia ‘Purpurea’ ● Betula pendula ● Buxus sempervirens (clipped into balls)
● Calamagrostis brachytricha ● Calamagrostis x acutifl ora ‘Karl Foester’
● Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ ● Eucalyptus niphophila ● Fatsia japonica ● Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ ● Hakonechloa macra ● Helleborus foetidus ‘Wester Flisk’ group
● Heucera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’ ● Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ ● Phormium ‘Alison Blackman’ ● Phyllostachys nigra ● Pinus Mugo ‘Mops’ ● Polystichum setiferum ● Rhus typhinus ● Climbers/wall shrubs included: ● Ceanothus ‘Concha’ ● Hydrangea petiolaris ● Parthenocissus henryana ● Passifl ora caerulea
More images at:
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was completed November 2011. The build of the property started during the summer of 2011 but due to various holdups related to supply of materials and weather, the landscape works could not commence until later in the year. The build of the front and rear gardens and full planting were completed May 2012.
CONSIDERATIONS The client was a construction contractor and a high-end house-build developer. The house was being built for him and his wife in the fi rst instance and they very much wanted a contemporary garden that was modern, minimal and architectural to integrate and connect with their modern property. They had a preference for a mix of formal and informal styles but with a focus on creating a spacious, clean feel in the garden with year-round interest. They intended to use the rear garden as an outside eating place, for relaxation and sitting whilst the front needed to provide access for cars and parking for one on the drive and one in the garage. The existing fencing was to be retained.
The rear garden needed to accommodate a reasonably sized lawn area, and a contained patio, together with areas of architectural planting. The front and rear gardens needed to be lit so that they could be enjoyed from the extensive glass windows and doors of the property. The front garden was bordered at the front by a sandstone wall that is a distinctive feature within the conservation
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area; two unhealthy trees: a Fagus that had been too close to the previous house on the site and a
diseased laburnum were also present. The rear garden had no distinctive landscape features except a Betula tree approximately 20m tall, which was to be retained.
A simple hard landscaping palette was also requested and the front areas needed to accommodate some previously bought granite and sandstone materials whilst the rear needed to fi t with the inside limestone of the garden room that led out into the garden. Infi ll gravels were also a client preference. The clients
36 August 2013
1 Architectural and textural planting within raised planter.
2 Driveway and planting in front garden. 3 Lower limestone terrace of the rear garden. 4 Rendered planter and terrace of the rear garden.
5 Rear garden showing the limestone and slate pathway, and the terrace surrounded by planters.
expressed a preference for formal planting such as Buxus and architectural planting to include grasses, ferns, bamboos, etc. There was a preference for keeping a simple colour scheme including purple, green and white as opposed to a riot of colour. The front is south facing but the numerous
neighbouring trees make this area relatively shady in the summer months. The rear garden is shady nearer the house but further away from the house the garden is sunny with the right hand side (the garden room side) being sunniest in the afternoon and evening. The front is all on one level but the rear drops down a total of one metre in two tiers.
DESIGN SOLUTIONS AND PLANTING The completed design incorporates several key elements and both front and rear gardens were driven by inspiration boards created with the client, illustrating the thinking and proposed feel of the areas. The front garden was designed to work with the
woodland feel, with shadows and light to create a contemporary interpretation of a woodland scene. Although the design was strongly associated with the house with clean lines and hard materials, the natural hues of the tumbled sandstone, pale granite, wooden edging, and bark chippings softened the look and blended with the surroundings; this was further enhanced with textural and architectural planting.
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