Brixton Cottage

A cottage garden for a Victorian house in a Brixton conservation area

Before starting on the design of this front garden, it was important to learn about the history of the conservation area in which it sits. The house was built as Brixton was turning from a rural village into a commuter suburb, with the arrival of the railway. The character of the street, tucked away from the main drag, retains that villagey feel and the Client's love of roses and peonies, led to two design options based around an English cottage garden. The house has been sensitively restored and extended by 4S Architecture, who are particularly skilled at working with listed properties and those in conservation areas.

The developed design took the simple reclaimed Yorkstone paving and gravel clearing from option one and mixed it with the informal planting of option two, creating a garden that aims to be a small haven for the owner, but also offers much to the benefit of the street.

As always in my designs, many of the slected plants were taken from the RHS 'Plants for Pollinators' list, not forgetting fruit, hips and seedheads for the birds.