Sloping Garden in Bolton

Place

This client is a busy family with diverse and changing needs, including wheelchair access. They are committed to actively contributing to the garden’s development. The existing mature garden on a corner plot, sloping upwards from the house, has a tapestry of micro-climates. It enjoys a sunny aspect but also presents some challenges, being bordered by a busy road and overlooked from below. The site includes features worth preserving, such as certain retaining walls, two small ponds, and some outstanding mature plants.

Brief

Key considerations include screening from the busy road and optimizing the garden’s orientation to create productive spaces, including an orchard, while also encouraging wildlife. A thoughtful and strategic approach is needed to maximize accessible, usable areas for a variety of activities, incorporating some of the existing structures; this involves rebuilding some of the degraded steps and retaining walls and replacing them with ramps where appropriate.

Work in Progress

Structural work to the retaining walls and addition of ramps will commence once works on the house have been completed. Options are being considered for disabled access between the lowest level and one of the higher, sunnier spaces. Meanwhile, a meadow and an orchard have been planted up, and a hedge to screen the busy road has been established.