Place

A back garden in Penrith, on the edge of the Lake District, steeply sloping in several directions, dropping more than 2.5 metres.  The soil is a sandy loam that drains freely but is highly prone to erosion.

Before the rebuild, the garden was neglected and overgrown, with a small paved area at the top. 

The upper part of the garden, with its open aspect, gets plenty of sun while the lower section is in shade for much of the day, and is overlooked by surrounding properties.

View from bottom of back garden

Terraces and steps under construction

Bespoke greenhouse under construction

Brief

To create a garden that feels private, inviting and stylish. To provide a series of distinct zones supporting different activities, balancing active gardening with long-term ease of maintenance. Connection to the wider context was also important, visually linking the 1970s house to the red sandstone characteristic of the surrounding conservation area.

A planting approach that supports biodiversity and wildlife, including design features throughout the garden to support birds, pollinators and other fauna. 

To retain existing sandstone paving, boulders and shrubs wherever possible, ensuring continuity with the original garden.

Site analysis

Site survey

The steep gradient largely dictated the layout. The design embraces the slope through a series of terraces and paths based on a grid system of 900 mm squares, creating a series of separate spaces within a relatively small footprint. A meandering stepped path cuts into the terraces and reinforces the idea of a garden carved into the landscape.

Levels, materials and planting were carefully coordinated to manage surface water, slowing and absorbing run-off.

Limestone slabs form the paving and edging, and vertical surfaces are clad in slate, providing visual contrast. The terraces serve as informal seating and display surfaces for pots.

Concept plan

Construction work was commenced and completed in Spring 2025. The works were carried out by Wildroof Landscapes (wildroof.co.uk).

Terraces and steps under construction

Terraces, steps and pond under construction

Limestone paving on lower patio under construction

Newly completed terraces, steps and pond with slate cladding

Midway down the terraces, a bespoke greenhouse (built by Morton Garden Buildings, Cumbria) nestles into the slope. A corten steel–clad pond and planting trough provide material contrast, and timber elements are painted to echo details from the house, unifying the garden with its architectural context.

A couple of niches were constructed to place small pots of Auriculas.

The pond is fed by rainwater and has quickly established itself as a thriving ecological asset. After initial algal blooms due to the exposure to the sun, introduction of shade plants, Daphnia and snails has transformed the health of the pond. 

Excavated limestone boulders uncovered during terrace construction, were used on one edge of the pond, incorporating a trickling waterfall. Others used to create rockeries on the slopes and resin the very sandy soil. 

Newly completed terraces, steps and pond

First shrubs and perennials being planted

Newly planted shrubs and perennials in foreground, and green roof over bike shed at lower boundary.

Garden three months after completion

Steps winding through the terraces, provide a variety of experiences from top to bottom

Auricula theatre

The planting scheme is guided by a restrained palette of green and white, emphasizing texture, form and seasonal variation. 

The planting design responds directly to the steep topography with the concept of ‘hanging gardens’, which will develop over time. This layered approach softens the engineered terraces that were required for such a challenging site. The overall planting strategy supports biodiversity and responds to the site’s varied light conditions and pronounced microclimatic variation. 

White-flowered shrubs and perennials in foreground, with early stages of pleached hedge along boundary wall.

Plants starting to establish, first summer

Pond in summer with corten surround

Ammi majus spilling from steel planter

Libertia in front of corten steel pond

Androsace in front of pond

Philadelphus, bamboo and pyracantha were retained and renovated on the site boundary.  These supplement the borrowed landscape from neighbouring gardens. 

Along the rear boundary, hornbeams have been planted and trained against a bamboo framework to form a pleached hedge. Over time, this will provide privacy and shelter while maintaining permeability. 

Elsewhere, planting is used to define space, filter views and create enclosure where the garden is overlooked. A yew hedge, grown from seedlings collected from the front garden, will provide enclosure to the upper terrace seating area.

Tree selection was prioritised from the outset to establish long-term structure.  Structural evergreen planting provides year-round presence and a sense of permanence, while deciduous trees, shrubs and perennials provide seasonal variation.

The post Steep Back Garden in Penrith appeared first on Anna Dekker Garden Design.

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.

Back and side of garden from pavement on main road

Yard adjacent to back door

View to top of garden showing condition of steps

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.

Sketch of garden and site analysis

Partially complete wheelchair ramp

Planting up the bed surrounded by the wheelchair ramp

Preparing to establish wildflower meadow

Orchard starting to take shape

Detail of wildflower meadow sown with yellow rattle

The post Sloping Garden in Bolton appeared first on Anna Dekker Garden Design.

Place

For a busy young professional in Newcastle city centre with a limited budget. This is her first outdoor space; an unwelcoming urban yard.

Overview of yard

Stairs up to flat and gate to back alley

Area to be paved

Brief

To transform this yard into a cosy and inviting retreat and a place to relax and enjoy. Referencing the first-floor flat’s interior colour scheme, the space needed to include seating and raised beds. Low-maintenance planting can provide a gentle introduction to gardening.

Site analysis and hard landscaping proposals

Sketch proposals

Tidied yard seen from back gate before painting

Finished Project

This design approach successfully transformed the yard into a cosy, multifunctional space that feels like an extension of the home, perfect for relaxing and sitting with friends and family.

• The fencing and raised beds were painted to complement the flat’s interior, and this is echoed in the planters, and decorative accessories, including folding chair, ensuring a cohesive look.
• Pebbles and porcelain pavers make an attractive surface and add warmth, making it feel like an inviting outdoor room.
• Soft lighting from a solar-powered lantern enhances the cozy atmosphere, making the space inviting during the evening.
• The raised beds add structure to the yard, giving an attractive backdrop to the seating area.
• Climbing plants and trellises provide natural screening, offering privacy and adding greenery to soften the yard’s boundaries.
• Low-maintenance plants, including hardy perennials, ornamental grasses, and evergreen shrubs, provide year-round interest with minimal upkeep.

Gallery

Paving in progress

Paving completed, with refurbished gate and painted walls

Overview of completed yard

Low maintenance planting

Lilies and agapanthus

Mint and corten steel panels

Acer

Thalictrum and obelisk

Planting detail

Planting after 8 weeks

Solar-powered lantern

Acer and thalictrum provide contrast to pelargonium flowers

Testimonial

I am absolutely delighted with the garden which Anna designed and built for my small outdoor space on a very tight budget. She completely understood my vision and has been able to bring it to life. Anna thoughtfully and thoroughly planned every little detail, supplementing with ‘found’ materials, to make my little garden utterly perfect!

Grace, Newcastle upon Tyne

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Listening tubes for students to experiment with sound

Detail of school garden design

The planting is starting to mature

An unloved corner adjacent to the special needs unit of a Northumberland school was transformed into an immersive sensory retreat. We had a limited budget and an imaginative approach was required for the design. We left some of the existing pavers in situ and this acted as a framework for a tapestry of carefully selected plant species to spread and spill out over the paving.

We used materials and plants that allowed the students to have a varied experience. The garden was zoned to highlight each of the senses, so one area had a pond with a bubbling fountain and a listening tube, and was planted with grasses that would rustle in the breeze. Another area had tactile plants for the students to feel, another had scented plants, both flowers and leaves.

These were all punctuated with features such as a willow arbour (we used a local willow artist to work with some of the students) for quiet contemplation, some balancing blocks which doubled as seats and a rubber safety area for informal sports in the school colours.

Gallery

We started by painting the fence and adding a Cornus hedge for winter colour

an imaginative approach was required for the design

Existing pavers left in situ to act as a framework

We used materials and plants that allowed the students to have a varied experience

We used materials and plants that allowed the students to have a varied experience

A pond with a bubbling fountain

Listening tubes for students to experiment with sound

A willow arbour for quiet contemplation

Balancing blocks

The planting in the garden begins

The planting is starting to mature

The garden in full summer bloom

The post School Grounds – Northumberland appeared first on Anna Dekker Garden Design.

This small urban space was built on a brownfield site which housed the remains of derelict shops. The site was cleared of hazardous materials, including asbestos, and the ground levels were improved for accessibility.

The brutalist ‘Get Carter Car Park’ dominated the skyline of the town and provided the backdrop for this scheme. The space provided an opportunity to launch the new Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

The space was designed to provide a welcoming sitting area which would enhance the overall experience for shoppers and bus passengers in the town centre. The car park and this urban space were subsequently demolished to make way for the new town centre complex.

Urban space for town centre shoppers

Paving under construction

Paving under construction

Paving just after completion

Urban space just after completion

Urban space just after completion

Urban space just after completion

Urban space for town centre shoppers

Urban space for town centre shoppers

The post Urban Space – Jackson Street appeared first on Anna Dekker Garden Design.

This project in the northeast of England included the transformation of a derelict coal mine into a forest park, with a range of distinct habitats and spaces across 99 hectares. We created a series of zones of varied terrain, including a lake, a waterfall and forest, integrating the new landscape with the adjacent existing woodland. Focal points, created by local artists, are connected by a series of accessible footpaths.

The lake has been colonised naturally by vegetation and wildlife, and the forest park is now well established. The park is a public and educational resource, serving walkers, riders, cyclists and local schools.

Find out more about Watergate Forest Park.

Salix cuttings ready to plant around the site

Views of the lake naturally filled by 5 streams, with site works almost complete

View across the lake in winter

View of the lake, now filled

Settling ponds, prior to being planted

Salix detail

Salix becoming established on the lakeside

Salix in bud

Marginal planting

The lake in summer

Greenheart sculpture by William Pym

Swan

The lake in winter

Winter birdlife

Site Design

This scheme started as a decommissioned coal mine with an underground fire. The local authority carried out reclamation works, leaving the site safe and ready for the landscaping phase.

Over the following five years, I worked as part of a team to design and deliver landscape works across the site. The initial phases involved the development of sports pitches, enhancements to the nursery showground, and parking facilities. The final phase included extensive planting, a network of accessible footpaths and bridlepaths with interpretation signage and waymarkers throughout.

The site was planted predominantly with native species to create mixed woodland, hazel coppice, heathland and marginal planting. Additionally, we planted 160 varieties of Salix taken from cuttings from a national collection.

Aerial view of Watergate Forest Park as it is today. Image courtesy of Google Earth

Outline planting plan including Salix locations

Sketches of sections throughout the park

Detail of planting blocks around ponds

The post Forest Park – Watergate appeared first on Anna Dekker Garden Design.

This local authority scheme started as a wasteland

In just under two years it was transformed into a functioning cemetery with seasonal planting

This local authority scheme started as a wasteland, which had previously been a quarry, then a landfill site.  In just under two years it was transformed into a functioning cemetery with seasonal planting, using a tranquil colour palette of white and purple. The need to cap the contaminated land meant that material had to be imported and spread across the site, and tied into the existing levels. This resulted in the landscape changing from a bowl in profile to a mound. What began as a challenge became an asset. The hilltop gave the chance to create views across the space.  We designed new railings and gates to withstand the impact of heavy vehicles on a downhill bend on one edge of the site.

From the entrance, paths lead around the parkland-style cemetery, with open lawns, ornamental and specimen trees and shrubs. To the east of the site we enhanced an existing wooded dene with a stream which flows into a pond on the northwest side of the cemetery.

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This local authority scheme started as a wasteland

In just under two years it was transformed into a functioning cemetery with seasonal planting

A tranquil colour palette of white and purple flowers

The same view under construction and after completion

Bespoke gates and railings

Bespoke gates

Bespoke railings designed to withstand the impact of heavy vehicles

Bespoke bins and water points are spread around the site

Planting is used to screen the utility areas

Paths weave through seasonal planting

Site Design

One of the design challenges was to separate mourners and utility vehicles as discreetly as possible, using a combination of layout, circulation and screening with plants. Careful detailing of the hard landscape features was required to ensure that kerb edges etc were robust enough to cope with the circulation and movement of utility vehicles.

Hard Landscaping Details

Outline Planting Plan

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