Suddenly our gardens (if we're lucky enough to have them) are the most sociable part of our homes. With indoor socialising still out of bounds for a few more weeks, our outdoor space has had to double up as a kitchen table for a quick weeknight dinner with friends, a dinning room for a dinner party (six people max, of course) and a living-room sofa for an extended chat with your best friend. It's no wonder that searches for garden design ideas have increased by 40% in the last 90 days, and garden furniture has all but sold out in many places. And if you're still hunting for ideas? We've got the perfect inspo...
Urban Retreat
(Main pic) sit in this garden and you’re transported to Morocco, the sounds of the city melting away. In fact, it’s the roof garden of 5 Carlos Place, the super-stylish home of Matches Fashion, but this kind of outdoor space would work just as well for a sheltered courtyard garden – and would certainly be easier to pull together. To create this, designers Urquhart & Hunt had to build a frame that would hold the weight of people as well as tiles, soil and plants.
The idea behind the garden was to create an oasis. ‘We were influenced by a tropical garden – we wanted a leafy, year-round presence that really made you just want to dive in,’ says Lulu Urquhart.
To bring this idea to life, plants (from Architectural Plants and Chichester Trees and Shrubs) of varying heights were used for a layered, lush look that’s bursting with texture. The depth of the beds was shallow, just 30cm at the sides and 60cm at the back, which also determined what could be grown (so trees, such as acers, were out).
While the tree ferns are from Australia and the large leafed gunnera originate in Brazil, many of the plants, Japanese forest grass and Chinese rhubarb are originally from the Far East. ‘In most cases, they have a really great climate match,’ says Lulu. ‘It also helps give a result that’s different to your standard tropical look.’
The shades of green work beautifully with the hand-made terracotta tiles (from Terracotta Potten). ‘The same tiles are inside the store but are varnished and glossy; outside, we left them in their natural state for a softer, pinkier, more Moroccan feel,’ says Lulu.
The surrounding walls were painted a tranquil shade of grey. Close to the entrance to the garden, a trellis has been planted with climbers; above, simple festoon lights have been strung across. ‘We considered a mirror on the back wall,’ says Lulu, ‘but decided to keep it clean for a strong, calm space.’