Portfolio

East Suffolk garden

Naturalistic landscape around converted barns

This design makes the most of the old agricultural yard surrounding beautifully converted residential barns, set in the idyllic East Suffolk countryside.

Hard and soft materials are carefully chosen to sensitively integrate the garden with the character of the barns and the local landscape setting.

Colm Joseph suffolk walled garden converted barn modern home naturalistic planting design wildflowers beech hedge multi-stem crabapple tree

Colm Joseph suffolk garden naturalistic planting design wildflower meadow beech hedge multi-stem crabapple trees seating area limestone pavers

Colm Joseph suffolk garden naturalistic planting design wildflower meadow multi-stem crabapple trees gravel paths seating area

Colm Joseph suffolk garden converted barn modern home naturalistic planting design wildflower meadow beech hedge multi-stem crabapple trees seating area gravel paths

Colm Joseph suffolk walled garden naturalistic planting design wildflower meadow beech hedge multi-stem crabapple trees landscape view

Sweeping, curving pathways lead through the garden, connecting various destination points and seating areas.

Naturalistic planting design flows throughout the garden, set against a restrained hardscape of limestone pavers and gravel. This palette sits harmoniously with the beautiful agricultural, rural materiality of the barns, old garden walls and Suffolk landscape setting.

Perennial planting areas wrap around main seating areas, while expanses of wildflower meadow feature an inviting firepit seating spot in the evening sun.

Colm Joseph suffolk walled garden naturalistic design wildflower meadow corten firepit seating area landscape

Colm Joseph suffolk garden naturalistic design wildflower meadow corten firepit seating area gravel path multi-stem crabapple malus wintergold

Colm Joseph suffolk landscape garden naturalistic planting design wildflower meadow multi-stem crabapple tree malus wintergold

Colm Joseph suffolk garden naturalistic planting design wildflower meadow multi-stem crabapple tree gravel path

Colm Joseph suffolk garden naturalistic planting design wildflower meadow multi-stem crabapple trees seating area limestone pavers gravel

Colm Joseph suffolk garden naturalistic design wildflower meadow firepit seating area landscape

Colm Joseph suffolk garden naturalistic planting design wildflower meadow beech hedges multi-stem crabapple trees gravel paths seating area

Colm Joseph suffolk garden design converted barn modern home multi-stem acer campestre minimalist beech hedges ornamental grass planting sesleria dog garden view

Colm Joseph suffolk garden design multi-stem crabapple trees malus wintergold limestone pavers gravel naturalistic planting

Colm Joseph suffolk garden design seating area multi-stem crabapple trees malus wintergold limestone pavers gravel naturalistic planting

Colm Joseph suffolk garden naturalistic planting design digitalis ferruginea sesleria beech hedge

This old agricultural yard benefits from characterful old walls. In the most secluded part of the garden an intimate walled gravel garden is created.

The language of loose naturalistic planting, multi-stem feature crabapple trees, structural beech hedging, and restrained hardscape materiality continue here.

The planting palette itself subtly varies from elsewhere in the garden, to give this gravel garden its own character while still feeling unified and coherent with the wider scheme.

Colm Joseph suffolk gravel garden multi-stem crabapple malus tree limestone pavers gravel old garden wall gate naturalistic planting design

Colm Joseph suffolk walled garden gravel limestone pavers naturalistic planting erigeron salvia amistad sesleria thymus pinus mugo dianthus carthusionorum

Colm Joseph suffolk gravel garden design multi-stem crabapple malus tree limestone gravel old garden wall naturalistic planting

Colm Joseph suffolk garden design limestone pavers naturalistic planting erigeron sesleria thymus pinus mugo dianthus carthusionorum

Colm Joseph suffolk garden design limestone pavers naturalistic planting erigeron sesleria thymus

Colm Joseph suffolk garden naturalistic planting design limestone pavers furniture osmanthus multi-stem tree old wall

Spaces are carefully shaped with clipped beech hedges and multi-stem trees, providing distinct but visually unified spaces around the garden.

On arrival, a minimalist arrangement of ornamental grass planting, clipped beech hedges, and a feature tree (a multi-stem acer campestre) creates a striking composition that simultaneously provides an inviting welcome and privacy for the rest of the garden.