Castleknock
In terms of design, structure, style and functionality are all critical elements of successful townhouse garden design and attention to detail and quality of finish are essential pre-requisites. The design plan was to install wall cladding on all three sides of the boundary walls/fencing within the main garden. Plans included two Patio areas, one main and a smaller ‘Bistro size’ Patio nearer the house. All stone work (paving, setts and step risers) was Indian Sandstone (Mint). Good use was also made of the long side entrance and some paved sections for seating/planters as well as trapped beds for shade loving plants. The refuse bins etc were neatly screened behind a trellis panel nearer the side entrance.
As is the case in many gardens, but especially a townhouse garden, functionality is very important. Space is at a premium and in such cases although planting can and is also important, use of space is probably more important than appearance. Also in this project timber cladding is used to conceal unsightly aspects and variance of original walls and panelled fences. The results clearly demonstrate that timber fencing/cladding can make a major contribution to achieving structure but also style in a garden. In this instance I believe the green tones provide a relaxed and calming backdrop to the simple geometry of the layout and results in a garden that has not only clear useable spaces, defined gentle curves and a selection of planting that provides year round interest without any significant regular maintenance requirements.
