Got hardcore on the front drive waiting need to decide on a plan for patio so I can get sub base down any ideas welcome. The Conifers near the white french doors are really wide and nicked a lot of the garden so unsure wether my first idea will work
If the sleeper area wasn't there you still have to walk round there somehow to reach the dining area. Perhaps an opening door should have been considered on that side. As it is the design gives you an attractive walk way..
It may however make more sense practically to have the dining area and maybe two sun loungers or similar in front of the sliding doors which ever design you go for.
Thought about what you said about an opening door and we changed our minds many times on wether to have doors or windows and how many before starting the build lol came up with the design below which may be more practical and I like the idea of looking out the living room doors and seeing some greenery
I like your first design better and think it’s more interesting with separate zones for outdoor dining and lounging. Often initial instincts are right and you can overwork ideas so you end up with something less good. Your latest looks a wee bit dull. You could link the dining and lounging areas by shifting the two planters nearest the house over a little and extending the paving:
You could always add more greenery later to the dining area with some small specimen trees, shrubs, grasses or whatever in pots.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
I agree with Nollie, personally l think your first design is better. That's a good point about your first design being more instinctive (although that doesn't always apply l know !). It's so easy to start overthinking and then you end up just going for something because time is getting on and Summer is coming. I think your first design has more interest.
I rather like the segmentation of the planting in the first one. One thing it would worry me is the oppressive height of the hedging on the perimeter. It will cast quite a lot of shade and I find a uniform unbroken expanse of green at height claustrophobic. I suppose if it's beech you can easily trim to size if you find it too tall...unlike conifers.
Thanks for your comments I think the first design and moving the 2 raised beds in slightly will be much more practical to walk from kitchen to outdoor dining area but don't know if the whole thing will still have the same effect
Me and the wife are scribbling away every evening at the minute We are leaning towards this design atm with the thought of adding pathways up the grass to other features maybe next summer when we have more time on our hands as we are slowly working our way round the house and renovating inside
That looks good @mitchhicken. I might be inclined to swop the seating arrangements with the dining table etc but you will soon find out which you prefer when the whole thing is finished - I wouldn't be too rigid right now in your plans. Layouts have a way of resolving themselves in practice!
I think the best way is to make a good start and let the design develop further from that.I would start by getting the conifer hedge taken away and replaced with a closeboard panels painted in the same colour as the patio doors.that way the garden will look a lot bigger and more contemporary and easier to visualise an inkeeping design
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The Conifers near the white french doors are really wide and nicked a lot of the garden so unsure wether my first idea will work
I think your first design has more interest.
We are leaning towards this design atm with the thought of adding pathways up the grass to other features maybe next summer when we have more time on our hands as we are slowly working our way round the house and renovating inside