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Private garden · Coulsdon, Surrey
A Family Retreat
A sloping family garden transformed into a playful, practical landscape with different places to discover
I was contacted by a lovely family in Coulsdon who had recently renovated their home on a steep, hilly site. The new kitchen, with large French doors, looked out towards the garden, but the plot itself was heavily overgrown, neglected and awkwardly L-shaped. From the house, the family could not even see the far end of their own garden.
The first step was simply to clear the site and understand the landscape beneath it. From there, the challenge was to create a garden that felt connected, made the most of the views, worked with the existing levels and gave both the adults and their two young daughters spaces to enjoy.
Working With the Slope
Rather than fighting the levels, I used them to create a journey through the garden.
A series of carefully designed zig-zagging steps connects the different areas while working with the existing retaining walls wherever possible, helping to keep unnecessary construction, and cost, to a minimum.
The steps and composite decking use contrasting darker and lighter finishes, inspired by the balance of yin and yang, bringing a subtle visual connection between the different levels.
Reusing What Was Already There
An old brick shed stood in the middle of the garden, blocking one of the best views. Although the structure itself was beyond repair, I retained part of the original wall and foundation and transformed them into a secure seating platform.
A contemporary metal pergola now sits here, positioned at the point where the two arms of the L-shaped garden meet. From this spot, the family can look in both directions through the garden, making what was once an obstruction one of the most important destinations in the design.
At the top of the garden, an unused pond presented another challenge. With two young daughters, the family did not want to reinstate the water, so I transformed the area into a wildflower meadow and natural play garden instead.
Surplus soil from the site was reused to create gently undulating, grass-covered mounds for the girls to run and play on. Daffodils were planted through the slopes, creating a wonderful burst of spring colour.
Two Planting Experiences
The garden naturally divides into two different growing environments.
The upper section is shadier, so the planting here has a softer woodland character, using plants such as Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’, Dryopteris ferns and climbing Hydrangea to introduce foliage, texture and layers of green.
In the sunnier lower garden, the planting becomes brighter and more energetic. Achillea ‘Gold Plate’, Agastache ‘Black Adder’, Alliums, Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’, Salvias, Rudbeckia and Verbena bring colour, movement and a long season of interest.
The changing planting character adds another layer to the journey through the garden.
A Garden for the Whole Family
What was once a neglected and disconnected sloping plot has become a garden with a purpose at every level.
The pergola provides a comfortable family retreat with views across both sides of the garden, while the children have their own playful landscape of meadow, grass mounds and spring bulbs.
Existing walls, the old shed foundations, the redundant pond and even surplus soil were all reimagined rather than simply removed, helping to create a garden that is practical, resourceful and full of character.
The awkward L-shape is no longer something to overcome. It is what gives the garden its sense of discovery.
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Planting
- Brunnera 'Jack Frost'Shade
- DryopterisShade
- Hydrangea petiolarisShade
- Achillea 'Gold Plate'Sun
- Agastache 'Black Adder'Sun
- AlliumSun
- Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'Sun
- SalviaSun
- RudbeckiaSun
- VerbenaSun
Gallery
What my clients say
The clients of this garden
“Kitti completely transformed our rather unloved and derelict garden into a beautiful space that the whole family can enjoy.”
Her design was ambitious and far exceeded our expectations. Kitti was lovely to work with. She listened to our concerns and made changes when we requested them. She dealt with challenges calmly and was very clear throughout the project what the difficulties would be and how these would impact the work. This meant that we always had a good understanding of what was going on and we had no unexpected surprises. The finished garden is a wonder.
“Kitti is a rare designer in that she truly listens to her client.”
She took the time to understand our family's requirements and translated them into an original garden that went beyond what we had imagined. The finished garden gives us enjoyment throughout the seasons while remaining easy to maintain. Her creativity, enthusiasm and ability to recognise the potential in a space made a real difference to the final result.
“Kitti guided us through a complex project with far more to it than we initially thought.”
Her design was inspired and refreshing, and she helped us find landscapers we could trust to bring it to life. Kitti remained involved throughout the project, offering advice and practical suggestions whenever they were needed. The finished garden exceeded our expectations, and we would happily recommend her to anyone considering a garden project.
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