These clients wanted a sleek, modern scheme to complement their new orangery garden room. The problem here was that the garden rises as soon as you emerge from the back door. We needed to retain the soil and built a set of steps to the main garden level.

Used for eating out and entertaining, the garden is a natural extension of the house -an ‘open room’ in good weather.

We chose the lighting carefully to create a dramatic view at night. It reflects off the simple rendered walls and easily maintained surfaces.

The space is divided up into a seating area (at the back of the picture) beyond a raised hardwood deck. The whole scheme was filled out using four potted variegated cordyline in the central area giving an attractive tropical look and complementing the planting in the orangery. Where there are pathways we chose Travertine paving.

For minimal maintenance, all the beds received a layer of bark mulch over a weed-suppressant textile. This allows rainwater to permeate but does not allow for weed growth to penetrate. Elsewhere in the garden we used the same principle, but chose to use beech cobbles as a top dressing.

A small water feature in the middle of the four cordyline provides a pleasant sound that resonates throughout the garden and house.