Maidenhead garden design and Millboard decking

Dorney Reach

A garden in Dorney Reach, near Maidenhead, brought together sheltered outdoor living, meadow planting and Millboard boardwalks. This project showcases the thoughtful construction and attention to detail at the heart of S&R Landscapes, led by Steve Richardson and Rees De Liege.

A garden for dining, working and relaxing

The brief was to create a shaded area beside the house that could serve as both an outdoor dining space and a place to work. A separate terrace with a fire pit would provide somewhere to gather later in the day, with the two areas connected through the garden.

The setting called for a careful balance. The garden needed to feel contemporary and uncluttered while sitting comfortably alongside the orchards, lakes and waterways around Dorney Reach. Each space needed a clear purpose, with planting softening the transition between the house and the landscape beyond.

Sheltered outdoor living and Millboard decking

A bespoke Umbris canopy with motorised louvres wraps around the house, creating an adaptable sheltered space outside the kitchen and dining room. The opening roof allows the owners to adjust the shade as they use the terrace throughout the day.

Millboard decking extends beyond the canopy, connecting the sheltered dining area with the open garden. Its colour and wood-effect texture suited the material palette, while the choice of decking reflected the owners’ preference for a garden with manageable maintenance.

For Steve and Rees, the quality of a landscaped garden comes through in how these elements meet: the alignment of boards, the finish around edges and the connections between terraces, paths and planting. Those details help a space feel coherent and comfortable to use.

A fire pit terrace with character

A grey sandstone terrace creates a separate gathering place around the fire pit. Beside it, a circular steel log store is framed by heavily brushed, charred Kebony timber, adding a darker texture against the stone and planting.

The charred cladding was supplied by Exterior Solutions Ltd. A raised herb bed and fig tree introduce another layer of planting, bringing height, seasonal interest and an edible element to this part of the garden.

Meadow planting and floating boardwalks

Wildflower planting draws the surrounding landscape into the garden, creating a softer setting for the dining and fire pit terraces. The planted areas give these spaces the feeling of islands within a meadow, with boardwalks linking them together.

The floating boardwalks also recall the owners’ Canadian honeymoon. Their layout provides routes through the flowers while allowing generous space for planting, making the journey between terraces part of the garden experience.

This combination of precise hard landscaping and informal planting reflects the approach Steve and Rees bring to their work: practical outdoor spaces, carefully finished materials and gardens that respond to the people who use them.

The client’s response

“The team that carried out the landscaping and build were incredible. Their attention to detail was second to none”

The project was completed in 2018 and photographed in 2020.

Planning a garden in Maidenhead?

Steve Richardson and Rees De Liege design and professionally landscape gardens, bringing together decking, terraces, outdoor structures and planting. If you are considering a garden project in Maidenhead or Dorney Reach, get in touch with S&R Landscapes to discuss your ideas.

Garden design: Karl Harrison.

Our approach

We believe a well-designed garden should be a pleasure to live in, thoughtfully built and made to last.

For us, good design starts with listening. We take time to understand how you want to use your garden, what matters to you and the character of your home.

We bring the same care to construction as we do to design. From the preparation beneath a patio to the finishing details around a border, each part contributes to the quality of the whole garden.

We favour materials suited to their purpose and planting that can thrive in its surroundings. We consider how your garden will mature and how much maintenance you want, creating a space you can enjoy for years to come.

Steve & Rees

Throughout the process he and his team have worked tirelessly to ensure we received the best design, consideration and implementation of our brief.

As a landscaper, he is a professional and did a brilliant job and completed when he said he would in a calm and measured way.

Steve and Rees worked hard in all weathers, to create a beautiful garden for us. I would highly recommend Karl and his team to create some magical for you, and to do it really well.

Rees came up with an imaginative design that has brought interest, variety and colour. The landscaping Steve, Rees and their team did was excellent and they were a pleasure to work with too.

Steve and his team were skilled and friendly, and the results were amazing. They were professional and always left things tidy. Would highly recommend.

Fast efficient service from a passionate professional who puts his competitors to shame. Excellent work at reasonable prices. You’d be mad not to use him.

What a professional garden landscape artist does is give you something that you would never do yourself. Highly recommended.

All the team were exceptionally professional, hardworking, polite and tidy. We are thrilled with the results and thoroughly recommend this business.

I could not have wished for better. I would recommend Rees, Steve and their team to you all. I could not fault them in any way and it was an absolute pleasure to work with them.

Very efficient team, hard workers and really nice people too! Great job with a really uniform finish on a complex-shaped deck. Neat workers, clearing up each evening, and finally leaving my garden and garage in perfect order.

From start to finish-excellent service and he has transformed my garden. I’m now in love with my garden and will be spending many happy hours out there.Before and After pictures - excellent transformation

Very professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. Great design and helpful discussions, making sure we got the best results. Would not hesitate to recommend.

Steve & Rees did an excellent job. From initial design considerations to preparation and installation. The team worked well and on time to transform our garden with Trex decking.

See how we can help you...

We adapt to the needs of every client, fluent in a combination of traditional techniques ensuring the hard landscaping works in harmony with the soft planting, garden art and style in your garden.