Garden designed within budget in Chalfont St Peter

Chalfont St Peter

A considered garden transformation in Chalfont St Peter

A clear budget helped shape this garden into a colourful, welcoming space, with a Millboard terrace, raised herb beds and a York stone path connecting the planting.

The hillside property had gained views of the Chiltern Hills after neighbouring trees were removed. Its existing raised pine deck, small lawn and patio no longer offered the outdoor space the owners wanted.

Steve and Rees design and professionally landscape gardens around your priorities and budget. This project illustrates how thoughtful choices can make room for the features that matter most.

The brief: colour, herbs and a new terrace

The owners wanted a complete rethink of their garden. Their priorities were colourful planting, raised beds for herbs and a new deck terrace from which to enjoy the space and views.

Considering these requirements together helped create a coordinated layout. The deck, planting and paths each have a purpose, while their relationships make the garden feel connected.

Designing around an agreed budget

A budget is a useful part of the design brief. Steve and Rees discuss what you want to achieve, where you want to invest and which choices can offer flexibility.

In this garden, using smaller plants helped reduce the initial planting cost while retaining the intended scheme. Allowing time for them to grow made it possible to direct more of the budget towards the permanent structure.

The terrace combines Millboard decking with an Accoya balustrade. A solid-colour finish and stainless-steel cables from Sta-Lok give the balustrade a contemporary appearance.

These decisions show the value of agreeing a design and materials specification before construction. A clear scope provides the basis for a meaningful quotation and helps you understand what your budget will deliver.

A York stone path with individual character

Broken pieces of natural York stone form an informal path through the garden. The irregular shapes create a distinctive feature while offering another opportunity to manage material costs.

Cotswold shingle between the stones complements their colour. Soleirolia soleirolii planted around the edges softens the path as it spreads, connecting the stone with the surrounding planting.

Steve and Rees consider how paths will be used as well as how they look. Surface choice, preparation and the relationship with planted areas all influence the finished space.

Bespoke screens for the raised deck

The elevated terrace needed consideration of privacy from neighbouring properties. Bespoke powder-coated steel panels provide screening while adding detail to the deck.

The panels complement the Millboard and Accoya balustrade, giving the seating area a more defined character without treating privacy as an afterthought.

What the owners enjoyed

The owners described the finished garden as:

“Somewhere we want to sit and spend time and enjoy”

That everyday enjoyment is central to Steve and Rees’s approach. The layout, planting and construction should create a space you want to use, with choices suited to your home and priorities.

The garden on completion in 2020

These photographs show the newly completed garden. The planting was still establishing, with the terrace, raised beds and paths providing the structure for the years ahead.

The garden two years later

The later photographs show how the planting developed around the original layout. Smaller plants had time to establish, bringing greater fullness, colour and texture to the garden.

These views demonstrate why a planting scheme should be considered over time. The finished landscape continues to develop after construction, while its permanent features provide the framework.

Project details

Location: Chalfont St Peter
Completed: 2020
Project: garden design and landscaping
Client: private homeowner
Materials and plant suppliers: Country Supplies, Rochfords, Sta-Lok, Metal Garden Screens and Owatrol

Discuss your garden and budget with Steve and Rees

You do not need every detail decided before getting in touch. Tell Steve and Rees what you would like to change, how you want to use the garden and the budget you have in mind.

We can explore your priorities, discuss suitable materials and develop a practical approach to the design and landscaping. Based in Amersham, we work in Chalfont St Peter and the surrounding Buckinghamshire area.

Discuss your garden project with Steve and Rees

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.