Steve Richardson and Rees De Liege bring practical experience, careful workmanship and a thoughtful approach to every garden they design and professionally landscape at S&R Landscapes.
This Chalfont St Peter project shows how planting and well-built landscaping can transform an unwelcoming outdoor space. Beginning with the homeowners’ ideas in 2022 and completed in 2023, the scheme brought together a garden office, a sweeping path, a new lawn and generous planting.
A Garden Built Around the Homeowners
The brief centred on a garden office at the rear, surrounded by plants and reached by an inviting path. Lighting and irrigation were included, while the existing patio, paving and walls were retained.
Cleaning the existing surfaces and introducing a fresh wall colour brightened the space. For Steve and Rees, making good use of what is already there is an important part of planning a garden around your priorities and budget.
Generous Planting with Colour and Texture
Just over 100 square metres of new planting beds accommodated 681 plants. A multi-stemmed birch provided height and structure, with shrubs, grasses and flowering plants creating layers of colour and texture around it.
Calibrachoa, convolvulus and trailing rosemary softened the walls, helping the planting connect with the existing landscaping. The varied scheme gave the garden interest beyond its main summer display.
Careful Ground Preparation and a New Lawn
Clearing accumulated waste opened up space that had previously been difficult to use. Twenty tonnes of new soil were brought in, and a sweeping lawn of around 100 square metres completed the layout.
The planting introduced flowers for visiting pollinators alongside foliage and structure for the homeowners to enjoy. Irrigation formed part of the brief, with watering considered from the start.
Steve and Rees understand that a professional finish begins beneath the surface. Ground preparation, levels and the connections between planting beds, paths and lawns deserve the same care as the visible details.
Plants Used in This Garden
The planting palette combined flowering perennials, grasses, shrubs and ground cover, including:
- Agapanthus, alchemilla, aquilegia, asters and cornflowers.
- Birch, Cornus ‘Elegantissima’ and Cornus kousa.
- Calamagrostis, Carex morrowii, hakonechloa and ‘Red Baron’ grass.
- Calibrachoa, convolvulus, rosemary and trailing rosemary.
- Delphiniums, echinacea, erigeron, gaura, iris and nerine.
- Ferns, hellebores, heuchera, hostas and Tiarella.
- Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’, philadelphus, sarcococca and Viburnum davidii.
- Pachysandra terminalis, sedum, perovskia and vinca.
- Verbena bonariensis and Verbena ‘Lollipop’.
A Sweeping Path Through Changing Levels
The uneven ground required careful setting out to connect the garden’s different areas. A curved clay-paved path gave the route to the office a natural flow, with the lawn and planting following the same sweeping lines.
This combination of practical problem-solving and attention to finish reflects the skills Steve Richardson and Rees De Liege bring to their landscaping work. Their aim is a garden that looks considered and works comfortably in everyday use.
- Location: Chalfont St Peter.
- Completed: 2023.
- Soft landscaping materials: Country Supplies.
- Clay paving: London Stone.
- Plants: Babylon Plants.
Planning your own garden transformation? Speak to Steve and Rees about garden design, planting and professional landscaping in Chalfont St Peter and the surrounding areas.
Discuss your garden with Steve Richardson and Rees De Liege.
Garden design: Karl Harrison.
