This part of the garden faces south-west, so gets the sun late afternoon and early evening.
The way the decking is laid, its curved edges and sculptural but comfortable seating, together with the complementary planting, provides an exotic architectural effect, while creating a practical environment for relaxation and entertainment.
Close to the house, family and friends can sit around on these seats even on chilly evenings. The circular lid, when removed, reveals a firepit. At night especially, the lit fire with the deckboards radiating out seems to represent the last vestiges of the sun, its rays reaching out into the soft darkness. The effect is enhanced by strategically-placed LED lighting.
To create the semi circle, the deck boards had to be individually machined to achieve the required taper. We used ipé - a South American hardwood timber. As with all our timber, it is from a sustainable source to FSC standards. Its smooth, sleek surface is so much more pleasing than some of the softwood alternatives. The choice is to treat this timber with a special oil, or allow it to weather to a silvery grey seasoned look.
The seats are formed by small horizontal sections bolted into upright timber sleepers which are concreted into the ground. These timbers are ordinary treated softwood.
Plants include
Fatsia japonica – Japanesse aralia – chosen for its leaves that look like large, outstretched hands
Camellia williamsii x ‘donation’ – a large variety with demi-double, pink flowers
Skimmia japonica ‘Kew Green’ - a compact, dome-shaped, evergreen shrub with dense clusters of fragrant, creamy-
white flowers in April and May
Agapanthus praecox – also known as ‘lily of the Nile’
Nerine bowdenii – an unusual perennial with glowing pink ‘bowls’ of flowers
