This extremely large garden’s existing deck was rotten and in need of replacing. The family who live here needed accessible ramps to cater for an electric wheelchair. It was very important that the garden was accessible on all levels, as the garden slopes. The previous top deck was narrower, with steps to a lower deck where we now have a wildflower lawn area.
The main deck was quite narrow and didn’t really allow much useable space. So we extended this to give more room for tables and chairs to create a space to dine. Then we made a grand staircase to the mid garden. The pathways were built around the side of the perimeter of the property to give easy access to the garden room at the bottom of the garden.
I wanted to make this feel less like a ramp and more of a journey from top to bottom. The deck boards we choose to do this in were Millboards lista grip, they are the only specialists gripped deck boards on the market that also has a matching standard board which was used on the main deck. These boards look great and perform even better, making it very easy to navigate in wet conditions. I did not want to create one long steep ramp ,invasive and boring, so we built a pond area to go around , this helped to keep the incline as lease as possible. This ended up actually being a main focal point enjoyed by everyone. The sound of running water through the small waterfall we created from a broken plant pot really is a tranquil place to sit by.
The ramps then curve down and around this and go under overhanging trees giving a sense of walking through a forest. Then it straightens up to the mid and lower parts of the garden. Planting has begun , and in a few years there will be lots of greenery and flowers to enjoy. There’s oak sleeper walls to create sections and retain ground. Then the area in which was previously a smaller deck, we laid a wild meadow . This should grow wild over the next few years creating a wonderful area full of colour and attractive wildlife.
The clients decided they didn’t want to obstruct their view which looks out across London. So opted for frameless glass balustrade to complete there project. Soft upright lighting has been added to the flower beds and riser lights added to the steps. This was truly a wonderful design and build, giving the family full use of there garden which wasn’t so practical before.
