Morningside Garden

A Sensitive Design

This Morningside garden was commissioned by clients who were looking to improve the accessibility of their front garden to allow for wheelchair access. They were adamant that their garden should not be taken over by the ramp and so wanted a sensitive, interesting design which was accessible but at the same time beautiful. The aim was to create a design which accommodated the slope as well as a parking space for a car, bin storage, a seating area, and planting to create privacy but also interest throughout the year which was wildlife friendly.

Material choices

Paths were constructed from granite slabs and setts, the driveway is a porous resin bound gravel and retained edges were created using corten steel.  Hard landscaping materials were chosen to blend well together while at the same time complementing the existing colours of this old Edinburgh stone-built house.  The warm tones of the corten and resin bound gravel pick out the buff sandstone while the grey/black paving stones provide a good contrast and catch the darker tones on the house walls.

Award-winning

The garden was built by Water Gems and in 2022 they won a prestigious BALI award (British Association of Landscape Industries) for their excellent workmanship.  The BALI judge commented:

This garden represents what professional domestic landscaping should be all about – client satisfaction by the bucket load! This challenging multifunctional space has not only given the front garden a new lease of life, it has also meant that the clients are able to now see a long term future at the property with its newly enhanced accessibility. The quality of the hard landscaping construction is excellent given the number of different material interactions and the way the materials have been used and customised. The overall effect is that of a cohesive and well considered space that delivers both aesthetically and functionally.