New Build Garden by Utopia Landscapes

When Adam first met his clients, Alan and Heather, they already had some ideas for what they wanted their back garden to look like.
Practical, manageable, with three paved areas, a shed base, large lawn, gravelled areas, raised beds and extensive planting.
Adam honed their design, added some ideas of his own that would make the space truly unique, and did some thorough research on materials.
From the start, there was some question as to whether the clients would add a summerhouse or not. Adam's paving design included a summerhouse shaped area outlined in a different coloured paving. That way, the finished garden would have an area of interest no matter what the final decision was. As it happened, the clients settled on a bespoke pergola with gabion benches - which looks superb!

Three main challenges beset the Utopia Landscapes team as they built this garden.

The first was the soil. This was apparently one of the last houses to be built in the complex and the garden had been used as a storage area. Consequently, the soil was in very poor condition. In some areas the subsoil was at surface level. In other areas it was only 50mm beneath the surface.

Adam and the team needed to excavate 300-400mm of soil and replace it with around 20 tonnes of good quality topsoil.

The fence height also proved challenging. The fence line sloped upwards from the house then levelled off half way. The garden was to be created on one level and so Adam and the team had to figure out the finishing heights for the patio and shed base so that they would look right.

Finally, building the gabion cages for the pergola required a bit of fiddling around. The pergola legs were to be inside the baboons which meant cutting the baskets and positioning them accurately above the post holes. The gabion lids could only be lifted part way up - which made filling them a little difficult. But hey - landscapers are ingenious and incredibly adaptable. The job was finished to a very high standard indeed.

Working with a great design and some wonderful materials, Utopia Landscapes have created a fantastic garden out of what began life looking like a badly ploughed field.
Gravelled paths link the functional areas of the garden and a large lawn invites visitors to explore.
That beautiful bespoke pergola is in perfect harmony with the rest of the plot and provides the homeowners with a restful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Generous planting with trees, hedges and perennial plants will mature to create a rich green oasis.
Top marks for the team who created this garden in only 42 man days.