Fenton Roberts Garden Design, front gardens, North London

Front Gardens

Front Garden with Green Roof Bin Store

This front garden belongs to Jo Fenton and is a hard working space, incorporating a driveway, wheelie bin storage, a pond and flower garden. Creamy Sandstone Paving and Setts were chosen to combine with the existing pebbledash house and London stock boundary wall. The bespoke bin store with green roof and the horizontal trellis fencing were painted to match. The garden is a haven for wildlife, not least because of the pond, which is teaming with frogs and newts, but also the wild planting which has been chosen to attract bees.

Barnet Front Garden 1

Barnet Front Garden 2

Sandstone driveway

Barnet Front Garden 3

Barnet Front Garden 4

Sandstone path to the front door

Barnet Front Garden 5

Green Roof plants

Barnet Front Garden 6

Barnet Front Garden 7

The pond nestles amongst the wild planting

Barnet Front Garden 8

Pond with reclaimed pavement grating platform.

Barnet Front Garden 9

Barnet Front Garden 10

Echiops ritro with grasses

Barnet Front Garden 11

Barnet Front Garden 12

Mediterranean Front Garden

This Garden had an existing block paving drive and an uninspiring lawn. The owners asked us to give them something more interesting within the footprint of the lawn area. As it was a relatively large space and we were keen to keep as much green as we could, we kept some of the lawn, cutting the existing turf into a circular shape. The owners particularly wanted the three Cupressus sempervirens 'Totem' so we designed the rest of the planting scheme around them, on a Mediterranean theme.

Mediterranean Front Garden 1

Mediterranean Front Garden 2

Mediterranean Front Garden 3

Mediterranean Front Garden 4

Mediterranean Front Garden 5

Euphorbia myrsinites tones well with the Lavender.

Mediterranean Front Garden 6

Carex Testacea and Sedum look great together in the Autumn

Contemporary Front Garden

This North London front garden was designed to reflect the clients' taste in modern design and had to incorporate parking for two cars. The design was based around squares using steel edging and resin bound gravel to give the clean lines required for this functional, contemporary space.

Contemporary Front Garden 1

Contemporary Front Garden 2

Sharp lines and strong geometric shapes keep the garden looking crisp.

Contemporary Front Garden 3

The driveway is constructed from resin bound gravel

Contemporary Front Garden 4

Sedum Matrona and the evergreen grass Anemanthele lessoniana

Contemporary Front Garden 5

Contemporary Front Garden 6

Contemporary Front Garden 7

Contemporary Front Garden 8

Contemporary Front Garden 9

During winter the grasses and seedheads catch the frost beautifully.

Contemporary Front Garden 10

Bupleurum fruticosum seedhead.

Marylebone Lightwell

The brief for this tiny light well was to provide a low maintenance garden which would look interesting all year while still reflecting the changing seasons. The Japanese Maple, we chose, has buttery yellow leaves in the autumn and striking red branches which contrast with the white walls during winter. The grasses turn golden and die down leaving space for fresh spring bulbs and ferns to herald the beginning of a new year.
We used a metal wall sculpture by Grace and Webb Ltd. which is lit from behind. Spotlights inside the containers enhance the screen by throwing atmospheric shadows across the white, brick walls, at night time.

Lightwell 1

Acer Sango Kaku in Summer

Lightwell 2

Lightwell 3

Acer with metal screen

Lightwell 4

Yellow Autumn foliage

Lightwell 5

The new winter branches are red.

Lightwell 6

The metal screen casts shadows of its own.

Palmers Green Slate Garden

The owners of this period property wanted a stylish garden that would be contemporary while still complementing their home. The new red Victorian tile path ties in with the existing brickwork and is carried through into the rusty tones of the planting.

Slate Garden 1

Slate Garden 2

Slate Garden 3

Slate Garden 4

Slate Garden 5

Slate Garden 6

Sedums and Heuchera

Palmers Green Front Garden

The garden is based upon traditional Victorian layout with a rope edged tile path leading up to the front door. However the choice of Moroccan Encaustic Cement Tiles give the space a modern twist. In order to make a link between the path and boundary wall, we topped the wall with grey blue bullnose bricks. Otherwise the red brick and lime mortar used on the new walls were carefully chosen to match the house.

The owners liked the hedge in their old garden so the new path is lined either side with a Euonymus hedge which will grow up to hide the neighbour's adjoining wall which is an eyesore. The garden is north facing so the plants chosen are all happy in shade and most of them are evergreen.