Three years ago, inspired by the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, I designed the #StayHome Garden. Due to the unusual conditions of self-isolation, I tried to envision how the concept of a grow-your-own kit might be scaled up to the size and complexity of a garden, with the added element of being customisable via e-design.
This concept relies on two design elements...
• an adaptable layout and
• a simple palette of plants and materials.
My biomimetic design style already lends itself to this purpose.
The Simplicity Garden, a reimagining of my original #StayHome Garden design, is not a template, but is a demonstration of how I would apply these elements to a bespoke project.
Each of us has a unique connection with nature that is influenced by what inspires us. My bespoke e-design will bring those sources of inspiration to life as a cohesive garden concept that you can use to transform your space into your favourite place to be.
I have based this sample design on a fusion of Japanese and Bauhaus design tenets, to bring my own vision of serenity to life. These contrasting styles both grew from philosophies inspired by nature. From the Japanese style, I have taken inspiration for this simple, harmonious nature-inspired colour palette of timber, stone-grey and green. The layout of the garden is inspired by a Bauhaus-style geometry that is bold, but can be adapted to fit an irregular space and compensate for inexact measurements. This design can also be tailored to suit different self-build skills and resources. For instance, I have shown the space encircled by vertical railway sleepers as a simple low-growing wildflower lawn, but it could also be transformed into a more complex biodiverse pond and wetland habitat.
I have used a simple palette of materials to create the geometry of the design, and a simple palette of plants to inhabit it with life. Timber structures rise from a stone-grey landscape, surrounded by dense beds of mostly evergreen, undemanding native and pollinator-friendly greenery.
The design is punctuated by biomorphic features, such as the pebble-inspired creations of Darren Rumley (oneartisan.co.uk) and a bespoke sculpture, inspired by the unfurling fronds of a fern, which I designed in consultation with sculptor Simon Probyn (simonprobyn.co.uk), to be made from steel wrapped around bundles of bamboo poles to form a microhabitat for wildlife.