The #StayHome Garden is inspired by the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 #StayHome Garden is not a template, but is a demonstration of how I would apply these elements to a bespoke project. Everyone has their own favourite natural place, be it the African veld or the top of Ben Nevis. The mission of the #StayHome Garden is to bring a memory of that place to you. I have based this sample design on my personal travels to various coastal places.
From a distance, nature tends to paint like Mondrian, using strong geometric elements, and blocks of colour from a simple palette. I have designed this layout with a geometry that is strong, but can be easily adapted to fit an irregular space and compensate for inexact measurements.
I have used a simple palette of materials to define the geometry of the design. Decking and a timber pergola create spaces for furniture. (Picture from edecks.co.uk) Cladding the boundaries with woven hazel panels is a simple way to update existing mismatched fences. (Picture from waltons.co.uk) To create the effect of an old pier rising out of the sea, I have used vertical reclaimed sleepers. (Picture from railwaysleepers.com)
To inhabit this design geometry with life, I have used a simple palette of undemanding plants. This design can be tailored to different self-build skills and resources. I have shown the central space as a low-growing wild flower lawn (from wildflowerlawnsandmeadows.com) but it could also be a biodiverse water feature.
The design is punctuated by elements that are smooth and bleached, to evoke the feeling of stones and shells in an abstract way. These include a Beepost and a modular bird table (from greenandblue.co.uk), and a Luna concrete sphere light (from oneartisan.co.uk)