Location: North Downs, England 

Graylings is a new build residential home on the North Downs in Surrey. The house is an ultra environmental Passivhaus built by the German company Baufritz.

MWG were involved in the development of the landscape from the inception of the build, enabling the creation of a concept that wasn’t simply a garden around the house, but was an integral part of the overall completed project. Central to this was creating low to no irrigation plantings and using a limited palette of new and reclaimed materials.

The entire property is cut into the steep side of the hill rising from Woldingham valley, with the first floor at the same level as the road, and the ground floor 3m below. Access to the front door is through a steep sided garden planted with drought tolerant Mediterranean plants, which a circular seating area paved with large, random slabs of Caithness stone.

To the rear of the property is a small courtyard garden designed as a yoga space dominated by a water feature, above which is a bridge to the front door. We used tall tree ferns to counterbalance the dominant impressed concrete wall, under planted with massed foliage to create a calming tapestry of plants.

The main planting wraps around the house and again is comprised of a zero irrigation planting. A key feature is the ‘planted path’ made up of reclaimed granite kerb stones planted with thymes, creeping campanula and ladies mantle.

Below this the landscape evolves into an extensive wildflower sowing, with winding paths to the kitchen garden, complete with geodesic dome glasshouse, and sauna, clad with black larch to match the house.

 

About Matthew Wilson Gardens

Matthew Wilson is an award-winning garden and landscape designer, writer, radio & television broadcaster and lecturer.

He has extensive garden design experience having worked on a wealth of projects – from small urban gardens to master planning country estates – and can offer a full range of horticulture design and consultancy services to suit your needs. Matthew can provide a full range of garden design services for clients including full or partial garden design; master planning; consultancy; and planting and landscaping advice.