Sussex flint cottage garden

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Flint cottage garden design and planting in sussex


The brief was to include lots of plants! The house is part of a large U shaped barn conversion, creating 8 new houses. The gardens all look out over a shared large lawn and the countryside beyond. This garden faces south and is HOT in summer. Also the ground here was pretty awful. Old farm yard and chalk pan make for difficult growing conditions.
We dug up the old concrete farmyard and loosened the chalk, then created raised beds using oak half sleepers. This allowed us to import a good depth of top soil. The key to the planting was to create a bit of privacy from the neighbours without spoiling the view or using anything too heavy.
The flowerbeds are full of grasses, perennials and spring bulbs, with Pittosporum tom thumb domes providing year round structure. The colours of the house bricks are picked up in the planting with penstemon raven and allium sphaerocephalon and the flint and paving colour is echoed with the grass seedheads and veronicastrum. The planting is highlighted in the evening with the low sunlight.
Wisteria, roses and trachelospermum fill the small garden with scent through the summer.
This was planted under a year ago.

Flint cottage garden design and planting in Sussex

A small barn conversion garden with tough growing conditions!
I really enjoyed the challenge of incorporating my clients request for ‘lots of plants’ in a tiny garden on top of an old farmyard. The garden is situated in a U-shaped barn conversion housing eight properties, this particular garden faces south and presents unique challenges with its old farmyard and chalky soil.

Undertaking a complete transformation, we removed the old concrete farmyard and improved the soil by loosening the chalk and creating raised beds with oak half sleepers. This allowed us to introduce a generous layer of topsoil, addressing the challenging growing conditions.

Our planting design centred on achieving privacy from neighbours without obstructing the picturesque view or introducing overly dense elements. Grasses, perennials, and spring bulbs fill the flowerbeds, while Pittosporum tom thumb domes offer year-round structural appeal. The colour palette works with the house bricks, featuring penstemon raven and allium sphaerocephalon, while echoes of flint and paving hues resonate through grass seedheads and veronicastrum.

In the evening light, the planting takes centre stage, complemented by the warm glow of low sunlight. Wisteria, roses, and trachelospermum contribute to a fragrant summer ambiance in this thoughtfully designed small garden.
With a focus on sustainability, the planting is equipped with irrigation and mulching.