greening up a stony garden

March 28th, 2012

The previous owners of this terraced house had removed all plants, grass and soil and poured a thick layer of concrete, cobbles and gravel over the entire area, rendering any natural growth impossible. 

Having seen our work in the neighborhood, the new owners gave us a call and asked us to see what we could do to make the garden grow again.

With a challange like that and a blank canvas to work with, we relished the chance to make the garden green again.

The pathways and boundary walls were to stay – it’s a good job as they are stuck fast and would take some serious ground breaking to remove. As it was, clearing out the 25 cm deep gravel / poured concrete areas was a day spent in hard labour.

Once all that hard back breaking work was done and we had imported a couple of tonnes of topsoil, the garden was ready for planting. This is the result - a complete transformation (above).

Now planted, the garden has interest from lots of levels.

A close up (above) shows evergreen photinia red robin – fast becoming a favourite of ours. These two statement plants frame the house beautifully while breaking the line of sight beyond. Under these are planted pittosporum in dark purple tones and heuchera palace purple. Combined with those glorious purple leaves are delicate China blue agapanthus. Their long flowering season produces masses of blooms from May to September. Not only pretty to look at, they are well out of arm’s reach for occasional passerby picking!

Completing the planting is a ribbon of low growing heuchera, dwarf hebe and tall willowy crocosmia under the front window. All planting is treated with a thick bark mulch layer meaning practically no maintenance too. Bark also makes for a softer environment taking all the hardness out of any existing concrete.  

The garden now sits comfortably in it’s environment. The clients are delighted and are amazed that such a transformation could happen. Passersby complimented us all the time we were working here. That is double the compliment for us.

Tags: agapanthus, bark mulch, crocosmia, front garden, hebe, photinia, standard photinia red robin, www.mertondesign.ie
Posted in Garden Design, garden projects - 3 front gardens, Latest News • Will • No Comments »

raised planter veggie growing garden

March 7th, 2012

Urban dwellers are taking to back garden vegetable growing in droves. We are often asked to provide spaces to grow crops. Eating something home grown is a super satisfying thing, however there is an enormous time commitment to growing crops.  Even a few tomato plants or a couple of pots for beans requires time spent watering and tending.

Here this garden presented a number of issues we needed to deal with. Amongst them:

1) Childeren must still be able to use it as a play area.

2) Adults want a vegtable growing area.

3) It needs to look good all year round.

No matter how we tried we could not make a year round vegetable garden look attractive. Great in the growing season, but outside of that its bare earth or dying leaves. 

With a south facing back garden this space is perfectly situated to be either a traditional garden with drifts of flowers and prettiness or as a bounteous small allotment.

As it stood it is neither one thing or another.

As we went through the design implications for vegetable growing versus rampaging four year olds chasing after footballs, bikes etc, we got inspiration form vegetable boxes themselves.

We decided on an enclosure policy. If plants of any variety were to have any chance of survival, it was not going to happen at ground level. We had to build up and have seperate managable areas within.

We constructed sectioned boxes within the outer graphite coloured wooden casing. Into these boxes can be planted salad crops seperated by a rosemary hedge. Onions, carrotts, beans and garlic will be segregated into oregano edged patches. Using these interior compartments allows that particular section of compost / topsoil to be removed and replaced for a different crop. There are blue berry bushes, raspberry canes, a small apple tree and bay hedge too.

Our signature olive tree is planted adding a constant to the structure. The old Victorian brick wall is left to look rustic and farm like against very strong urban- grey straight lines.

The grass area in the centre will grow back and is still big enough to allow a kick about space. The raised beds are a perfect depth for hobby crops. The clever use of space, colour and height in this garden provides ample enjoyment for childern and adults alike (and most importantly, a few veggies for dinner too!)

Tags: apple tree, architectural planting, blueberry, carrot, child friendly, garden design, garlic, grey, olive trees, onion, oregano, raised beds, raspberry, rosemary, salad crops, tomato plants, vegetable garden
Posted in Garden Design, garden projects - 4 other gardens, Latest News • Will • 3 Comments »

a shock of pink

February 29th, 2012

When faced with this dull and frankly dreary guest bedroom we knew that whatever we did, it would have to prove a memorable stay-over.

We settled on a bold, striking colour scheme. We laid a deep pile plum wool carpet and contrasted it with fuchsia light shades and raised velvet headboard. This is the result!

We kept bedlinen pure crisp white so that the rest of the room can stand out.  Two bed side lamps with slender bases are reused and updated with small fuchsia shades.

Zebrano wood sliding doors on built in wardrobes hide everything and also keeps clutter at bay. The walls are painted a sultry shade called “iced orchid” by Colourtrend.

A final space saving is gained by using this bespoke Roman blind. Here we used a fabric from the same range as the headboard. We had it edged in a deep pile, velvet border. The central pattern becomes an artwork in itself when the blind is down. It is also lined in black out lining – so a good lie in is assured!

Tags: guest bedroom, make over, merton design, pink, velvet, wardrobe
Posted in Interior Design, Latest News • Will • 2 Comments »

pocket sized urban front garden

February 22nd, 2012

We love redesigning front gardens.  They really do mean a lot and say so much about your house. We will soon create a gallery devoted to front gardens we have worked on.

Every time the people who lived here left their house, they were met with this vista, (below). Grey gravel, an imposing compost bin and an unsuitable tree all aligned with a breeze block wall, thus making a dreary start to any journey.

Where pirvacy is needed there is none and where the source of light is strongest stands a solid green lump of a tree. It is a wonder a yellow rose grew and flowered in this urban outdoor space.

There really was only one thing for it….. a total overhaul. As city garden space is at a premium we had to accommodate a compost bin somewhere .

We designed a smart city garden with a central gravel area surrounded by lovely evergreen plants including: bay laurel hedging, dwarf hebe, winter hardy ferns,escalonia red dream and clipped bay trees. Mixed through, as a striking splash of deepest red, is heuchera palace purple. This will provide frothy white flowers in early summer. Hellebores in damson and white add long lasting spring colour.

Replacing walls with true to vintage iron railings and introducing a beautiful standard photinia “red robin” focal point, the garden instantly felt more open and enlivened while still being very low maintenance.

We moved the compost bin to an accessible corner, making it more useable from the path. Surrounding it with scented laurel should keep summer odours at bay.

Using buff gravel as a central area and deep bark mulched planting to the sides, we have mazimised the space, made it feel more alive while remaining quite structured. 

Now complete with open rainlings, clipped bay trees and small evergreen shrubs, this pocket sized garden is a joy to walk through and a delight from both house and street view.

Tags: architectural planting, compost bin, focal point, front garden, gravel, grey, hebe, heuchera, iron railings, laurel hedge, laurus nobilis, low maintenance, makeover, merton design, mertondesign.ie, photinia red robin, planting in gravel, seasonal, urban garden
Posted in Garden Design, garden projects - 3 front gardens, Latest News • Will • 1 Comment »

Public planting does not need to be boring!

February 15th, 2012

Planting public spaces or at least spaces that are not private gardens can be tricky.  Plants need to be robust, so a lot of the time areas around pathways and car parking spaces end up being planted with shrubs which get cut back each year and morph into a woody single height hedge.  We like to do something a bit more interesting.

We were asked to create a garden for the front of a newly constructed residential building.

The garden had to provide access to the building, but also frame and complement the structure.

So this is what we did.  We created a lush lawn and planted along the pathway with hucheras and miniture hebes.

We created a triangular bed near the entrance composed of jade ferns, bronze phormiums, minature fuchias and china blue agapanthus.  The border is designed to be colourful year round, interesting and low mainteance.   It is soft and pretty and interesting to walk past.

We planted three mult-stem himalayan birches directly into the lawn at one end close to the building.  These beautiful trees won’t grow too tall but will contiue to split and fill the space with their beautiful branches and stems.  The small green leaves rustle gently in the summer and the bare branches look stunning in winter.

Along the the covered entrance walkway to the building, we installed a series of columnar chalky finished containers planted with pinus sylvetris.  The columnar shape of the planters compliments and reflects the repetition of the building columns and the dark green pines contrast nicely with the cream stone cladding of the building.

On the other side of the driveway, we planted three-colour phormiums which are visually striking.  These are mixed with large white agapanthus for stunning effect.

Tags: agapanthus, architectural planting, chalk finish pots, entrace, front garden, hebes, himalayan birches, hucheras, lawn, merton design, mertondesign.ie, multiple planting, phormiums, pines, public spaces, residential builidng, seaonsal, www.mertondesign.ie
Posted in Garden Design, garden projects - 1 large gardens, Latest News • John • No Comments »

the oscar for best hallway goes to….

February 8th, 2012

Some time ago we were called out to see what creative magic we could bring to a frankly dreary hall.

Immediately we were buzzing. We wanted to restore and to give it glamour. We would take this 1940′s hallway back in time and give it some oldschool Hollywood glamour.

We found an old fashioned telephone – still in working order and based our scheme around it. We imagined a starlet receiving a call about a great new part. At merton design we dream in colour. Sometimes, dreams come true!

Tackling a few obsticles including removing the solid stair side and removing the carpet, we opened up the already sizeable space.  Staining pine floorboards to a deep tortoise shell mahogony took hours of painstaking work. It is well worth the effort when teamed with a raspberry striped runner.

Walls painted a striking shade of duck egg blue makes teal and raspberry accents feel warm and stylish. A full sized, deeply pleated, swishing silk curtain is double lined for effect and edged with a directional cuff, reminiscent of theatres of old. The leading edge of this single curtain is edged with crystal beads and is held in place with a crystal holdback..

The old telephone is given pride of place atop this super glamorous bevilled chest. The front of which mirrors the runner beautifully.

A teal and raspberry stool strewn with silk cushions acts as a cosy seat from which to chat.

Feminine touches abound as seen here in the gorgeous capiz shell light shade and bevilled mirror. This mirror is placed opposite the last step of the stairs – what better way to check your look before you open the door. You never know who might be the other side!

This hallway was featured in House and Home magazine ….. to rave reviews …. obviously!

Tags: 1940's, carpet, crystal, curtain, hallway, house and home magazine., makeover, merton design, mirror, moviestar, oscar, raspberry, runner, staircase, teal, telephone
Posted in Interior Design • Will • 1 Comment »

for public viewing

February 2nd, 2012

A front garden is not only yours!  More often than not,  it is seen from the other side of your boundary and by a lot more people too. We always design front gardens from this perspective. 

It should enhance and compliment your house and allow easy access to the hall door. If there is a consensus of styles in your area, than this should be reflected in yours.

We completed a project last year which will illustrate this point. 

There was not a lot going on in the front garden before the bricks and sand were dropped there! It had become a tangle of weeds and old woody hedging. 

Our design brief was to smarten the frontage and to allow for two pathways. Other than that, it was up to us.

We aimed to create a visual link along the front and keep the open aspect as privacy was not an issue. Pathways in straight lines allow uncluttered passage. Maintenance was kept to a minimum.

Using mainly evergreen plants we created a harmonious palette of glossy leaf and architectural shape. Three planting squares were cut into the gravel to add a formality under the windows.

On one side of the main access path we created more pocket planting into gravel. Here we used one statement Italian Cupressus tree as a centrepiece. It provides the height we require without taking too much light or width. This is complimented by dwarf escalonia planted in a diamond shape beneath.

Buff coloured granite slabs edged by sizeable bark filled planting beds, evergreen plants and golden gravel combine to soften what could be a hard space.

This garden is admired by more than the occupants of this house. While we were creating it, pedestrians constantly complimented us on the transformation.

Tags: architectural planting, escalonia, front garden, granite, gravel, Italian cypress, multiple planting, planting in gravel
Posted in Garden Design, garden projects - 3 front gardens, Latest News • Will • No Comments »

beauty of nature in winter

December 21st, 2011

We often think of winter as a harsh time in the garden and in nature but there is a distinct beauty in the winter landsape.

A line of bare trees on a hilltop creates a stunning image.  Without their leaves we can see the structure of mature trees more clearly.

Deer grazing in the Phoenix park on frost sparkled grass.

Frost on leaves captured up close.

While low temperatures can be the enemy of some of the less hardier plants in the garden, others particularly native and deciduous plants have actually benefitted from the colder temperatures of recent winters. 

Rosemary covered in frost.  Despite being used to warmer and much drier climates than ours, most Rosemary survived the hard winters quite well.

Tags: Deciduous trees, frost, merton design, rosemary, Trees, winter, winter in the garden, www.mertondesign.ie
Posted in Objects in the garden we love • John • No Comments »

festive tables

December 14th, 2011

We spend lots of time preparing and planning meals for family and friends over the Christmas period.  With a little imagination and creativity you can really transform your table to add that extra wow to all your culniary effort.

In winter and partiuclarly over Christmas, light is key.  A simple nightlight in a coloured glass placed on each place setting with the lights turned down low will really set the scene for a cosy winter meal.

You dont have to keep all the Christmas decorations for the tree.  A few artfully scattered around the table will really had to that festive feel.

The transformation that a simple nightlight can bring about.

You can use whatever there is to hand.  Just be creative.  You can go all sparkle and glitter or green and earthy – for the latter effect, scatter some clemanties and lemons or whatever fruit you have.  Get some green foliage from the garden and place it under the fruit or along the the table.  But don’t leave to minimal – use all your glassware!

While less is more in table dressing for most occasions, for Christmas there can never be enough and there can never be enough red.  So use red nite light holders, candles.  The glow and reflection from the candles and nite lights will really make your table festive.

Enjoy!  Happy Christmas to all our clients and suppliers

Tags: christmas, festive, interior design, interiors, merton design, nite lights, table settings, tables, www.mertodesign.ie
Posted in Interior Design • John • No Comments »

winter colour in the garden

December 7th, 2011

Many gardens are at the best in summer and autumn.  However it still is possible to have a garden or areas of your garden that are more than a collection of bare branches and twigs in winter.

By mixing some evergreen, winter flowering plants and shrubs you can ensure that you have colour and interest in your garden throughout the winter.

These beautiful skimmias with their dark glossy leaves stay in flower right through the winter and look good in beds, pots, planters or even window boxes. 

A couple of these wonderful skimmias will brighten up any windowsill and their red flower adds a festive feel.

Laurus Nobilis or Bay laurel also provides evergreen interest in beds, raised planters or pots.  These pyramid bays add structure and interest to this raised planter bed.  You can also use the bay leaves in casseroles and sauces.

Rosemary will stay evergreen during the winter but will go into a dormant phase.  However, you can still pull a few tips for cooking.  Lower temperatures mean that you won’t have that aromatic experience you get in summer.  Still they are such a useful and versatile plant in your winter garden scheme.

Tags: bay, evergreen plants, garden design, low mainteance, mediterranean, merton design, planting, plants, raised planter bed, winter
Posted in garden projects - 2 smaller gardens • John • No Comments »