Before & After: A Curvy UK Garden Design That's Accessible to All
Before and after photos show the inspired design that turned this garden into a stunning, wheelchair-friendly space
Designer Terrey Maufe has made this beautiful UK garden on the outskirts of Bristol work really hard. Not only does the multi-level space provide variety, it also looks wonderful from inside the house, includes a large patio for dining, and has a generous barbecue area and flower garden. This outdoor sanctuary provides a fun space for the homeowners’ six-year-old daughter as well, and is accessible for one of the parents who uses a wheelchair.
This is how things looked when Maufe first saw the garden. “It was only one step away from the fields beyond,” she says, referring to the lack of landscaping that had been done on-site.
“It was an established garden with a lumpy lawn and very compromised pathways where roots had lifted up sections of it,” she says. “There were trip hazards everywhere and, even for an able-bodied person, it wasn’t easy to get around or look after.” It certainly wasn’t ideal for the homeowners, a working family with a small child and one parent reliant on a wheelchair to get around.
“It was an established garden with a lumpy lawn and very compromised pathways where roots had lifted up sections of it,” she says. “There were trip hazards everywhere and, even for an able-bodied person, it wasn’t easy to get around or look after.” It certainly wasn’t ideal for the homeowners, a working family with a small child and one parent reliant on a wheelchair to get around.
This picture shows roughly the same view after Maufe’s redesign.
The garden now features a wheelchair-accessible path (edged with white walls) that slopes up from the patio and curves all the way around a central lawn. This is bordered on the left by vegetable- and fruit-growing ‘bays’ next to shallow steps, which are edged in Corten steel and divided by railway sleepers.
Box hedging makes a nod to a traditional kitchen garden. Was Maufe concerned about box blight, a disease that can affect Buxux plants? “It’s more prevalent if you have a hedge against a wall where there’s less ventilation,” she says. “Here, where there’s good airflow, it’s much less of a risk.”
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The garden now features a wheelchair-accessible path (edged with white walls) that slopes up from the patio and curves all the way around a central lawn. This is bordered on the left by vegetable- and fruit-growing ‘bays’ next to shallow steps, which are edged in Corten steel and divided by railway sleepers.
Box hedging makes a nod to a traditional kitchen garden. Was Maufe concerned about box blight, a disease that can affect Buxux plants? “It’s more prevalent if you have a hedge against a wall where there’s less ventilation,” she says. “Here, where there’s good airflow, it’s much less of a risk.”
Looking to redesign your garden? Find a landscape architect or designer near you on Houzz
Central to the design was a circular lawn that was a loose element of the original garden.
“We crisped up [the original lawn] and re-landscaped it,” says Maufe of the new area. “Within this slightly squiffy, kite-shaped garden, it anchors the design, then all the other features radiate out from that central point.”
“We crisped up [the original lawn] and re-landscaped it,” says Maufe of the new area. “Within this slightly squiffy, kite-shaped garden, it anchors the design, then all the other features radiate out from that central point.”
These two images show the original bumpy path alongside the new design, seen from the top of the slope.
The new extension ate into most of the original terrace and also took the patio almost up to the first level change in the garden. As such, this had to be dug out to create a new patio level with the house.
Maufe designed the area to be big enough for family dining and barbecues, and to provide generous circulation space, allowing for comfortable movement around the terrace in a wheelchair. The surface is paved in smooth porcelain tiles.
Wide steps, which provide an alternative route up to the lawn, are roughly in line with the patio doors on the bungalow’s new extension.
The dropped garden beds in front of the lawn are an important detail; Maufe wanted planting that wouldn’t block the view of the rest of the garden from the house or patio. “The Corten steel allowed us to create planting at lawn level rather than above it, meaning you can see beyond it,” she says.
Maufe designed the area to be big enough for family dining and barbecues, and to provide generous circulation space, allowing for comfortable movement around the terrace in a wheelchair. The surface is paved in smooth porcelain tiles.
Wide steps, which provide an alternative route up to the lawn, are roughly in line with the patio doors on the bungalow’s new extension.
The dropped garden beds in front of the lawn are an important detail; Maufe wanted planting that wouldn’t block the view of the rest of the garden from the house or patio. “The Corten steel allowed us to create planting at lawn level rather than above it, meaning you can see beyond it,” she says.
This is how the patio looked before the extension was built.
The job originally came to Maufe after she met the architects who designed the extension, DHV Architects, at a Houzz networking event. “I’d worked on a garden at another property they’d designed,” she says, “and I recognised them.” They recommended Maufe to the homeowners.
The job originally came to Maufe after she met the architects who designed the extension, DHV Architects, at a Houzz networking event. “I’d worked on a garden at another property they’d designed,” she says, “and I recognised them.” They recommended Maufe to the homeowners.
The boundary with the interior is flush, thanks to the use of Millboard composite decking, which mirrors the cedar-clad overhang above (see next photo). Because it’s not a natural material, the Millboard won’t expand or contract. This allowed Maufe to leave gaps between the boards and to install a linear drain beneath it to prevent any damp issues.
Maufe added flowerbeds right next to the extension’s two floor-to-ceiling windows, one of which can be seen here (the other is just out of shot on the right). “Because the terrace is quite generous, this helps to make the garden feel much closer to the house,” she says.
Planting here includes Allium caeruleum, Lavandula angustifolia ‘Silver Mist’, Geranium clerkei ‘Kashmir White’, and Perovskia ‘Little Spire’.
Just beyond the first lawn, you can see a shady spot where the swings have been repositioned. “The daughter has lots of cousins who come over and her mother was keen to let her have a space that we left alone in which she could hide and dig and make a mess. It’s often [about] what you don’t do more than what you do do to make a garden child-friendly.”
Planting here includes Allium caeruleum, Lavandula angustifolia ‘Silver Mist’, Geranium clerkei ‘Kashmir White’, and Perovskia ‘Little Spire’.
Just beyond the first lawn, you can see a shady spot where the swings have been repositioned. “The daughter has lots of cousins who come over and her mother was keen to let her have a space that we left alone in which she could hide and dig and make a mess. It’s often [about] what you don’t do more than what you do do to make a garden child-friendly.”
The husband is Dutch and for this reason the colour palette includes a lot of orange, an important colour with a long history in the Netherlands. It features not only in the planting but also in the Corten steel, which has a (protective) rust surface.
“The overall colour theme is coppers, oranges and bronzes,” says Maufe. “These are set off with purples and mauves; they are at opposite ends of the colour spectrum, so they really zing together.”
The warm-toned plants include orange tulips, Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’, Uncinia rubra ‘Everflame’, and Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’. The cooler-coloured sections include rosemary; lavender; Alchemilla mollis, and Nepeta racemosa.
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“The overall colour theme is coppers, oranges and bronzes,” says Maufe. “These are set off with purples and mauves; they are at opposite ends of the colour spectrum, so they really zing together.”
The warm-toned plants include orange tulips, Heucherella ‘Sweet Tea’, Uncinia rubra ‘Everflame’, and Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’. The cooler-coloured sections include rosemary; lavender; Alchemilla mollis, and Nepeta racemosa.
Browse more beautiful backyards on Houzz
“The mixed natural native hedge was already there and borders arable land,” says Maufe of the hedge seen here in the background.
Also visible in this image are the two multi-stemmed silver birch trees that were already in the garden, which Maufe kept, adding one more to make a trio. A planting arc including nepeta and lavender makes for a hazy, mauve-toned display.
Also seen here is a straight path off the circle that leads to a bench. “This is a west-facing space with a fire pit in the centre,” says Maufe. “It’s a great area for a sundowner.”
Also visible in this image are the two multi-stemmed silver birch trees that were already in the garden, which Maufe kept, adding one more to make a trio. A planting arc including nepeta and lavender makes for a hazy, mauve-toned display.
Also seen here is a straight path off the circle that leads to a bench. “This is a west-facing space with a fire pit in the centre,” says Maufe. “It’s a great area for a sundowner.”
Along the side of the patio is a narrow border. “Because it’s quite shady, we put in white foxgloves, white alliums and plants with variegated leaves to lighten up and lift this space.”
An ash, a sycamore and an apple are among the trees visible, but on the other side of the fence. “Height is really hard to achieve if you’re starting from scratch, so trees beyond the boundary can be as much a part of a garden [as the new planting].”
The small lawn is perfect for the homeowners’ little girl. “It’s really accessible from a child’s point of view,” says Maufe. “It was also a good way of creating a block of green close to the house.”
An ash, a sycamore and an apple are among the trees visible, but on the other side of the fence. “Height is really hard to achieve if you’re starting from scratch, so trees beyond the boundary can be as much a part of a garden [as the new planting].”
The small lawn is perfect for the homeowners’ little girl. “It’s really accessible from a child’s point of view,” says Maufe. “It was also a good way of creating a block of green close to the house.”
Maufe designed another smaller circular lawn at the top of the shallow steps, adjacent to the accessible path, which can be seen on this plan. “This ‘satellite’ lawn is a more intimate space, somewhere it would be really nice to have a picnic,” says Maufe.
This view is from just in front of the bench and fire pit.
To keep the lawns looking pristine, Maufe installed an automatic lawn-mowing system. It’s so clever,” she says. “It comes out once a day and takes off one millimetre, depending on the rainfall. It follows its own random pattern, so you don’t get lines across the grass.
“It’s guided by wires beneath and around the edges of the lawn, so it’s best to design for this sort of technology at the outset,” she says, “though it can potentially be added retrospectively.”
To keep the lawns looking pristine, Maufe installed an automatic lawn-mowing system. It’s so clever,” she says. “It comes out once a day and takes off one millimetre, depending on the rainfall. It follows its own random pattern, so you don’t get lines across the grass.
“It’s guided by wires beneath and around the edges of the lawn, so it’s best to design for this sort of technology at the outset,” she says, “though it can potentially be added retrospectively.”
Here is the view looking back towards the house. The flowers in the foreground are the result of a seed bomb the homeowner planted as an interim measure before she had time to plan a full vegetable patch.
Grey block pavers divide the resin-bound gravel and visually signal the slope.
A corner of the barbecue is visible on the right next to a bay tree; all the herb-growing also happens at this level. “The idea was that you could just grab a handful to chuck onto the barbecue,” says Maufe of the herb garden.
Grey block pavers divide the resin-bound gravel and visually signal the slope.
A corner of the barbecue is visible on the right next to a bay tree; all the herb-growing also happens at this level. “The idea was that you could just grab a handful to chuck onto the barbecue,” says Maufe of the herb garden.
This is the same view before the redesign.
Your turn
What are your favourite features in this hardworking garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Ready for more garden ideas? Read up on Which Planters Will Look Best in My Garden?
Your turn
What are your favourite features in this hardworking garden? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Ready for more garden ideas? Read up on Which Planters Will Look Best in My Garden?
Garden at a Glance
Who lives here: A girl of six and her parents, one of whom uses a wheelchair
Property: A 1970s bungalow
Location: The outskirts of Bristol, UK
Size: The corner plot is kite-shaped and measures 36 metres at its widest point and 41 metres in length.
Designer: Terrey Maufe of
Outerspace Creative Landscaping
To help her clients find inspiration, Maufe likes to direct them to some of the relevant ideabooks she’s put together on her Houzz profile to illustrate ideas on topics ranging from boundary treatments to using different materials. “It can help clients to get their heads around an idea,” she says.