The house was designed by RDA Architects and features large double storey windows which made the views into the garden very important. Our approach was to create a more contemporary garden space in the lower terrace, in the space closest to the modern architecture, and then to develop a more natural look at the lawn level. This allows for softer planting and family friendly elements such as the tree seat, deck terrace and children’s play area. We designed a series of stepped planters that use vibrant planting to soften the transition between the lower ground floor terrace and lawn level in this large London garden. The planting is relatively minimalist with each planter containing only a single species of plant, selected for their form and flowering colour at different times over summer. The Allium bulbs signify the start of the growing season and are left standing long after flowering to create sculptural interest.