It’s such a calm and

After spending years redesigning the interior of their home in Maylandsea, Essex, Paul and Helen Rainbow knew that their garden was in desperate need of a makeover to match. Although the plot had been theirs for 11 years, little had been done to it. “It was very basic and old-fashioned with a greenhouse, vegetable patch, two different concrete patio areas cordoned off by trellis fencing and little privacy,” says Paul.

The couple had a clear idea of what they wanted from their outside space. “It had to have a modern look with low-maintenance design as we are both busy working during the week,” Paul explains. And there was no doubt about their style inspiration, either. “We have always loved Asia, especially Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand,” Paul adds. “We’ve spent a lot of our married lives travelling to that part of the world, both with work and for pleasure, including our

Paul loves spending time in h is new oasis of sereni ty OUR GAR DEN PL AN

LOCATION Maylandsea, Essex THE LOOK Asian inspired, modern and low maintenance SITE & SOIL Size 180m2 Faces West Soil Heavy clay, much of which was removed and replaced

OUR BUDGET Decking £5,000 Sandstone patios & steps £17,000 Plants, including lawn £10,000 Screens £2,500 Lighting £3,500 Bespoke water features £2,000 TOTAL: £40,000

HOW LONG IT TOOK Clearance 1 week Decking 4 days Paving preparation & laying 2 weeks Electrics 3 visits Planting 5 days TOTAL: 41/2 weeks first holiday together and our honeymoon. We love its lush greenery.”

Their idea seemed to match up perfectly with their plot. The key to many Asian-inspired garden designs is to create a calm place to go for contemplation and reflection, and the sense of peace and quiet was one of the factors that had attracted Paul and Helen to the house all those years ago. “It had a really good feeling when we first visited,” Paul remembers. “It’s in a quiet area, close to a river.”

DESIGNER SOLUTIONS An internet search led Paul and Helen to local garden designers, Cube 1994 Ltd. “Our first meeting with MD Sean Butler went really well and we felt he totally understood what we wanted from our garden,” says Paul. Sean also has a love of the Far East, which complemented their wishes for a modern, Asian-inspired garden.

“Paul and Helen were looking for a low-maintenance design with areas for dining, entertaining and relaxing throughout the day,” explains Sean. “Privacy was also important. We wanted to create a private dining area, walled off with Asian-inspired art panels, with a bespoke water feature for ambience and a space for outdoor cooking.

“A raised deck area would form the outdoor lounge with space for large sofa seating and views across the different spaces. And a small side area would become a courtyard, with bistro seating for coffees in the morning sun.”

NOVEMBER WEATHER With the design agreed, the build began. “It was November and the weather was awful, so the Cube team had to cope with a lot of mud and rain. Due to our location near the Blackwater estuary, our soil is very thick, heavy clay, which I

WICKER LANTERNS are decorative by day and create a soft and inviting glow at night. GOLDEN bamboo creates a soothing rustle whenever there’s a breeze. promise

NOTHING channels Zen into a space more than the serene sight of a Buddha

Update your space with Eastern sculpture.

on p24

knew would make it even harder,” says Paul. But Sean and his team were undeterred: “We removed 22 tonnes of clay and replaced it with topsoil and soil-improver in the flowerbeds, and added drainage to the new lawns,” he explains. “The going was really tough at the initial stage of removing the wet clay but once that was off-site, it made progress a lot more effective.”

Paul and Helen happily missed this quagmire stage, having already booked a holiday. “We left my mother Maureen to look after the house and keep the team in tea and biscuits!” says Paul.

GARDEN TRANSFORMATION By the time the couple returned, their outside space was unrecognisable. Multiple materials create a textured space and plenty of interest. As with many Asian-inspired gardens, water is an essential element and a bespoke water

READER GARDEN

Thyme

feature is fitted onto the garage wall. There are pebbles and grasses too, adding a natural element to the peacefully ordered geometric shapes. The distinctly different areas are well defined with the clever use of paving, wooden decking and lawn, and the colour scheme is simple and tranquil, the dark grey creating a contrasting backdrop to the lush green leaves of the planting scheme.

Stunning screens make a real statement, casting interesting shadows while effectively marking out different areas of the garden and screening for privacy. A golden bamboo screen adds further seclusion. Evergreen grasses and ferns add to the movement, underplanting the architectural tropical trees and plants.

PEACEFUL PLANTING “Everything is generally low maintenance, and Helen does most of the looking after, including adding new plants and tweaking the borders to match,” says Paul. “We have big blue lilyturf (Liriope muscari) in the side entrance, which looks great all year but especially when it starts flowering in autumn. The courtyard has agapanthus, purple top (Verbena bonariensis) and sage (Salvia), which provide masses of colour in the summer. And all the bamboo around the garden looks smart and provides that Asian feel too.”

There are some plants that require more TLC, but the couple are happy to go the extra

A BESPOKE

water feature adds ambience as it cascades over black pebbles from a simple spout mounted in a sandstone plinth. CONTEMPLATION CORNER Warm mood lighting was the final touch to complete the garden, highlighting the features and extending its use into the evenings. “As at the weekend, having a quiet coffee and

AROMATIC

stepping-stone paths planted with creeping thyme lead you through the garden.

mile to enjoy the large, lush leaves. “We love the area with the bananas and canna, and we probably went over the top to look after it last winter, creating a straw-filled cocoon to protect the plants from the winter frost,” says Paul. “But then we ended up with such mild weather!”

The couple are enjoying watching their outside space evolve. “We opted for some less expensive young plants to keep within our budget, so it’s still maturing in some areas and we’re making little improvements and changes as things grow and some plants do less well,” adds Paul. “We bought Corten steel strips and used these to edge all of our beds, which provided a really clean line and, as it’s we’ve both been working from home, having our beautiful garden to look at has made us realise how lucky we are. We spent a lot of time chilling out in the garden through all the lovely weather in lockdown,” says Paul. “We love to sit out there

weathering, is adding a cool, aged look.” reading the paper, with the water feature running in the background.”

3

1 2 Get the 1 Fishpole Bamboo, £29.95/5L pot gardeningexpress.co.uk look! 2 Nandita Buddha Head Statue, £57.99 wayfair.co.uk 3 Moucharabiya Screen, £85 screenwithenvy.com 4 Large Wicker Bulbous Lantern, £34.50 blossomandbuttercup.co.uk

M E h L S Fl ll l k