MILFORD-ON-SEA.

COASTAL GARDEN ON A TERRACED SLOPE.

The clients had recently moved into a property overlooking the Danestream valley, with a garden that was steeply sloping and overgrown, accessible only by precarious steps. The brief was to transform the site into a modern garden, rich with naturalistic planting in colourful drifts, with year-round texture and wildlife interest.

The design replaced the dangerous steps with a gently sloping curved path that winds between new terraces, retained with oak sleepers set vertically, sanded and oiled for a softened profile. A cantilevered deck projects partly over a wildlife pond, creating a dramatic focal point and a sheltered seating area. Entertaining was central to the brief, so multiple seating terraces were created at different levels, with careful attention to viewpoints and garden lighting.

The planting strategy balanced structure with naturalistic form: an orchard and kitchen garden on the lowest level; sheltered, more tender plants in the lee of the slope, protected from salt winds; and drifts of wildlife friendly perennials, grasses, and shrubs creating a vibrant, textured landscape.