Owen Clutton Gardens

Owen Clutton Gardens
07939 763223 / owen@owenclutton.com

Enlarging an existing crazy paved terrace along with other garden improvements
to a country estate in Kent

I have worked in this garden before; a herb garden which features on this site is in this garden and was done in about 2000. The work this time was completed for Easter 2008. The biggest part of it was enlarging the existing terrace which was inadequate for the size of the house. Also, it had been there some time and our goal was to try to mix and match bought-in stone with the lichen-clad existing stone, much of which was in small pieces. It was also our aim to try to make it look old; anything too obviously new would look out of place.

The top soil was removed and the existing stone lifted and stacked for relaying. The path to the side of the house was taken up and relaid with only one step; this was to ensure a single level all the way around- the terrace had to be at step on/off level with the lawns which were themselves not terribly level.

The centre of the corner feature is laid to be exactly central with the middle of the gap between the two brick columns and the door behind them.

The pointing of this terrace took three people more than three days to do. It is finished in 'rustic' fashion, i.e. not to look too pristine. A central slab on the terrace can be lifted if at some point in the future the clients want to use 'wireless' electricity there- a cable runs to it.

Since the photographs were taken, a large urn has been placed on the circle in this feature; it makes a focal point.

Elsewhere on the property, this pergola was somewhat isolated and inaccessible from the nearby brick path. Now it can be reached.

I carry out a lot of garden clearance and restoration but it is difficult to photograph this work convincingly. However, these pictures show parts of the garden's overgrown rockery. Perhaps only the rocks themselves clarify which bits of which bed correspond.