Dulwich Family Garden
Initial images of my design for a courtyard-sized family garden in Dulwich, SE London.
Thoughtful planning of this space will make all the difference to family life.
Due to be built in 2027.
Creating spaces for children to play
The youngest family member currently plays on a small central lawn, put in by former owners. Footfall makes the lawn patchy, and it bakes hard in summer.
There is already a patio to one side of the house. The owners know they want a new seating area at the back of the garden, and a balcony at the top of the steps. There’s also a large paved area already, where I’ve placed the table, clay pots and Jenga! These can be versatile spaces for imaginative play, and an outdoor rug can cosy things up for children. The lawn would be yet another flat plane.
Switching from lawn to plants
I’d like this garden to offer more than flat expanses. My design offers spaces to play plus something a traditional, neatly-mown lawn (or a brown, patchy one!) never could: colour, texture, height, fragrance and a garden that changes with the seasons. Those bifold doors were meant to frame a gorgeous view, all year round.
By swapping lawn for planting, we’ll also invite in local wildlife. Birds, butterflies and much more, to be enjoyed by family members of all ages.
Moving the shed to free up space for plants
The previous owners positioned the shed halfway down the longest stretch of this compact garden. I can understand why - it fitted their approach of a central lawn with everything else around the boundary. Unfortunately, it means the shed is the main feature when looking out from the house.
It also sits right in the centre of sun’s path through the garden. The effect is that some planting areas start off in full sun but are plunged into deep shade later in day.
In other words, they blocked off both the sun’s path and the best possible lines of sight. We can remedy that!
Moving the shed will open things up. It’ll give us space for a longer swathe of sun-tolerant planting.
As the sun moves across the sky, the light falling on the newly-planted areas will still change throughout the day, just more gradually. Think small trees creating dappled light when in leaf. Or ornamental grasses with a glowing halo, backlit by the early morning or late afternoon sun. Little things that can be transformative.
