Room for a view

Stefano Marinaz has created year-round interest in this small urban garden, providing spaces to share with friends and with wildlife

- KATE JACOBS

People living in towns and cities often dream of their own patch of green, but the typical urban plot can be so much more than just a rectangle of lawn. When the owners of this west London garden approached landscape architect Stefano Marinaz, they had just such a space; some grass, a shed and a couple of shrubs. They’ve lived in this Edwardian terrace for 14 years and raised two children here but, having recently added a kitchen-dining extension, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden, they were finding the view less than enthralling. “They reached out to us because of our naturalistic planting and minimalist approach to design, as well as our experience of using art and sculpture in our gardens,” says Stefano.

To enhance the views from the house, Stefano brought the planting up to the windows, and positioned the garden’s two key spaces – one for cooking and dining; the other for relaxing – away from the house. This layout also encourages the family to come out and engage with the garden, rather than stop on its fringes. Avoiding straight lines, Stefano has designed a gently curving path that meanders through the space, “like a woodland trail”, stopping off at the dining and lounge areas.

“Even in a small garden, you can bring a sense of discovery by dividing the space and filtering the views,” says Stefano. Three graceful multi-stem Amelanchier x lamarckii – one in each of the main borders – do much of the filtering, creating intrigue within the garden and gently screening it from the neighbouring houses. “They punctuate the space and hold the attention within the garden, with spring blossom, spectacular autumn colour and interesting skeleton forms in winter.”