Waste not, nice plot

Designer Miria Harris gave herself the challenge of a no-skip, zero-waste project, giving away, recycling or reusing everything in this back garden before transforming it into a space her client could love

When planning a new garden, top of the list for many owners is a sustainable, plant-rich sanctuary that both they and the local wildlife can enjoy. This was the brief given to designer Miria Harris by her client Nicky, who had recently moved to a Victorian town house in east London with a small, north-facing garden. However, upon visiting the site, Miria was faced with a dilemma she knew would be difficult to resolve.

"I had designed a naturalistic garden for Nicky a few years earlier, filled with roses and perennials in soft, pastel shades, which she loved. She asked me to recreate this aesthetic in her new place, and while that was feasible, there was a problem," explains Miria.

"The previous owners had obviously spent a considerable amount on the existing mature garden, so while the tropical-style planting, composite deck and raised concrete terrace were not to Nicky's taste, it would have been incredibly wasteful to put them all in a skip." Miria says that this is the challenge designers often face when installing a new garden, and one she always struggles with. "The horticultural industry is surprisingly unsustainable at times, and it can be frustrating watching the skips mount up. So, for this garden, I wanted a different strategy."