The garden on three levels

Jan Mundy's garden in Usk has changed from a dark, sloping site to a contemporary outdoor space on three levels that's full of brightness and colour

- Sue Bradley

A VISIT to the famous Usk Open Gardens in Monmouthshire set Jan Mundy on a journey that would lead her to buy a house in the town and create an outside space worthy of taking part in the event herself.

However, her starting point in 2008 was less than promising, with walls and hedges and a narrow entrance point making the steeply sloping plot feel dark and enclosed.

Three levels 
Nevertheless, Jan was a woman on a mission. Within a year of buying her house, she had collaborated with landscape architects and builders to rework the space. She terraced the incline to create three levels, with wide steps set at an angle to link the patio below with the grassy lawn above and direct the eye across a diagonal axis, making the plot seem much larger and allowing more light into the house.

Jan chose contemporary Travertine for the patio surface to replace the York stone. A wooden seat set into the low wall above is surrounded by patterned tiles that add a Moorish vibe to the lowest section of the garden.

“The wall height was set so that it could incorporate extra seating, while the side wall is at seating height; I’ve always done a lot of entertaining at home,” explains Jan.