A nightingale sang...

Formal elements have provided firm foundations for a garden that is planted for wildlife and surrounded by newly established woodland, reports 

- Tiffany Daneff

The garden at Standen Barn, near Biddenden, Kent

The home of Prof Roland Rosner and Prof Denise Lievesley

A GARDEN often has to do a lot of heavy lifting-helping to make a house seem comfortable in the landscape; bringing together disparate elements; hiding or enhancing views; and providing protection from prevailing winds. At Standen Barn in Kent, all the above was required of five acres of flat, open field. The 15th-century black-timbered barn had only stood there since the 1990s and, with its narrow apron of paving, looked out of kilter with its surroundings, so even before there could be any detailed discussion about what kind of garden the owners wanted, there was much that required careful consideration. Roland Rosner and Denise Lievesley realised it was too big a project to do themselves, so they looked for professional help. After some searching, they were recommended Jo Thompson, who first visited the garden in 2010.

Miss Thompson, who has won numerous awards for her garden designs and sits on the RHS Gardens Committee, immediately understood what the owners wanted; namely, to strike a balance between a country garden that reflected the simple, timbered exterior of the barn and something that was modern and spoke to the light and airy contemporary interior. It was also important to create views from the barn, so that, from indoors, the house feels connected to its surroundings.