ON GOOD FORM

A series of spacious, open-to-the-skies rooms shape this city garden which is a masterpiece in craftsmanship

- JACKY HOBBS

GARDEN GUIDE ORIENTATION East-facing, gets early and late sun.

SOIL TYPE London clay and rubble, overlaid with good topsoil.

SPECIAL FEATURES Open outdoor rooms, parterre lawn, feature outdoor sitting room with vertical stone panel.

GARDEN DESIGNER Matt Keightley, Rosebank Landscaping, Studio G23, The Light Box, 111 Power Road, Chiswick W4 5PY, 020 3876 5299, rosebanklandscaping.co.uk

Garden designer Matt Keightley is renowned for bold, minimalist design, obsessively focused on the intricacies of detail and exacting execution, which was no exception in the creation of this garden in St John’s Wood, London. He was briefed to ‘create a classic, contemporary space that provides structure and privacy first and foremost. It should be a garden that offers multiple destinations for friends and family and excites through the use of plants.’ On paper, Matt’s design looks simple, almost spartan, but the result is a masterpiece in craftsmanship and planting, maximising the use of space without overcrowding.

Matt harnesses the height, weight and depth of the surrounding green architecture both as a backdrop and privacy buttress. ‘We were fortunate to be backed by some beautiful mature trees and so the ultimate connection is strong, extending outward vistas beyond the boundary,’ he says. However, internally the former garden space proffered little and was cleared entirely with the exception of two mature malus which add grace to the space.