Slope To Stage

This client approached Susan with a south facing, back garden and sideway area in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. They felt the slope was making areas of the garden impractical and uncomfortable to use and wanted something that would overcome the issues they were facing.

The panoramic view of the pastures, and Marston Thrift in the distance, could be appreciated from the windows of the house. However Susan felt they needed to be brought into the experience of the garden space.

Susan’s finished design likened the new terrace to the feeling of a stage, with planting which linked with the distant landscape tones and in the summer echoed the softness of the adjacent meadow in the summer.

Practical touches in the cedar glasshouse satisfied the owners passion for propagation, a covered hole for the rotary drier was installed and the practical utility area to the side of the house has been extended to soon house a new shed, a table for potting up cuttings of plants and a trough for further planting.

At the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) Awards 2018, Susan achieved Silver in the Hard Landscaping category, recognising the high standard of construction, detailing, and material application delivered within the scheme. She received multiple accolades from industry recognition, that reflected both technical quality and wider professional acknowledgement.

The project was also named a Marshalls Regional Award Winner, further highlighting the quality of workmanship and effective use of hard landscaping materials within the design.

In addition to industry awards, the project received a congratulatory letter from the Rt. Hon. Alistair Burt MP, acknowledging the quality and positive impact of the work.

Together, these recognitions demonstrated the strength of design execution and construction quality delivered through the Slope to Stage project.