A Town Garden with a Country Feel

Nestled in the heart of Cheltenham, a Regency spa town known for its architectural elegance, a townhouse garden has undergone a remarkable transformation - from a harsh, utilitarian space to a soft, romantic oasis inspired by the English countryside. Though the house itself was built in the 1990s and once divided into flats, both the home and its surrounding garden have been completely reimagined to suit the lives of its current owners: a retired art teacher and a company director with a shared love of naturalistic design.

The garden wraps around the home and evolved from a once bleak space dominated by gravel, concrete, and a dark, decaying basement deck into a layered sanctuary of colour, texture, and form. The clients sought a garden that contrasted with the formality of the architecture - a space that felt relaxed, welcoming, and full of seasonal beauty.

At the front, a more formal design pays homage to the house’s symmetry, with new bull-nose steps and refined cladding restoring a sense of grandeur. Yew hedging lines the path, offering glimpses of a newly planted woodland garden to the side of the property. A brick-edged path meanders gently through this area, culminating in a plinth that displays the clients’ beloved Japanese maple - a quiet focal point amid the foxgloves, ferns, and ornamental grasses.

This side garden now plays a pivotal role, connecting the entrance to the main garden while concealing a practical garden-topped storage shed with lush planting visible from the breakfast terrace. It’s a thoughtful combination of beauty and utility - a theme that runs throughout the design.

At the rear, where once there was only gravel and stark concrete, a low Cotswold stone wall now curves gently through the garden, acting both as a sculptural seat and a visual anchor. The previously stark basement area was infilled to bring the garden closer to the house, while climbing plants such as Clematis and Rosa ‘Bathsheba’ soften the once-dominating rear elevation.

Classic cottage garden favourites like foxgloves, hydrangeas, astrantia and Tiarella thrive in the borders, echoing the wild charm of country gardens. Multi-stemmed silver birches echo the mature trees in the surrounding landscape, tying the garden into its broader setting and adding dappled shade and elegance.

A key design feature is the bespoke Corten steel water feature, aligned with the kitchen window to draw the eye and introduce the calming sound of trickling water into the heart of the home. From here, a paved terrace edged with wrought iron railings provides the perfect perch for morning coffee or evening drinks.

A Garden for Living

This is a space designed not just to be seen, but lived in. An area for lounging and outdoor cooking - complete with a fire pit and pizza oven - invites gatherings year-round. Discreet lighting, a robot mower station, an irrigation system, and an EV charging point are all seamlessly woven into the design. The hard landscaping was thoughtfully upgraded to natural materials, replacing the harsh concrete with a warmer and more tactile finish.

It’s a garden that delights the senses while quietly meeting the demands of daily life.

Our Clients Share Their Experience:

“Our first meeting with Rachael was at the very beginning of our project to re-imagine a garden consisting solely of hard surfaces and hard lines. From the outset, Rachael understood us as clients and quickly developed some wonderful and imaginative concepts for the garden. She proved to be a great partner throughout the project and has delivered a lovely, soft townhouse garden, full of interest and pleasure.”

A Year On

A year on, this once rigid and uninviting space has been reborn as a vibrant, welcoming garden. It is a place where nature and design coexist harmoniously, providing not only a visual delight but a sanctuary for the homeowners to enjoy throughout the seasons. The transformation stands as a testament to how thoughtful landscaping can turn even the most formal of settings into a haven of charm and tranquility.

Landscape design: Austin Design Works

Planting plan: Austin Design Works

Photography: Jennifer Adams