Moss Garden, New Build House in the Chilterns, near Stonor Valley

This contemporary home, set on the top of the Chilterns overlooking the Stonor valley had already been largely landscaped by two other companies. Babylon Design was already involved with the garden maintaining it and enhancing the existing planting that had deteriorated over time. At the back of the property was a square area bordering woodland on one side and the house on two other sides. The clients wanted a restful and calm area, not necessarily colourful that they could look out onto as they felt they had enough colour around the other side of the house.

Babylon Design came up with the concept of a moss garden for the site with rocks, ferns and trees set within a square. Cedar boards were used to edge the area and a path of stone chipping laid in a square around the central square. On the side where the garden opened onto the rest of the garden, a bed of yew balls and shapes were planted which will be trained over time into a cloud shaped mass designed to emulate both the real clouds, but also the cloud shaped blocks of trees scattered over the surrounding hills.