City Garden, London
Winter is the season where a garden's structure comes to the forefront of its design bringing a lot of sculptural interest when it's sharpened by a layer of frost. This garden, tucked away in a leafy area of North London, was designed by Arne Maynard who was asked to create an outdoor space which could be enjoyed by the whole family. Arne divided the original site which is on a slope into four different rooms linked together by narrow corridors and surrounded by Fagus sylvativa hedges, echoing the strong architectural lines and tones of the contemporary house. These are softened by clipped yew spheres and tiered topiaries which are dotted around the space, the dark green hue of the evergreen contrasting with the bright copper foliage of the beech. As you progress through the garden towards the back, the planting becomes wilder, influenced by the nearby woodland and includes winter scented shrubs such as Hamamelis, their yellow flowers bringing small touches of colour as well as Sarcococca confusa. Close to the house, the terrace is dotted with large pots filled with ferns and shrubs such as corksrew hazel with its twisted branches and Daphne which buds are starting to bloom.