The Small Garden Sanctuary
For this city-based wildlife haven design for a period terrace in Plymouth, Devon, making the best use of limited space was essential. This was achieved through:
A flexible seating area: A central circular seating area optimises the space and allows the client to entertain guests or follow the West Country sun (or shade!) throughout the day.
Bespoke storage: I designed two custom multi-functional garden storage units. One has an attractive green roof and disguises the water butt, incorporates a composting area, and provides dry storage. The other covers and enhances the appearance of an existing garden storage unit whilst provides valuable additional seating.
Strong geometry: the geometric design ensures the small footprint feels intentional and structured even when softened with planting.
The design prioritised a low-impact approach through:
Climate-resilient planting: The planting was designed to be hardy, suiting the specific conditions, reducing resource-intensive care and boosting biodiversity.
Sustainable materials: The design implemented Sustainable Urban Drainage Solutions (SuDS) and materials with a low environmental footprint.
Retaining and reusing: Incorporating existing beloved plants and the natural stone boundary wall, and providing dedicated space for the containers and garden art the client wished to retain, not only reduced the quantity of new resources used, but also helped the garden feel more established and less ‘installed’.
A peaceful sanctuary for wildlife and the client, that complements the home’s period architecture.
“Although I had an idea about how I wanted my garden to look, I decided to contact Rebecca because I wanted advice on the planting and I wanted to be more sustainable and enhance biodiversity in my small space. Rebecca’s design is so much better than what I was originally planning and makes much more effective use of the space. I feel that Rebecca really listened to me. I love my new garden and am excited to see how it develops as the plants continue to grow over the next few years. I would highly recommend Rebecca Read garden design”
— Testimonial from Melissa, The Small Sanctuary Garden client.
