Explore the secluded, exclusive seaside garden equipped with a private jetty, located in the priciest neighborhood of the United Kingdom.
A Contemporary Coastal Garden in Dorset Embraces Its Natural Surroundings
Nestled along the picturesque coastline of Dorset, England, a modern seaside house boasts a stunning contemporary coastal garden that seamlessly blends with its spectacular surroundings. The garden, designed to withstand fiercely windy, frost-free conditions, emphasizes harmony with the natural landscape rather than making a bold architectural statement.
Key Design Features
The garden design strategy prioritizes resilience, simplicity, and integration with the coastal views. It embraces its coastal setting, using local materials and a colour palette reflecting the surrounding landscape, such as silver, grey-green, and natural earthy tones. The layout is unobtrusive and spacious, designed to enhance the views rather than compete with them, often incorporating open areas for sociability and relaxation.
The planting focuses on textural contrasts, often featuring grasses and silver-leaved plants that move with the wind and mirror the coastal environment. Soil in the garden is well-draining with some variation (greensand with pockets of clay), influencing plant choice and garden structure.
Key Plants Commonly Used
Silver-leaved plants, such as Griselinia littoralis or Cistus species, which are resilient to wind and salt spray, are commonly used. Ornamental grasses like Miscanthus or Stipa create movement and textural interest, echoing coastal grasses. Tough shrubs like Lavender, Hebe, Santolina, and evergreen natives reflect the local flora.
In subtropical coastal gardens nearby, palms and large-leaved plants like gunnera and camellias may also be incorporated in more sheltered spots for contrast. The garden's planting choices help it stand out when viewed from the local marina across the water.
A Unique Approach
This approach contrasts with more formal or densely planted gardens in Dorset’s inland or sheltered areas, highlighting the unique challenges and aesthetic opportunities of contemporary coastal garden design here. The garden surrounding the home, spanning 790 square metres, is a testament to the beauty and resilience that can be achieved when nature and design harmoniously coexist.
The owner, Stephanie Atkins, wanted the house to blend with the landscape rather than be a statement. For more information about the garden design, visit elks-smith.co.uk. It's worth noting that the garden's key plants are adapted for coastal conditions, and Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, home to globally important wetlands teeming with wading birds, is a last refuge for red squirrels in southern Britain.
Poole Harbour, Europe's largest natural harbour, is home to this exceptional contemporary coastal garden. Its hardiness zone is USDA 9a, making it suitable for wind-resistant and salt-tolerant plants. The climate in Dorset is generally frost-free but fiercely windy, creating a challenging yet rewarding environment for garden enthusiasts.
- The contemporary coastal garden in Dorset, beautifully nestled by the coastline, smartly utilizes local plants like Griselinia littoralis and Cistus species, ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus and Stipa, and tough shrubs such as Lavender, Hebe, Santolina, and evergreen natives, reflecting the surrounding landscape and mirroring coastal flora.
- The unique landscape design strategy of the garden emphasizes its coastal setting, embodying harmony with nature, and enhancing the stunning views of the local marina, creating a picturesque home-and-garden lifestyle that seamlessly blends with the surrounding natural environment.
- Incorporating green spaces with plants that thrive in coastal conditions, such as silver-leaved plants and ornamental grasses, into your own garden design can evoke a similar sense of nature's embrace and create a portrayal of resilience and beauty, even in challenging environments.
