Case study — Country
Sandgate
- Location
- Sandgate, Kent
- Style
- Modern country
- Completed
- 2024
- Scope
- Full design - 100m2 - 50K+
01
The project
This garden design in Sandgate includes bold sculptural features alongside colourful planting. A bespoke corten steel globe and water feature provide focal points, while layered perennial borders create a vibrant setting. The design blends contemporary art with natural planting to create a space that feels both elegant and inviting.
02
Materials
- Stone slabs – Caledonian Stone
- Reclaimed bricks
- Corten steel round sculpture
- Sleeper retaining walls
- Water table – Adezz
This garden was designed as a journey of curves, planting and art — the sculpture gives it a bold focal point among the softer, naturalistic planting.
03
The approach
The materials and layout of the garden are carefully thought out, which makes everything work together. The warm, rustic colours of the corten steel globe go well with the earthy colours of the planting beds, making it easy to move from hard to soft landscaping. Pathways gently guide them around the area, giving them the chance to look around and stop to admire the flowers and textures that change with the seasons.
The water element makes the environment even more pleasant by adding a calming sound. The garden is always intriguing because it has so many different kinds of perennials. They add colour in the spring, summer, and autumn, and they add subtle structure in the winter. This design not only looks wonderful, but it also makes people want to talk and ponder, which makes it a fantastic location to relax or have company over. The combination of dramatic elements and naturalistic plants is a new method to build a garden that fits Sandgate’s unique style.
This garden design in Sandgate makes a unique outdoor space by using natural materials and careful gardening. A blue paving path leads you to the garden. The warm colours of the bricks look even better with the shingle down the sides of the path that adds texture and a calm feel.
Their flowers and leaves look clean and fresh next to the brick and shingle, which is more earthy and coastal. These borders not only make a lovely walkway, but they also make the area seem wonderful all year long by providing new life and colour with the changing seasons.
04
The result
As you proceed up the wooden steps. They lead you to the raised sleeper beds. These beds add height and depth to the design, and they give you a lot of space to plant in and show off different colours and textures. The warmth of the wood blends nicely with the rest of the garden, which makes the whole thing feel more natural.
A big Corten steel feature piece has rustic brown colours and unique holes which makes it a great piece of art to put within this garden design. The cut-outs let the sun shine through, and when it does, lovely patterns flow across the plants around them. This gives the garden an artistic touch that changes all the time. The corten steel will age well, which will contribute to its character and coastal theme across the garden in this garden design in Sandgate.
A route of blue tiles leads the eye outside from the house. This makes a strong visual connection between the garden design in Sandgate and outside of the house. The blue tiles turn into a smooth, curving pattern to the side as you walk along. This pattern goes well with the patio built of casual brown bricks. The variation in materials and shapes gives the design life and movement, and it naturally leads people through the garden.
The garden design in Sandgate is finished off with a small but extremely coastal rustic cylindrical water feature. The quiet, calming sounds of the water make the garden feel peaceful, making it a good location to relax and ponder. You can spend time alone or with other people in this garden in peace. It has a nice mix of structure and softness, art and function, and it’s a great place to enjoy all year round.
05
About
Built by Gosbee Landscapes
Designed and planted by Ivy & Whyte Garden Design
Planted by Palmstead Nurseries Ltd
Q&A
Questions about this project
Yes. One confidently scaled feature often works better than several smaller decorative objects. The key is getting the proportion and position right, and leaving enough space and planting around the sculpture for it to feel integrated into the garden.
A focal point gives the eye somewhere to rest, and can encourage you to look, or move, through the garden. Sculpture, specimen plants, water features, seating and architectural structures can all work, depending on the character of the space.
Small gardens benefit from creating layers of interest, rather than revealing everything at once. Planting, changes in materials, focal points and well-positioned features can create different views, and give the garden a stronger sense of depth.
Yes. If a client already owns a piece of outdoor art, we can build it into the garden from the very beginning. The layout, planting and surrounding materials are then designed around it, to complement and frame the piece.
