Gardening Blog: Kate Gould’s Grand Designs for a Camden garden
Garden design by Kate Gould for Grand Designs Camden house - Credit: Archant
The garden featured in the Grand Designs house in Camden that is on the market at the moment was designed by Ham&High garden blogger, Kate Gould.
Grafton Crescent, NW1 - Credit: Archant
She was approached to work on the garden by Jonathan Broom, whose wife stylist Deborah Sheridan-Taylor designed the house, after seeing her articles in the Guardian.
Even then, before the house was built, it was clear that it was going to be very unusual, with two-thirds of the building planned underground.
Gould said: “I was delighted when Jonathon approached me as the project itself was so ambitious and exciting.
“It presented several fairly unique challenges, limited planting spaces, drainage and irrigation questions, restricted natural light in places and of course although we are very used to builders plans, we were just looking at a huge hole initially.”
Garden design by Kate Gould for Grand Designs Camden house - Credit: Archant
Following an initial site visit in February 2012, regular site visits and meetings with Jonathan ensued over the next eighteen months and mood boards were drawn up and followed with design drawings and final plans.
“The walls around the garden are high by design and we plan to soften these by planting with fragrant climbers, a green wall was also suggested if budget allowed,” said Gould.
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“The house faces into the garden so it was important to Jonathon that it look inviting all year round.”
There were several major setbacks in getting the house built, including the contractor going into administration, which brought the whole project to a halt for several months.
However, the house did eventually get built and the programme was first broadcast in September last year.
Work on the garden followed after that and, although Gould was not responsible for the actual installation of the garden, many of her ideas have been followed through to completion.
Particularly striking in the finished garden is the planted wall, which creates an attractive, softer view from the house.
The house on Grafton Crescent is now on the market through John D Wood.
Kate Gould is an award winning garden designer with more than a decade’s hands-on experience transforming gardens of all sizes and a regular exhibitor at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show where she has been awarded three Gold medals.
