WHEN they first moved here, 21 years ago, the owners of this back garden—so typical of much of central London, with its dog-leg entrance from the street leading to a high-walled, roughly square yard—had young children, so they put off making any major improvements. At that time, providing a patch of lawn for play was uppermost, as was the need for planting climbers and screening the back wall, which they did with pleached apple trees (Malus domestica ‘James Grieve’), to make it feel less urban. The garden already held a fine Magnolia grandiflora, which gave it character, as well as a little shade.
These initial improvements were made with help from designer Alasdair Cameron of Cameron, who continued to provide bursts of colour with seasonally updated containers. At the front of…
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Country Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 12, 2025