Garden

by Randle SiddeleyForeword by David Linley

• ISBN13: 9780711230781
• ISBN10: 0711230781
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-05-17
• Publisher: Frances Lincoln

Summary

Randle Siddeley Associates is an internationally known and highly succesful firm of garden and landscape architects, whose work, both private and corporate is to be found all over the world. Focussing on gardens this book will both outline the principles adapted in devising and planning solutions, and then discuss and illustrate a series of specific examples, mainly in the UK but also in Russia and the Middle East. Expensive, elegant and fairly formal, these are luxury gardens for the wealthy client, but the lessons and the principles are universally applicable. Projects include Chelsea Harbour and Wembley Stadium amongst many others.

Excerpts

This is a project on a huge scale - about twenty acres of formal gardens, set into an estate of many tens of thousands. It is very unusual in this locality to have a garden in such a traditional style. Randle recognised that designing and creating such a garden was only one half of the story. He also had to ensure that it would be looked after correctly and 'brought on' in his absence. To this purpose, the client employed a team of gardeners who undertook specialist training with Randle and his team when the latter were on site visits, so expanding their knowledge of - and therefore interest in - the garden. This included instruction on growing plants from seed each winter which would then be ready for planting out the following summer. As well as greenhouses, hot houses also had to be built that were large enough to accommodate citrus trees and other specimens that needed protection from the long, icy winters.



Vision

Randle realised that for such an impressive house set in truly heart-jolting landscape, it was essential to create big vistas that would encompass the natural surroundings. As well as providing visual links between different areas of the estate, the design also had to allow for the grandeur of the house itself to be appreciated. When he first visited, the house was not seen from the driveway because it stood high on the hill whereas the drive was accessed via a back road on a much lower level. It was necessary to manipulate the landscape to provide the grandiose backdrop required. Around the house, Randle planned a series of formal gardens, in keeping with the house's architectural inspiration, including an English Rose garden.