Oriental charm

Prepare for some oriental charm at garden number 15 at 3 Cooke Walk in Impington, as its owners have worked hard over the last few years to introduce touches of the Far East onto the blank canvas of the garden of a new house. According to owners Trevor and Phillipa Smith theirs is, ‘A small town garden recently designed and developed on a green-field site with a distinctive oriental character.’

Their aim was to make best use of the limited space to create both a lounge and dining room with enough space for entertaining, whilst bringing in distinctive character and interest. With water features, oriental swing seat, mini bridge and room spaces for both dining and relaxing – they have achieved just that, so you’ll find a surprising number of aspects to explore.

The garden was designed in early 2014 with work starting in May of that year. Pride of place is an oriental-styled swing seat with its very own dragon-tipped canopy, close to a gently bubbling Zen-like rock water feature, all softened with exotic planting and contrasting foliage. Beautiful Japanese maples contrast with the lime-toned foliage of larger trees.

Trevor adds, ‘the choice of low hedging creates a sense of peace and seclusion. Geometric black limestone paving and grey granite walling, together with elegant Japanese-style topiary, lend formality and planting aims to provide year-round colour and interest.’

The little details have not been forgotten either, from the pretty wooden bridge spanning a dry ‘riverbed’ and the Oriental metal lantern on one corner of the canopy, to a bamboo rod at the end of the rope, used to pull the swing seat back and forth while you’re sitting on it. Zen tranquillity at its best.