The Forgotten End of the Garden
Creating a Reason to Come Down Here
Harpenden, Hertfordshire
Follow the transformation of a forgotten end of garden in Harpenden, Under Construction, below in The Build Journey
Some gardens quietly drift into becoming forgotten.
This Harpenden family garden had an end space that felt disconnected, shaded and underused — somewhere rarely visited and with little reason to venture down.
The brief was simple:
Create a reason to come down here.
The aim is not to over-design the space, but to create somewhere calm, natural and quietly inviting. A place for movement, texture, wildlife and moments of pause. A place where a gym could be added for exercise and yoga in the future.
This page follows the full journey — from concept design through to planting, weekly build progress and the final reveal.
The Challenge
Like many larger gardens, the far end had gradually become disconnected from everyday life.
Despite its size and mature trees, there was little reason for the family to walk down there. The space felt shaded, slightly forgotten and lacked purpose.
Dry soil conditions beneath mature trees, poor connection to the rest of the garden and an absence of destinations within the space all shaped the brief. Wild flower had been added with mixed success but there still wasn’t a desire to explore and spend time in the space.
The challenge was not simply to make it look better.
It was to make it feel worth using.
Design Thinking
During our initial consultation there was a desire to have an outdoor building to be used as a gym, for cycling and yoga, with a possible deck in front of. This added reason and a structure to the define the space around, the aim was to work with the character of the garden to create multiple spaces for the family.
Curving binding gravel pathways help slow movement and create a quieter rhythm through the space.
Large natural boulders introduce visual anchors, while pebble areas soften transitions and create contrast against planting.
Prairie-inspired planting was chosen to bring movement, seasonal change and resilience in dry conditions, with drifts of grasses, salvias, scabiosa, verbena, rudbeckia and anemones helping stitch the garden together naturally.
A calming seating destinations and layered planting aim to make this part of the garden feel somewhere to pause rather than simply pass through.
Watch the Original Garden Design Walkthrough
The Build Journey
Setting Out The Garden
Introduction to this Harpenden garden transformation, takes a walkabout the existing garden and explaining the layout of the new garden.
Edging, Planting & Structure
Week one progress on this Harpenden garden transformation, focused on turning a forgotten end of garden into a place people genuinely want to spend time in.
This stage of the project focuses on the quieter but important work — defining edges, preparing foundations, installing bases and beginning the first planting.
Prairie Planting, Boulders & Progress
This week focused on beginning to stitch the garden together.
Prairie-style planting began to soften the space, with salvias, grasses, geraniums and scabiosa introduced alongside large natural boulders and pebble areas.
The extreme heat also shifted attention towards watering and helping the new planting establish well in difficult dry conditions.