The Barn Garden

A garden around a converted barn in Oxfordshire, developed as a sequence of spaces that gradually open towards the surrounding countryside.

“There were several semi-developed areas around the barn, and I wanted to bring them together into a journey through the property. At the front, we created a courtyard garden with planting emerging directly from the gravel, leading into more densely planted spaces around the house and existing swimming pool. We also designed and constructed a new pool house, combining the pool equipment with a flexible space for entertaining.”

“At the back, we removed a large conifer hedge and introduced a beech hedge and wildflower planting, creating an opening that draws you through the garden towards the fields and views beyond. A small sunset seating area sits beyond the hedge, so the journey ultimately takes you out of the enclosed garden and into the wider landscape. The working barn yard to the west became a wildflower enhanced woodland and wild gravel area”.

Aerial view of The Barn Garden in Toot Baldon Oxfordshire, showing the converted barn, courtyard garden, swimming pool and surrounding countryside.

Aerial view of The Barn Garden revisited eight years after completion, showing the mature structure of the garden around the converted barn.

Gravel courtyard garden inspired by French courtyards, with repeating small trees creating soft formality around the entrance and parking area.

Design illustration showing the proposed transformation of the courtyard before work began.

Formal courtyard planting with repeating Ligustrum × excelsum ‘Superbum’ trees and lavender softening the gravel entrance to the barn.

Overhead view of loose gravel planting contrasted with the formal repetition of small trees in the courtyard garden.

Rear garden with an expansive family lawn, low clipped hedges and planted borders designed to accommodate children playing football.

Productive and ornamental planting combined around the family lawn, with specimen Amelanchier, Osmanthus and raised vegetable beds.

Spring planting beside the converted barn with tulips, alliums and Anthriscus ‘Ravenswing’ bringing early colour to the garden.

Relaxed dining terrace enclosed by planted beds, with Stipa gigantea, upright junipers and views towards birch trees and wildflower planting.

Midsummer border in an explosion of colour, with Echinacea, Echinops, Digitalis, Crocosmia and Centranthus blending together.

Autumn colour from Euonymus alatus contrasted with evergreen Euphorbia spilling across the York stone paving.

Large multi-stem Amelanchier flowering in spring beside clipped yew hedging and the family lawn.

Bespoke cedar and metal gates and fencing enclosing the pool garden, photographed in winter.

Bespoke cedar pool house and gates set against the looser wildflower planting beyond.

Cedar pool house with aluminium doors and windows, with restrained grass planting creating a simple contemporary poolside space.

Swimming pool with the bespoke gates opened towards the wildflower meadow and mature walnut tree beyond.

Spring wildflower planting beneath multi-stem birch, with white foxgloves creating a light woodland-edge character.

Oxeye daisies flowering through the meadow, with a mown grass path drawing the eye through the garden.

Sunset seating beyond the new beech hedge, opening the garden towards views across the surrounding Oxfordshire fields.

Vibrant summer border combining red-hot pokers, dahlias, Phlomis and richly coloured perennial planting.

Yellow summer border with Helenium, Hemerocallis and Molinia caerulea ‘Heidebraut’ creating a warm late-season planting composition.

All Projects

The Barn Garden

The Quad Garden

The Kitchen Garden