Sussex
Meadow Garden & Timber Studio
Meadow landscape, paths & studio setting
The project
A landscaped meadow garden running up to a rendered house and black timber studio, with mown paths cut through species-rich turf.
The effort behind it
Meadow establishment is a two-year job disguised as a one-week one: the topsoil was deliberately stripped to reduce fertility, the seed mix was sown in two passes for even coverage, and the team returned for four seasonal cuts before the client took it on. The studio setting was hand-graded so no retaining wall was needed anywhere on the site.
Challenges faced
Ground conditions at Sussex set the terms for everything on Meadow Garden & Timber Studio. Levels had to be remodelled, drainage designed in rather than added on, and heavy materials moved through restricted access without disturbing the parts of the garden that were staying. Weather windows governed the finishing trades, and the schedule was rebuilt week by week around them.
Team & involvement
A core landscaping crew stayed with the project from first excavation to the final sweep, supported by our in-house stone masons, electricians and planting specialists. Because the same team set out, built and finished the work, the detailing stayed consistent across every square metre — and the client dealt with one foreman and one phone number throughout.
A successful outcome
One season after completion, the garden at Meadow Garden & Timber Studio has settled exactly as designed: drainage performing through the wettest months, paving uncracked and planting establishing ahead of schedule. The client's own verdict, at the twelve-month aftercare visit, was that it looks as though it has always been there — the highest compliment a landscape can earn.
