Smooth Curves for Garden Interest

Long, smooth curves sweep along the lawn to a curved patio to provide garden interest with the creation of different spaces. The elegant curves allow some deeper borders in a narrow garden and make it feel wider.

Stepping stones emphasise long smooth lawn curve

Long smooth curves make an elegant lawn shape

Smooth Curves – Tottenham

The lawn shape is assymetric and striking.  It includes a circular area to give a feeling of width. Stepping stones along one side of the lawn emphasise its shape and provide a convenient path to the patio. The shape of the curved patio is a  compressed version of the lawn shape.   Overall, the smooth curves give interest to the fairly narrow, rectangular shape of the garden.

 

 

Patio shape echoes the smooth curves of the lawn

Asymmetric patio shape echoes the smooth curves of the lawn

Plants

Different border shapes have different plants to suit the amount of sunshine in each.  The sunniest areas include French lavender, alliums, sea hollies and black lace elder with palest pink flowers .  Tall white foxgloves, dark delphiniums and roses flower in early summer.  Later, coneflowers, yellow Helianthemum ‘The Bishop’ and purple sedums bring more colour.

Curved Patio with Tumbled Sandstone Setts

Foxgloves, roses and French lavender by curved patio

In a shady area, near the painted shed, a lovely Japanese maple – Acer palmatum ‘Beni-hagoromo ‘ brings garden interest from spring to autumn.  Around it hellebores, ferns and a sedge grass give winter interest.

Tumbled sandstone setts in different shades complement the colourful planting

Tumbled sandstone setts in different shades complement the colourful planting

Paving

Tumbled sandstone setts with soft grey, pink and green tones bring a relaxed feel to this town garden in Tottenham, North London.   The tumbled finish gives a smoother, aged look to the paving. The setts are in mixed sizes and the largest size was used for the stepping stones.  The soft curves of the patio are easily achieved with the mixed sizes and smaller setts frame the shapes. The paving colours work well with the colourful planting.