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Before and after · tiered garden · part sun

Tiered garden ideas: a patio and a raised lawn redesigned as a cottage garden

A patio of slabs by the house, a low stone wall with one step up, and a small lawn above it with a shed in the corner and two bins by the back fence. From one photo, it was redesigned as a cottage garden: the lawn becomes deep beds with a stepping stone path to a metal bench, climbing roses grow on the side fences with delphiniums and foxgloves at the back, the wall and step stay with catmint and geraniums at their foot, and the patio is relaid in weathered stone with thyme in the joints.

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After: the same plot as a cottage garden, the lawn replaced by beds of delphiniums, foxgloves and roses either side of a stepping stone path to a metal bench, climbing roses on the side fences, catmint at the foot of the wall, a terracotta pot on the step and thyme in the joints of the patio
Before: the owner’s photo. After: the design drawn from it.
How it works

One photo of your garden, redrawn with a finished design

Shown with another design from the gallery. This cottage garden works the same way.

  1. A deep prairie border in a walled garden: purple salvia, orange geum, foxgloves, echinacea and lime green alchemilla spilling over a brick edge onto a lawn.The ideal design

    The garden you want

    A finished design from the gallery, with its planting and its materials.

  2. A different garden before any work: a plain rectangle of lawn between slatted timber fences, with a bench against a shed at the far end and two bare trees.Your garden

    Add your garden photo

    One picture of your garden that shows the whole plot.

  3. The same garden with that planting in it: a stone path winding to the same bench, echinacea, rudbeckia, liatris and grasses either side, the same fences, shed and trees kept.The result

    Your dream garden

    The same style of planting and the same materials, drawn around what was already there.

Transform My Garden like this First 3 designs free · no card · UK plantsOr start a design from scratch

This makeover at a glance

Style
Cottage garden
Shape
Two levels: a patio, one step, and the garden above
Light
Part sun
Started as
A slab patio, a low wall and a lawn with a shed

Kept

  • The stone wall and its step
  • The fence lines
  • The trees on both sides
  • The house behind

Changed

  • Beds, a path and a bench
  • Roses, a gate and trellis
  • Planted wall, pot on the step
  • Weathered stone, thyme
In the design

Four tiered garden ideas from this makeover

  1. Beds, a path and a bench, close up in the design
    A small lawn above the wall, the same spot beforeBefore

    A small lawn above the wall Beds, a path and a bench

    The upper level as deep beds, with a stepping stone path to a bench

    In the design, the lawn above the wall becomes beds of roses and coneflowers on both sides of a path of irregular stepping stones set in gravel, which leads to a metal bench against the back fence. On a tiered plot the upper level is the view from the house, and a bench at the end of a path gives that view somewhere to go.

  2. Roses, a gate and trellis, close up in the design
    Bare fences and bins, the same spot beforeBefore

    Bare fences and bins Roses, a gate and trellis

    Climbing roses on the fences, for privacy from the neighbours

    The owner asked for more privacy from the sides, and the design answers with planting: climbing roses on the side fences, delphiniums and foxgloves along the back, and a timber gate with a trellis panel beside it on the back fence, towards the right.

  3. Planted wall, pot on the step, close up in the design
    A wall and a step, the same spot beforeBefore

    A wall and a step Planted wall, pot on the step

    The stone wall and the step kept, with catmint and geraniums at their foot

    The wall and its step stay exactly where they were. In the design, catmint, hardy geraniums and lady’s mantle run along the foot of the wall and spill onto the patio, a terracotta pot of trailing flowers sits on the step and another on the wall. Planted along its foot, the wall becomes the middle of the picture, with the beds above it and the patio below.

  4. Weathered stone, thyme, close up in the design
    Concrete slabs, weeds, the same spot beforeBefore

    Concrete slabs, weeds Weathered stone, thyme

    The patio relaid in weathered stone, with thyme in the joints

    In the design the concrete slabs are relaid as large slabs of weathered stone, with creeping thyme and chamomile planted in the joints, so the patio reads as part of the garden. The patio stays where it is, at the house end below the step, so the design changes its surface and not its place.

Before: a split level back garden with a patio of concrete slabs, a low stone wall with a single step up to a small lawn, a timber shed in the far corner, two bins by the back fence and trees over both side fences
Before: the owner’s photo.
Before

A slab patio, a stone wall with one step, and a lawn with a shed above

A patio of concrete slabs with weeds in the joints, a low wall of pale stone blocks with a single step up to a small lawn, a timber shed in the far left corner, two bins against the back fence and a trough of seedlings on the wall. Trees stand over both side fences, and the stone gable of the house behind rises above the far fence.

The design keeps the wall, the step and the fence lines where they were, and adds a gate and trellis at the back. The lawn becomes beds, and the shed and the bins are not in the design.

In the beds

Climbing roses, delphiniums and foxgloves: the planting

All of them chosen for a cottage garden in part sun.

  1. Climbing rosesPink and white, on the side fences
  2. Shrub rosesDeep pink, in the upper beds
  3. DelphiniumsBlue spires at the back
  4. FoxglovesPink spires at the back
  5. CatmintAt the foot of the wall
  6. Hardy geraniumsPink, at the foot of the wall, spilling onto the patio
  7. Creeping thymeIn the joints of the patio
  8. ChamomileIn the joints of the patio, with white daisy flowers

With Pro, every design you make names every plant in it, how big each one grows, where it goes and when it flowers, so you know what to look for at the garden centre.

What you get

What comes back from one photo of your garden

  • Redesigned around your fences and trees. About two minutes after you add your photo, in the same style and materials as this garden.
  • Planting matched to your light and soil. Add your light and soil if you know them, and the planting follows them.
  • Every plant named, with Pro or Max. Pro is one payment: £29 for 20 designs over 14 days, two at once; Max, £49 for 50 over 30 days, four at once. Every one names its plants, how big each grows, where it goes and when it flowers.
  • Built by a professional gardener. Real plants that grow in UK gardens.
Transform My Garden like this First 3 designs free · no card · UK plantsOr start a design from scratch
Questions

Questions about this tiered garden design

How do you get privacy from neighbours in a small garden?

This design does it with planting: climbing roses on the side fences, delphiniums and foxgloves at the back and a gate and trellis panel on the back fence. The fences stay the height they were, so the roses do the screening as they grow.

Does a split level garden need a new retaining wall?

Not this one. It already had a low stone wall with a step, so the design keeps both, plants catmint and geraniums at the foot of the wall and puts a pot on the step. The planting joins the two levels.

How much does a garden makeover design like this cost?

Your first 3 garden designs are free, no card required. After that, Pro is one payment: £29 for 20 designs over 14 days, two at once; Max, £49 for 50 over 30 days, four at once, every plant named in every one, and clean pictures to keep.

Is the after picture a real garden?

The before is the owner’s own photo. The after is the design Garden Design App drew from it, using real plants you can buy in the UK.

Keep reading

More before and after garden makeovers

After: the same strip as a planted courtyard, with a paved path through deep borders of lavender, purple salvias, coneflowers and grasses to a small table and chairs
Part sun · narrow plot

Wildlife garden makeover

A narrow strip of lawn, redesigned as a paved path between deep borders of lavender and salvias.

After: the same plot with a brick and stone path curving to the shed between deep borders of roses, delphiniums, lupins, foxgloves and peonies, with terracotta urns at the top of the path
Full sun · fenced plot

Cottage garden makeover

A bare, straw coloured lawn and a deck crowded with pots, redesigned as deep borders of roses, delphiniums and lupins.

After: the same garden as a Mediterranean gravel garden, with pale gravel, flagstone stepping stones, clipped olive trees in terracotta pots, drifts of lavender and a timber arch
Full sun · acid soil

Mediterranean garden makeover

A rectangle of lawn, redesigned as pale gravel, olive trees and drifts of lavender.

After: the same garden with an irregular stone path winding through grasses, white anemones, foxgloves and peonies to the chairs at the far end
Shade · town garden

Small town garden makeover

Long grass and a hosepipe in a shaded town garden, redesigned as a winding path through grasses and shade planting.

After: the same passage with a stone flag path running through deep shade planting of ferns, hostas, foxgloves, periwinkle and a Japanese maple against the fence
Deep shade · narrow run

Shady side passage makeover

The bit down the side where the bins live, redesigned as a shaded path of ferns, hostas and foxgloves.

After: the same yard with pale limestone paving, a curved lawn edged in brick and deep borders of catmint, salvias, coneflowers and climbing roses
Full sun · clay soil

Modern garden makeover

Slabs, bare soil and a blank brick gable, redesigned as curved lawn and deep planted borders.

After: the same plot as a meadow garden, with a stepping stone path through deep borders of purple salvias, crimson scabious, pink coneflowers and grasses, wisteria and clematis on the fence beneath the gable, and the deck edged with lavender
Part sun · clay

New build garden makeover

A rectangle of new turf beside a blank gable, redesigned as a meadow of salvias and scabious, with climbers on the fence and the shed.

After: the same plot as a white gravel garden, with one straight path of large grey slabs to a small patio under a white pergola, deep borders of white rock roses, lamb’s ears and white foxgloves along sage green fences, and agaves in terracotta pots
Full sun · clay

Long garden makeover

A long plot of grey gravel and slabs, redesigned as a white gravel garden with one slab path to a pergola at the far end.

After: the same plot as a cottage garden, an oak framed gazebo with a slate roof where the summerhouse was, a teak table and chairs under it, a gravel path through lavender and catmint, borders of pink roses, blue delphiniums and silver lamb’s ears on both sides, clematis and roses on the black fence either side of the gazebo
Full sun · dry

Gazebo garden makeover

A lawn gone brown and dry and an old summerhouse, redesigned as a cottage garden with an oak gazebo and a gravel path through lavender.

After: the same view with the pergola in full wisteria flower over the deck, a lawn with curved edges and deep borders of foxgloves, mullein, geum, catmint and black eyed Susans, a path of sandstone slabs through gravel to a small sandstone patio with a bistro table and two chairs to the right of the lawn, and the brick walls and back shrubs where they were
Full sun

Wisteria pergola garden makeover

A patchy lawn under a wisteria pergola, redesigned as a curved lawn with deep borders for bees and a sandstone patio to the right of the lawn.

After: the same view with a path of grey and buff stone laid in herringbone curving down the middle to the foot of the spiral staircase, borders of Mexican feather grass, Japanese forest grass, blue fescue and heuchera on both sides with blue delphiniums and purple top verbena rising through them, lavender beside the path, lilac clematis and pale climbing roses on the fences, and the staircase, the brick house and the shrub where they were
Part sun · clay

Urban garden makeover

A narrow strip of artificial grass under a spiral staircase, redesigned as a curved herringbone path through borders of grasses and perennials.

After: the same view with paths of pale gravel winding out from the patio between drifts of purple salvias, lavender, pink coneflowers and yellow black eyed Susans, a small pond with a pebble edge and a stepping stone on the right, an untreated oak bench against the back fence, the fences stained a warm brown behind blue Californian lilac and orange firethorn, and the tree, the conifer and the patio where they were
Full sun · clay

Wildlife pond garden makeover

A wide lawn scorched brown, redesigned as a gravel garden with a small pebble edged pond, drifts for bees and an oak bench at the far end.

After: the design drawn from the patio edge, with a winding path of buff gravel held by low stone edging, deep borders on both sides of pink and white roses, astrantia, catmint, white foxgloves, blue delphiniums, sea holly, white brunnera and lady’s mantle, a white clematis over the trellis on the left, the yew where it was, the fences stained a warm brown and a weathered teak bench under the trees at the far end.
Full sun · acid

Winding path garden makeover

A lawn beside a patio, redesigned as a winding gravel path with low stone edging through deep borders of roses and catmint, to a bench under the trees.

After: a design drawn from the owner’s photo, with large grey slabs laid at an angle with dark pebbles between them, curved beds edged in metal holding New Zealand flax, agave, yucca, purple salvias, orange geum, white gaura and Mexican daisies, the fences stained charcoal with star jasmine on the right one, an L of teak seating built round a gas fire pit in the back corner, an olive tree in a tall planter beside it, the boarded wall and the potted shrub where they were, and the neighbours’ brick houses and roofs beyond.
Light and soil not recorded

Fire pit garden makeover

A lawn gone brown between a boarded wall and a fence, redesigned as a paved garden with slabs floating in pebbles, architectural planting and teak seating built round a fire pit.

After: the same garden drawn as a cottage garden, a flagstone path down the left, a circular lawn in the middle, deep borders of blue delphiniums, pink and white foxgloves, purple hardy geraniums, pink and peach roses, catmint and box balls, espalier fruit trees on the wall at the back, a timber arch, oak table and chairs on pea gravel at the far end, and roses and lilac clematis on the warm stained fence.
Full sun (the design’s notes) · soil not recorded

Cottage garden plan makeover

A lawn beside a concrete path, redesigned as an English cottage garden: a circular lawn in deep borders, a flagstone path, espaliers on the wall and oak seating on gravel at the end.

Transform My Garden like this