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Before and after · urban garden · part sun

Herringbone paving ideas: a narrow urban garden of artificial grass redesigned as a curved path through grasses and perennials

A narrow strip of artificial grass between two painted fences, with a brick house and a black spiral staircase at the far end, a bike under a cover beside it and a washing line strung across. From one photo, it was redesigned as a walk: a path of grey and buff stone laid in herringbone curves down the middle to the foot of the staircase, borders of feather grass, forest grass and blue fescue fill both sides with delphiniums and purple top verbena rising through them, and clematis and climbing roses climb the fences.

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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
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 modern prairie 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
Modern prairie garden
Shape
Narrow, 3.3 by 6.8 metres, with the spiral staircase at the far end
Light
Part sun, clay soil
Started as
Artificial grass, a covered bike and a washing line

Kept

  • The spiral staircase
  • The brick house behind
  • The fence lines
  • The shrub on the left

Changed

  • A curved herringbone path
  • Grasses, delphiniums, verbena
  • Clematis and roses on the fences
  • Deep borders, both sides
In the design

Herringbone paving and prairie borders: four ideas from this makeover

  1. A curved herringbone path, close up in the design
    Artificial grass, edge to edge, the same spot beforeBefore

    Artificial grass, edge to edge A curved herringbone path

    A herringbone path in grey and buff stone, curving down the middle to the staircase

    The owner’s brief asked for a modern look with a herringbone patio of 50 by 200 millimetre stones, and the design lays it as the path: narrow grey and buff stones in herringbone, curving from the near end to the foot of the spiral staircase. Herringbone laid across the line of a narrow plot pulls the eye from side to side, and the curve gives a walk of under seven metres two bends and a place to arrive.

  2. Grasses, delphiniums, verbena, close up in the design
    Artificial grass, the same spot beforeBefore

    Artificial grass Grasses, delphiniums, verbena

    Grasses and perennials on both sides: feather grass, forest grass and blue fescue

    The borders are planted the prairie way, with grasses doing most of the work: drifts of Mexican feather grass on both sides, Japanese forest grass and blue fescue along the front, and heuchera with its dark leaves at the path edge. Delphiniums and purple top verbena rise through the grasses, and lavender sits beside the path. Grasses move in any wind, so a plot 3.3 metres wide is never still.

  3. Clematis and roses on the fences, close up in the design
    Painted fences, little on them, the same spot beforeBefore

    Painted fences, little on them Clematis and roses on the fences

    Clematis and climbing roses on the fences

    The fence lines stay, and the design puts climbers on them: lilac clematis on the left fence and pale climbing roses on the right, rising above the borders. In a plot this narrow the fences are the biggest surfaces in the garden, and climbers put flowers above the borders without taking any width from the path. A pale fence behind purple and pink flowers makes every one of them show.

  4. Deep borders, both sides, close up in the design
    Grass to the fence, both sides, the same spot beforeBefore

    Grass to the fence, both sides Deep borders, both sides

    Artificial grass out, and borders on both sides of the path

    The artificial grass is not in the design. In its place the path takes the middle and borders take both sides, softening the fence lines from the near end to the house. Borders that soften the foot of the fences make a narrow plot read wider than it measures, and the bends in the path draw the eye across it.

Before: a narrow back garden seen from above the near end, artificial grass from fence to fence, a white painted fence on the left with a large shrub, a grey painted fence on the right, a brick house at the far end with a black spiral staircase, a bike under a silver cover and a washing line strung across to the stairs
Before: the owner’s photo.
Before

A strip of artificial grass between two fences, with a spiral staircase at the end

Artificial grass from fence to fence, a white painted fence on the left with a large shrub at the near end, a grey painted fence on the right, and at the far end a brick house with a black spiral staircase, a bike under a silver cover and a washing line strung across to the stairs. Windows look down from above.

The design keeps the staircase, the house and the fences where they were, and takes out the artificial grass, the covered bike and the washing line.

In the borders

Mexican feather grass, Japanese forest grass and blue fescue: the planting

All of them chosen for a narrow plot that gets the sun for part of the day, on clay.

  1. Mexican feather grassIn drifts on both sides
  2. Japanese forest grassYellow green mounds along the front
  3. Blue fescueBlue grey tufts at the front
  4. HeucheraDark leaves at the path edge
  5. DelphiniumsBlue spires through the middle
  6. Purple top verbenaTall purple heads through the middle and back
  7. LavenderAt the front, along the path
  8. ClematisOn the left fence

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 herringbone paving design

What can you replace artificial grass with?

A path and borders. This design replaces it with a curved stone path and deep borders of grasses and perennials chosen for clay and part sun, so the plot is planted from fence to fence with the path between.

How do you make a narrow garden feel wider?

Curve the path and plant the edges. Here the herringbone path bends twice on its way to the staircase, and the borders on both sides hide the foot of the fences, so the eye moves across the plot as well as down it.

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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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, 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
Part sun

Tiered garden makeover

A slab patio, a step and a raised lawn, redesigned as a cottage garden with roses on the fences for privacy and a bench at the top.

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 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
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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.
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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.

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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