Over time the planting in this garden will grow to hide almost all of the fences creating a sunny and private seating spot at the end of the garden, like a clearing in a woodland. The layout is deliberately simple to create a striking and lush scene from the apartment’s glass wall all year, using deep planting borders for maximum impact. To complement a dark slate patio for dining and barbecues I designed a wide gravel path and seating area – with plenty of room for guests at parties. One particularly challenging aspect is that the garden is north facing with the area closest to the flat in complete shade and the furthest half in full sun. This presented an exciting opportunity to design plant communities for both sun and shade but using colour and structure to make them feel one. Now in its second year the planting has fully knitted together.