Case Study

Oharas

South Yorkshire

Corten steel water spout feeding a planted pond edged with purple-stemmed marginals, iris and foxgloves

Photo: Hanne Hjorth

Water lily pads and buds rippling on the pond surface

Photo: Hanne Hjorth

Terracotta patio with striped deckchairs beside the corten steel rill and sleeper seating

Photo: Hanne Hjorth

Creeping buttercups at the pond edge with ripple reflections

Photo: Hanne Hjorth

Corten steel water spout feeding the pond amid purple-stemmed marginals and iris

Photo: Hanne Hjorth

The Brief

The neglected garden of a busy professional couple in the city needed a makeover. The brief was to create a quiet sanctuary, with privacy and a feeling of being immersed in nature.

Planting & Materials

Water mint (Mentha aquatica)
Purple-stemmed marginals
Herbs
Fruit trees and bushes
Perennial and aquatic plants
Corten steel water spout
Recycled Victorian quarry tiles
Larch

The Result

In spring the fruit trees come into blossom, and by late summer there is something to pick. The still water holds the sky. Dragonflies find the aquatic plants, and the birds follow. The sound of moving water is soft and constant, and it takes the edge off the city. This is a garden for slowing down.

In their words

Creeping buttercups and water mint along the edge of the Oharas wildlife pond

Creative Cultivation transformed our very basic garden into a beautiful, wildlife-friendly space that’s a joy to spend time in.

It needs very little upkeep, in fact the less we do the more beautiful it seems to become! Years later it’s still thriving and full of birds, bees and just the other month I sat watching a hummingbird hawk-moth feeding on nectar!

We couldn’t be happier with what Will created for us, and his artistry, attention to detail, passion and principles made the whole experience feel like one we were involved in, educated by and hugely satisfied with.

James O’Hara

Co-founder, Tramlines Festival

South Yorkshire