Traditional Gardens: Ideas For a Timeless Finish

The brief for this project was to create a garden that this young family could entertain in and enjoy from day into night. Designed by Llevelo Garden Design, it places Slab Khaki Porcelain as its predominant paving material, which contrasts beautifully with the black timber of the property.

Porcelain paving possesses extremely low porosity, making it less prone to long-term staining and developing a patina. This means that, with regular ongoing maintenance (all paving requires attention, but porcelain needs it less frequently than natural stone), this family can maximise their time enjoying their entertaining space, knowing that the paving will retain its good looks for years to come.

More traditional elements within this garden, such as the use of wooden garden furniture over a metallic alternative, a timber pergola, under which the homeowners can enjoy relaxed dining, and the use of traditional flint walling on the property's boundary, create a harmonious feel, befitting the overall space. Festoon lighting adds a cosy festival-feel, not only enhancing the mood, but also giving practical illumination once the evening arrives.

Soft landscaping features include mature trees, such as the imposing eucalyptus, while a muted colour palette of greens and purples, by way of nepeta, pittosporum, and geranium, soften the garden by adding pockets of serenity.

A garden-lover's paradise, full of intrigue and take-home ideas for your own classic English garden. At first glance, this project appears to lean towards the contemporary, but look closer and you'll find a raft of traditional garden features.

Kandla Grey porcelain paving, which emulates the more traditional Indian Sandstone, has been laid in a traditional '4 Flag Random Layout' paving pattern, making use of the four available slab sizes, without causing unseemly 'cross joints'. Porcelain makes for a lower-maintenance alternative to natural stone, due to its low porosity.

This long garden is divided into four main areas: the upper terrace as you leave the back of the property, designed for entertaining; a circular lawned area, bordered by a beautiful clay paver path; a cosy seating area, adorned with timber posts, which give scale and privacy; and a stepping-stone path which leads to a stunning greenhouse and propagating area. Using a continuous design theme of circular shapes brings width to the garden.

With a homeowner so green-fingered, this garden is a treasure trove of soft landscaping. Mature willow and birch trees add scale to the space, with other planting highlights including an array of hostas, pleached photinia for added privacy, potted topiary, and classic perennials like alliums, geums, and crocosmia.

A seemingly straightforward garden, designed by Sheffield-based Phil Hurst, but don't be fooled by this garden's simplicity. Designing beautiful, functional gardens is a skilful craft, and this design makes the most of this wide, but shallow plot.

Golden Stone porcelain paving, from our Luxury Italian collection, is used as the main terrace, which brings a contemporary edge to an otherwise traditional English garden. The warming tones are the perfect choice to combine with the paving's low-maintenance characteristics, so the homeowner can spend less time worrying about jet washing the paving, and more time in the greenhouse.

A water feature placed in the centre of the garden perfectly harmonises with the surrounding areas of lawn, planting, and the main patio. Lasting gardens should tantalise the senses, so by using water within this design, joyful sound and movement are added to the space.

Across the garden, timber trellises allow climbers and shrubs space to do their thing, and this homeowner is clearly green-fingered at heart. Pansies, asters, decorative grasses, and dahlias are all at home in this sunny plot, while buddleia, crocosmia, and geraniums add splashes of purple and fiery red.

Across the garden, timber trellises allow climbers and shrubs space to do their thing, and this homeowner is clearly green-fingered at heart. Pansies, asters, decorative grasses, and dahlias are all at home in this sunny plot, while buddleia, crocosmia, and geraniums add splashes of purple and fiery red.