‘We need a garden to look at through all this glass’- this was our brief in 2004.
The house was a brilliant piece of contemporary architecture by Sir Terry Farrell – one of a set of 3 houses built in a quiet, green corner of South West London, but there was not much of interest to look at through the windows.
Our design built on the architectural grid of the building- following its lines & structure, whilst offering a powerful, natural counter-balance to its manmade forms.
Here we see it photographed in 2004 & from the same locations 16 years later in 2020. What a difference a garden makes!
We have maintained the garden all this time and really enjoyed the opportunity to watch it develop. The layout is unchanged since we built it & we have only made minor changes to the planting as needed. Trees & shrubs are regularly clipped & pruned to keep them in shape & in tune with the original vision.
The enclosed sheltered micro-climate is wonderful for the figs & vines, tree ferns & tender ground cover, but unfortunately it is also a haven for pests & diseases. We have overcome vine weevil, rosemary beetle & box blight. The dreaded box tree caterpillar is kept at bay using integrated biological controls.
You can see more of The White Garden & its neighbours in our Medium Gardens Portfolio pages. The House is occasionally opened through Open House London & the garden through Petersham Open Gardens.
