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Millards Haven, Penarth
A practical family garden with soft planting and space to grow
At this residential property in Penarth, we were asked to reimagine both the front and back gardens for a young family seeking a practical, welcoming outdoor space. The brief called for functional, low-maintenance design with room for everyday use, including outdoor dining, children’s play, and shaded seating areas.
The rear garden, largely shaded and north-facing, was shaped to maximise usable space while introducing soft, vertical greenery through climbing plants and boundary planting. A new patio and connecting paths were planned to create structure and ease of movement, while relocating the existing shed helped open up valuable light and space.
In the front garden, we proposed repositioning the driveway to create a more generous sunny area for planting or informal seating, alongside a new native hedgerow to improve privacy and biodiversity.
Initial design sketches, along with curated planting and material palettes, have been shared with the client. We are now progressing toward final design plans and working with the clients to help coordinate the build, taking into account several existing Tree Preservation Orders across the site.
Initial Sketches
As part of the concept stage for the transformation of both front and rear gardens, two hand-drawn layout options were developed to reflect the client’s desire for a functional, family-friendly space with soft planting and year-round usability.
Both schemes share a cohesive planting and material palette, ensuring continuity across the front and back gardens, while offering distinct layout arrangements to support discussion and refinement of the final design.
In the rear garden, the design focuses on creating a practical and accessible environment, with clean lines and a more contemporary feel. Open spaces allow for play and movement, while planting is used to soften boundaries and introduce texture and shade. A relocated shed, new patio, and connecting paths enhance everyday functionality while supporting a low-maintenance lifestyle.
The front garden presents a more cottage-style aesthetic, with colourful planting and a welcoming atmosphere. Reconfiguring the driveway improves spatial efficiency, freeing up sunlit areas for seating and planting. A new native hedgerow along the boundary offers greater privacy and a greener frontage.
Together, these concepts balance charm and usability—providing a practical response to family life while celebrating the potential of both spaces.
Final Designs
Front Garden GA
The design creates a welcoming, nature-friendly front garden with practical access and seasonal planting. A no-dig gravel driveway protects tree roots while providing parking, and a circular stone patio forms a central focal point. Reused materials, textured gravel, and defined planting beds bring structure and interest, with a low-maintenance hedge adding privacy and a sense of enclosure.
Front Garden Planting Plan
The planting plan brings together a rich mix of perennials, shrubs, bulbs, and grasses for year-round interest, colour, and texture. Highlights include bold alliums, hydrangeas, and irises for structure, complemented by lavender, hebe, and spindle for evergreen form. Seasonal bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and native bluebells provide spring impact, while coneflowers, sneezeweed, and sedum extend colour into late summer. Grasses and perennials like angel’s fishing rod, feathertop, and alum root add movement and contrast, while a framework of privet and small-leaved lime offers structure and enclosure. Together, these plants create a vibrant, wildlife-friendly, and resilient planting scheme.
Back Garden GA
The back garden design creates a layered, versatile space with a three-tiered patio for entertaining, relaxing, and socialising. A pergola frames the main seating area, with a flexible fire pit zone below and a refreshed patio near the house for everyday use. A new garden room is set into planting beds that soften the layout, while stepping stones guide movement through the garden. Columnar trees at the rear add height, greenery, and privacy from neighbouring views.
Back Garden Planting Plan
The planting plan combines architectural structure with soft, layered textures to create a lush and seasonal backdrop. Statement plants like bear’s breech, camellia, and hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ provide bold form and long-lasting flowers, while woodland perennials such as hostas, ferns, astilbe, and bluebells bring softness and seasonal colour. Grasses including Japanese sedge, forest grass, and wood rush add texture and movement, complemented by groundcovers like Japanese spurge for year-round greenery. Climbers such as wisteria frame vertical features, while Italian cypress and an apple tree introduce height and structure. Together, these plants form a balanced, naturalistic scheme that feels both elegant and inviting.