Oak pergola & Entertaining Spaces
A timeless oak gazebo and pergola make a wonderful feature, set into lush, drought tolerant planting.
The clients had built this magnificent detached house in Little Chalfont to their bespoke design, but the rear garden was rendered virtually unusable in hot summers. An open and sun-drenched terrace set deep into the large lawn was dubbed ‘the helipad’ as it was empty, featureless, and an unattractive space to spend time. So they brought in Chiltern Garden Design to rectify this.
The clients envisaged a summerhouse or gazebo on the existing paved area, to provide shade and shelter to enjoy views out across the spacious lawn. Additional considerations included storage, drought tolerant planting, and protecting key plants and trees from the local population of marauding deer, which could not be totally excluded from the garden. They also asked for a herb garden in long lasting, beautiful planters, and a replacement for the dying box hedging around their rose garden.
Chiltern Garden Design proposed not just a stylish oak framed gazebo to provide shade and shelter over the existing seating area, but also an enchanting approach to this via an oak pergola draped with scented climbers, and flanked by planting beds full of delicate yet tough perennials and grasses, in soft colours to match the client’s desired look, in shades of cream, peach and lilac.
Once the sketch proposals were approved, the clients were taken through a range of design options to choose and select final details before the design team drew up final plans including a full specification, soft aesthetic lighting design, planting plans and introduced the clients to suitable contractors to price up and ultimately create the design for them. Chiltern Garden Design liaised between all parties during the build to ensure clear lines of communication, with suggestions and additions along the way all handled seamlessly.
This garden was planted at the end of May 2025 and is already establishing well, despite the hot and dry summer. We’ll check back in next spring and summer and share the finished garden photos then.
Project Testimonial
"Chiltern Garden Design designed a pergola, gazebo and garden setting that perfectly suits our property. Using computer graphics they showed us exactly what had been designed, making our decision to proceed that much easier. Their attention to detail surprised me! Using a trusted contractor, the project was then delivered in a timely manner………and we are delighted with the finished product!!"