The difference we made
This project involved a large coastal city garden exposed to a busy road, the sea air, and long open views across Galway Bay to the Burren. The brief was deceptively demanding: create a garden that feels calm rather than cluttered, works for outdoor living and entertaining, protects privacy and security, and still frames — not competes with — the natural views. Practical access and circulation were also essential: easy turning and parking to the north, and secure pedestrian access to the south.
We answered with strong, simple geometry and controlled planting. Formal oval and circular lawns establish soft, uninterrupted curves that lead the eye south toward the bay and hold the space together without visual noise. These lawns are edged with gravel paths that create a clean circulation loop through the garden and connect the house to the south entrance via a secure wall and gate. Outside the paths, layered mixed seasonal planting runs along Ibex fencing and tough coastal hedging. That gives colour, movement, and biodiversity, while also delivering privacy, shelter, and security from the roadside.
Closer to the house, we used natural Irish limestone to build a dramatic semi-circular stair, a circular patio, and a terrace. Those linked spaces offer distinct seating and entertaining zones: one open to maximise the view, one more sheltered for windy days. Luxurious planting softens all the hard edges and ensures interest in both summer peaks and winter lows.
To the north, a generous gravel driveway solves the functional side — turning, parking, and approach — and is paired with a carport that gives dry access straight into the house. The circular lawn there is framed with mixed planting borders for colour and contrasting forms, so even the practical front-of-house area reads as intentional landscape, not overflow.
