Garden makeover: pergola hangout

We all strive for a garden that we can enjoy year-round and not just in the height of summer. But how do we achieve that with the UK weather being as unpredictable as it is?

The roofed pergola with built-in fireplace in this garden was a big undertaking that not all of us would be able to replicate. But there are plenty of ideas that could be pinched to suit your plot size and budget. So let's take a closer look inside...

Flames dance in the hearth of the outdoor fireplace, candlelight casts cosy shadows beneath the pergola, toes are toasty tucked up under legs on the outdoor sofa, and blankets are close to hand in case an extra layer of home comforts is needed… this is winter outdoor living at its best. The result of the Jamieson family’s hard work, with content creator Emma at the helm of the design ship, this trad-meets-modern garden is a shining example of what you can achieve yourselves, if you set your mind to it.

While the mission is now undoubtedly accomplished, completing the project has been a true labour of love: digging footings in the snow, back-breaking patio laying and frustrating lockdown delays – not to mention nights spent lying awake thinking about layers, materials, features and colours. And all with a family of three boys – Patrick, 13, William, 9, and Joseph, 8 – to look after.

“We moved here in January 2018,” recalls Emma. “When my husband Simon and I first viewed the house and its long rectangular garden, it was summer, the flowers were in full bloom and there were lots of mature trees, shrubs and borders. There was also a dovecote and a pale blue shed that looked so pretty – but both were rotten!

"There was no patio area, just a tarmacked space at the back of the house used to park the car by the previous owners, and there was no direct access to the garden from the house. You had to go from the kitchen to the utility to the annexe to get outside! We knew we needed to make the garden more accessible and to make changes so we could see the boys when they were outside.”

BEFORE: A sea of green scattered with rotten structures.

The Tarmac drive was an ugly contrast to the red-brick house.

AFTER: Dreamy by day & night, it’s the perfect place for a morning cuppa, lazy lunch, barbecue tea, playing football and family drinks!

Emma's garden plan

LOCATION West Lancashire
THE LOOK Trad with a modern twist
SITE Size 100m2 patio Faces North-east Soil Clay

OUR BUDGET
Paving £5,000
Box hedge plants £160
Paint £143
Water features £450
Pergola £3,000
Vintage fire basket £40
Church pew £100
Seed spreader £45
Total: £8,938

HOW LONG IT TOOK
Paving & pergola 2 months
Reseeding lawn 3 weeks
Planting ongoing
Total: 3 months

Outdoor living ideas

The priority, though, was reimagining the interior of this Lancashire Victorian property. During the renovations, as well as tackling the garden accessibility issue, Emma kept in mind the need to streamline the indoor and outdoor areas. “It felt like there was no connection between inside and out,” remembers Emma. “My aim was to make the garden as closely connected to the interior as possible, to be able to see greenery through the windows in the kitchen and the coach house at the back, to have a sociable space we could use year-round for sitting, eating, drinking and entertaining despite our unpredictable weather, and for it to feel like it’s of the same age, fabric and look as the house. I also wanted it to feel cosy despite being quite big.”

So when the couple renovated the kitchen in September 2019, they decided to replace the windows with French doors. And now they had a direct route outdoors, the patio was the obvious next step to get stuck into. However, with lockdown grinding life to a halt, Emma and Simon, MD of a MarTech company specialising in customer loyalty, had no choice but to get on with sieving and levelling the soil and seeding the patchy lawn themselves.

Lockdown also gave Emma plenty of time to seek ideas for the rest of the plot. “One of my main sources of inspiration is Instagram,” she enthuses. “I spend a lot of time drooling over other people’s beautiful homes and gardens and follow many garden designers. Lots of my ideas for the garden stem from treating it like a room in the house – the pendant light over the table, using colours outside that tie in with our interior, and layers of lighting – wall lights, festoon lights and solar spike lights to light up certain plants and points of interest such as the standard roses, topiary olive trees, fireplace and water features.”

Outdoor fireplace goals

Plans for the garden evolved as it began to take shape. “I spent a lot of time trying to work out how to break up the large patio into different areas so it didn’t look like a vast paved square,” Emma recalls. “I also wanted it to look like it had always been there, rather than a modern addition, so we used the same reclaimed bricks to build the walls as we’d used to renovate the coach house, and chose natural stone paving to make it feel traditional. And we used sandstone from around the garden to build a retaining wall.

“My brother-in-law John was our builder and laid the patio along with my father-in-law and a family friend – we couldn’t have done it without them! Our boys loved having our builder family here every day – they learned how to lay bricks, pretend-drive a digger and operate a dumper.”

A pergola and fireplace were non-negotiables. “Having somewhere undercover in the UK with our crazy climate definitely makes sense, and you can’t beat a real fire when it’s freezeballs outside!” adds Emma. “We decided to build the pergola in brick as we had lots left over from the coach house. And I wanted to include a fireplace to ensure we could enjoy the space year-round. I spent a lot of time on Pinterest looking at outdoor fires – there were mainly US examples as nobody seems to have them here. I wanted the bricks to be laid in a herringbone pattern, so I drew exactly what I had in mind and gave it to John who built it.”

Finishing touches included a chimney pot from the coach house, a Victorian fire basket from eBay, a hot and cold water tap and a sink. And for the rest of the garden? “We have an old church pew out there from the kitchen of our previous house. I chose to use copper lights and taps to give a vintage, slightly rustic feel and they tie in well with the Corten-steel plant supports and rose arch,” Emma explains. “We also added a large dining table and benches, kamado barbecue, pizza oven and a lounge set that we move around according to how we want to use the space – undercover or fully outside.”

Further back there’s a hidden greenhouse and storage area accessed through an arched bower. “We have a treehouse for the boys to play in and goals for what the boys call ‘the pitch’ – I call it the lawn!” Emma laughs. “The garden has to work for all of us – the boys play football out there in all weathers and our Cavachon, Solly, loves to run around too.”

Plants for all seasons

Structures in place, it was time to expand on the planting to soften all those hard edges, Emma once again turning to Instagram for inspiration. “The planting has evolved over time as my knowledge has grown and continues to change,” she says. “Big expensive plants like roses, olives, jasmine and wisteria climbers and a camellia have been gifts for birthdays and anniversaries. Although I didn’t like roses when I was younger, I adore them now and for my birthday oneyear I asked for a vintage wire arch from Harrod Horticultural and some David Austin climbing roses to frame the top of the steps.”

Height has been added to the beds behind the pergola thanks to ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas and a low box hedge has been planted behind the retaining wall. “I like to repeat the same plants around the different beds so as plants mature, I divide them and replant,” says Emma. Mainly sticking to a palette of whites, purples and pinks, favourites include alliums, salvia, cosmos, peonies and dahlias.

Grasses were added to the raised bed outside the kitchen to create movement, along with nepeta, Primula vialii and scabiosa for colour. “The raised bed makes this space feel enclosed, almost like a courtyard,” adds Emma.

Family garden joy

While already the epitome of indoor-outdoor living, new-year plans are afoot for further improvements. “We still have so many ideas!” laughs Emma. “We’re thinking of adding a few raised beds at the back of the garden for veg or cut flowers. And we have an old greenhouse that I haven’t made use of yet – I’d like to start growing more from seed. And the boys would love a pond as they are obsessed with fish!”

But for now the family will be focusing on enjoying their outside space together and the positive changes it’s brought to their lives. “We used to just use the garden as a place for the boys to get some fresh air, run off some energy and play football. But now we have a place we can all be together to sit, eat, drink and entertain. We’re not limited by the weather as we have a space undercover, with the fire to keep us warm and to toast marshmallows,” Emma smiles. “It’s like having a living room, kitchen and dining room outside.

“The garden has been my passion project – I’ve chosen every plant, all the furniture and furnishings, the colours – and I’m proud of it as I didn’t know much about gardening, and I think it’s turned out well. There’s nothing better than seeing your hard work come together when everything is blooming!”

Emma's tips for DIY garden design

✽ Really think about the space and how you want to use it. The weather is predictably unpredictable so plan for it!
✽ Decide on lighting, electrics and water first and lay a supply before you start any hard landscaping.
✽ Think about the indoors when you’re planning the outdoors so there’s a connection between the two.
✽ Don’t ever buy single plants! A garden looks so much better with repetition and swathes of the same plants.

Smart garden ideas to steal

✽ Build a fireplace from reclaimed bricks.

✽ Plant a mini hedge to edge your patio.

✽ Roof your pergola and keep your furniture dry!

Join Emma for more seasonal styling on Insta @lovinglinden

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