In 2005 we were commissioned to design a rooftop garden for a Penthouse suit of a new tall luxury waterfront apartment development on the regenerated Salford Quays.

The garden was situated on the 18th floor. After some extensive research into things such as building weight tolerances, soil technologies and planting that will cope with the extreme environmental/weather conditions 18 floors in the air, we came up with a draft design.

The design was approved and we were then asked to design for another 3 rooftop gardens for the same building.

Work began in 2006 on all four gardens. Every element of the construction had to be packed into the construction lift attached to the outside of the building.

The lift only went so high and then all the materials had to be taken up the stair wells by hand to the corresponding floors.

The build was a race against time as this construction lift was soon to be dismantled and everything else would have to be brought up within the small internal service lift.

The design focuses on a square and rectangular design that is offset against the apartment at an angle.

Each design works from a baseline following the large angular pointed walls that form the main feature elevation to the front of the building. This creates interestingly shaped planters.

Each planter was built with a combination drainage and reservoir system and then filled with specially formulated lightweight soils with added moisture control granules.

The planting was of a carefully selected mixture able to compete with the exposure.

This was a very large garden space for a new development. 

The brief for this garden was to keep, and if possible, enhance the sense of space. We started with a large circular generously sized timber deck area. The deck area was raised level with the lawn and to improve the transition from the conservatory. The circular shaped deck radiated from the corner of the conservatory. Box edged borders then emanate like ripples from the circular deck area to the edges of the garden allowing for plenty of lawn space.

The very long boundary fence line to the left side of the garden was broken up with shrub planting. It was then screened even further with the installation of a long timber pergola with lattice trellised sides allowing the growth of Roses, Clematis and Honeysuckles. A pathway walking through the pergola leads to a small circular patio area to the far corner.

This garden was a very small dominated by 6ft high fencing and brick walls on all sides.

The brief was to create a lush oasis to escape a hectic working day with a glass of wine. Tall planting with Zebra Grasses and Bamboos help break up and disguise the garden boundaries.

Shrubs and grasses mulched with gravel help reduce the maintenance required.

 The garden was uneven with a difference of approximately 2ft to the rear.

Using new sleeper-sized timbers we retained section to form a series of level terraced areas enabling the small garden to have a small area of lawn. 

This garden was designed specifically aimed at the prospective buyers of the properties this show home was opened for. The prospective client for these homes were to be professionals with a young or growing family.

The design had to include a sense of style and formality whilst retaining the open patio areas and the very important lawn. The planting had to be familiar and easy to keep pruned.

The main purpose was to not scare or overwhelm the buyer with a multitude of wildly exotic plants that they wouldn’t know were to start when it came to pruning or just generally looking after.  

The layout is derived from the projection of the properties own lines out into the garden space.

These areas are then divides into zones or ‘rooms’ that are separated by a change in materials or a low divisional hedge. Effort was made to create different zones yet not to block or impede a sense of space.

The low hedges allow you to look over with the changes of ground materials denoting zones without stopping the eye.

The large row of Photinia ‘Red Robin’ lollipop standards creates height and mass but still allows the eye to see the boundary of the garden. The lawn is used and shown as an integral garden feature in its own right.

The Pavilions Residential Development in Macclesfield is heralded as an outstanding success in the reclamation, refurbishment and conservation of the Grade II listed buildings. The group of Victorian buildings dating back to 1871 are part of the former Parkside Hospital.

The  Pavilions, completed in 2011/2012, is the last of the iconic buildings within the town of Macclesfield that has seen over 15 years of continuous
restoration, refurbishment and redevelopment.

The combination of grand Victorian architecture complimented with new, sympathetically styled, homes set within beautiful green parkland settings makes for one of the most desirable and prestigious places to live.

WARBURTON LANDSCAPES LTD have had the privilege of working on the landscape and parkland scene of this project since the beginning.

As the main landscaping contractor we are proud to be recognised by New Homes Garden Awards for our many years of hard work.