arcadia landscape, sheffield
an experimental garden on the slopes of the rivelin valley
When landscape architect duo Doug & Charlotte Baker initially bought the one acre former horse paddock high above the vibrant city of Sheffield, they had intended for it to be used as an area for growing plants for their business - they design, build and maintain playgrounds and school grounds. However, the area soon took on a life of its own, with planting areas broadly based around ecological niches.
There is a wildflower meadow and orchard, a planted ‘damp’ meadow, a woodland garden with a developing tree canopy, and a dry garden in the most open part of the site.
‘We use a wide mix of exotic and native species, I suppose our planting style could be described as a reimagining of a typical wild-ish site if it hadn’t been restricted by the last ice age, human exploitation and degradation, and other intractable factors of geography, time and ecology!”
Season: Autumn
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire UK
Credits: Doug & Charlotte Baker