The garden at the rear of a grand Victorian home in southwest London has become something of a marvel, not because it flaunts extravagance, but due to its understated, intelligent richness. It was once a typical urban green space, comprised of a neatly clipped lawn bordered by a few uninspiring shrubs, predictable and largely ornamental in nature. But a sensitive renovation of the property, which included a substantial glass extension and a subterranean level beneath the main structure, prompted a radical reimagining of the garden above. The once flat, unmemorable space now stretches 28 by 14 meters and brims with seasonal drama and year-round botanical intrigue.
This transformation was not undertaken by chance. The homeowners, eager to preserve a sense of natural harmony while still indulging in elegance, enlisted Urquhart & Hunt, the celebrated landscape designers known for their ecological intelligence and visual poetry. From the outset, the aim was not merely to decorate the space but to stitch it back into the landscape beyond. Just behind the garden wall lies a mature park woodland, rare in London, and this verdant backdrop became the compass for every decision that followed.
The design retained two established magnolia trees, their creamy blossoms and architectural limbs framing the rear passageway like sentinels to another world. A mature olive tree, its silvery leaves fluttering in the breeze, now filters sightlines from an adjacent property. These trees were not simply kept for their beauty; their presence protected the invisible fungal networks beneath the soil, essential to a healthy garden ecosystem. This kind of subterranean awareness is increasingly revered among modern horticulturists, particularly those working with high-end clients who desire both aesthetics and environmental credibility.
New additions include a pair of Amelanchier lamarkii, whose spring blossom and autumn colour provide ephemeral but vivid punctuation throughout the year. An Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku', with its coral stems and gently slanted growth, was chosen to soften sightlines and create movement. Zelkova serrata 'Flekova', often referred to by its trade name Green Vase, adds vertical elegance and brings autumnal brilliance to the far reaches of the space. Biochar was added generously to their planting holes, a move that would raise eyebrows in casual gardening circles but is par for the course in gardens designed with a deep ecological spine.
The excavation for the underground rooms had produced a small mountain of earth, which the design team chose to reuse creatively. Instead of removing it, they sculpted it into gently rolling mounds, capped with rich imported topsoil. These were then planted with generous sweeps of perennials and ornamental grasses. This wasn’t just for show. The homeowners had children, and part of the design brief was to maintain a space that could evolve with the family. While the front portion of the garden indulges in the wild romance of garden design, the rear still offers an expanse of lawn for play and relaxation, bordered by carefully placed seating that catches the warmth of late-afternoon sun.
From the kitchen’s glass doors, the garden offers only a teasing glimpse of what lies beyond. The first visual is of a densely planted terrace, full of towering Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum', the dark fronds catching the light like lace. Lobelia tupa thrusts upwards with its vermilion plumes, daring and dramatic. Veronicastrum virginicum, Agastache 'Blackadder', and Molinia caerulea 'Transparent' all play their parts in this late summer opera, surrounding yew domes that ground the view and provide structure when other plants die back.
There is a theatrical quality to the transitions throughout this garden. A lightwell, created for the subterranean rooms, has been transformed into a mini-Jurassic landscape, with tree ferns arching gracefully over a carpet of moisture-loving groundcovers. Trachelospermum jasminoides, trained over trellising, fills the air with scent while disguising structural boundaries. From here, curved steps invite one down to a gravel path that winds through the space with the intimacy of a country footpath, reinforcing the sensation that this garden was not just built, but grown.
The owners speak often of how the garden has changed their daily lives. Where once there was a sense of disconnection between indoors and outdoors, the new layout has drawn the eye and the body into the landscape. Coffee is taken on the morning terrace, and the children often dash from the basement playroom to the lawn in seconds. Friends remark on how different the space feels from typical London gardens, not because of its size, but because of its immersive quality. There is always something happening in the borders, a new leaf emerging, a bud swelling, or a rustle among the grasses that suggests life even in the stillest moments.
From a real estate perspective, such a garden adds immense value. High-CPC keywords like "luxury landscape design", "eco-friendly urban gardens", "high-end garden renovation", and "sustainable outdoor living" have become more than buzzwords. They reflect a shift in what affluent buyers are looking for. No longer is a garden simply a visual accessory to a home; it is an integral extension of its architecture and philosophy. Particularly in urban settings, where nature must be both curated and coaxed, a garden like this offers a lifestyle that blends mindfulness, environmental stewardship, and understated luxury.
It also provides a narrative that many premium buyers are drawn to: the idea that beauty can emerge from intention and patience. The use of perennials that change with the seasons, the invisible fungal networks that nourish from below, the sense of borrowed scenery from the parkland behind — all these elements reflect a kind of wealth that isn't always measurable in square footage, but in the quality of experience.
Even maintenance, often a concern for busy city dwellers, has been cleverly addressed. The designers curated plantings that require minimal intervention, choosing species that self-seed gently or return reliably each year. The irrigation is discreet and automated, and the soil amendments mean that the garden requires less feeding and fewer chemical inputs. As such, the garden remains a joy rather than a burden, a sanctuary rather than a chore.
During late summer evenings, the second gravel terrace, tucked at the far end, becomes the chosen spot for unwinding. A glass of wine, the ambient hum of bees returning to nests, the soft rustle of Molinia in the breeze — it all paints a picture of luxury that money alone cannot guarantee. What makes this garden remarkable isn't its extravagance, but its thoughtfulness. It invites you to look closely, to slow down, and to rediscover what true luxury in home and garden living can really mean.