How to create a garden that rises 40m in a short distance?

We were approached by the clients to work with their architects Harrison Sutton, on a new 4 storey contemporary home overlooking the Salcombe Estuary in Devon. We were immediately struck by the opportunity to create multiple routes to the garden from each of the 3 roof terraces, expanding on the idea of indoor / outdoor living. Ultimately the upper garden which sits 60m above the entrance driveway had to have such a strong calling to make it worth climbing the 80 steps to reach it – we achieved this through mass planting, creating playful and irregular pathways that meander towards a pergola covered terrace with epic views out to sea.

Photography: Laura Buffery-Martin