Wimbledon Family Garden Design

This young family in Wimbledon wanted a garden to match their smart new extension. They also wanted it to have more flowers, a good seating area and for it to feel larger. A sunny seating area near the house is large enough for a crowd and there is space outside the kitchen for a dining table. The shed was replaced with one that can double up as a play-house. The clients chose an eclectic mix of pink and yellow flowers for a bright and playful child-friendly space.

The previous garden was dominated by a single oval lawn that left little room for planting or for the family to spread out. The new layout widens the borders significantly, and the lawn itself has been reshaped and softened at the edges, drawing the eye outward and making the space feel considerably more generous than its actual footprint. Stepping stones lead informally across the grass towards the shed, while a repaired boundary fence and a new gate give the garden a tidier, more finished edge.

The planting is deliberately loose and cottage-like: Echinacea purpurea Magnus, Rudbeckia goldsturm and Crocosmia Emily McKenzie bring pink, purple and orange through the height of summer, while Verbena bonariensis threads through the borders on tall, wiry stems, adding movement without ever feeling formal. A pink Rosa Gertrude Jeckyll scrambles by the shed, and drifts of Erigeron karvinskianus self-seed along the paving, blurring the line between border and terrace in the most natural way. It's a scheme that rewards being brushed past and picked from — exactly what the clients wanted for a garden their children could grow up in.

At the back of the garden, the new painted shed does double duty as a practical store and a playhouse, tucked among mature trees that were retained to give the new planting instant maturity and privacy. Two paved areas sit closer to the house: a dining spot outside the kitchen doors for family meals, and a larger lounge terrace nearby with plenty of room for garden furniture and visiting friends — both positioned to make the most of the sun and the new view out from the extension.

Plain oval lawn with sparse planting before garden redesign in Wimbledon The garden before its transformation: a plain oval lawn edged in cracked paving, with a single seating spot and minimal planting — the starting point for this family garden red
Garden design concept plan for a Wimbledon family garden by Jane Shankster Garden Design The concept plan for this Wimbledon family garden, showing the new lawn, dining and lounge terraces, borders, shed and stepping-stone paths designed by Jane Sha
Garden shed, lawn and echinacea border in a Wimbledon family garden designed by Jane Shankster Garden Design A relaxed family garden in Wimbledon, with a soft grey garden shed set among mature trees, a wooden bench on a stone terrace, and a naturali
Close-up of a weathered wood garden armchair beside verbena bonariensis in a Wimbledon garden A detail shot of a grey-washed wooden armchair on the terrace, with verbena bonariensis and echinacea flowering behind — part of the relaxed planting schem
Pink echinacea and pale pink roses growing together in a Wimbledon garden border Pink coneflowers mingle with soft pink roses and verbena in front of the garden shed, creating a romantic, cottage-style border in this Wimbledon family garden.
Wooden armchair on a stone patio beside a naturalistic flower border in a Wimbledon garden A comfortable outdoor armchair sits on the stone terrace, angled towards a billowing border of echinacea and verbena — a quiet spot to enjoy the garden, desig
Rear view of an Edwardian house and glass extension overlooking a Wimbledon family garden The rear of the Edwardian house, with its glazed extension opening onto the new terrace and lawn — the garden designed to connect seamlessly with the family's
Wooden bench on a terrace beside verbena, echinacea and rudbeckia in a Wimbledon garden A simple wooden bench set on a paved terrace, framed by verbena bonariensis, echinacea and rudbeckia — a peaceful seating spot within the naturalistic planting o
Orange crocosmia flowers in a Wimbledon garden border Vivid orange crocosmia flowers add a warm late-summer highlight to the planting scheme in this Wimbledon family garden.
Outdoor sofa and armchairs on a stone terrace beside a flower border in a Wimbledon garden A relaxed outdoor seating area with sofa, armchairs and coffee table on the stone terrace, positioned beside the border of echinacea and verbena for a garden
Close-up of pink echinacea coneflowers in soft focus A soft-focus close-up of echinacea in flower, part of the naturalistic, pollinator-friendly planting used throughout this Wimbledon family garden.
White and pink erigeron daisies in a Wimbledon garden border Delicate white and pink erigeron daisies self-seed along the terrace edge, softening the paving with their airy, informal habit.
Pink echinacea flowers among white and yellow blooms in a Wimbledon garden border Echinacea rises above a mixed planting of white and yellow flowers, illustrating the layered, naturalistic style of border used throughout this Wimbledon family garden
Pink Rosa Gertrude Jekyll flowers in close-up The full, scrolled blooms of Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll', a classic pink English rose, chosen for its scent and cottage-garden character within this Wimbledon planting scheme.
Lawn, shed and bench in a Wimbledon family garden in early summer The lawn, shed and bench viewed across dappled shade, with roses and marigolds flowering in the border — the same Wimbledon family garden shown in early summer.
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