Treated myself to a reviewing of the DVD ‘The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie’ and thought I would blog about some of his ideas. In the third series he creates some really inspiring outdoor landscapes. One of my favorites the Hamptons inspired outdoor room.  This garden is a contemporary take on a formal garden design. 

Formal garden concept board created by Rosena on SampleBoard.com

The large garden’s most challenging problem was the lack of privacy. The garden was overlooked by a number of neighbors so Jamie felt the beautiful garden designs of the Hamptons in New York would best suit this situation. The house was an older style home built in 1903 and he decided a classical style garden would enhance the character of the home.

Jamie’s approach to garden design is to see the garden like a house with the need for a number of different rooms for different functions. He aimed to take the 2D like space and give it a 3D like feel.

He borrowed from the understated classy garden designs of the Hamptons with their high hedges creating screens for privacy. The use of man made structures and plants inspired his choices. As you walk through the French doors into the back garden he has created you step onto a series of pale colored timber decks. There is a sunken hot tub surrounded by plants, on another deck is a small table and chairs just right for an early morning coffee.

A simple fountain is placed in the middle of the garden at the end of a pale tiled pathway. There is lawn with sun lounges. Jamie has achieved instant privacy by creating raised planter boxes of about 2 yards (1.8 meters) high planted with tall plants and trees.

At the back of the garden he has created a raised area for dining. The timber decking is reached by a series of timber steps each planted out with low plants. Jamie has also placed a marquee at the bottom of the garden.

The garden appears lush and private with an understated classic look. The planting around the edges is punctuated with rectangular light boxes. The boxes are about 6 feet high made of timber covered with an outdoor fabric; on the outside timber battens hold the fabric in place, inside lighting. The garden is stylish and elegant with a wonderful range of plants, flowers and trees; hydrangeas’, buxus, magnolias, junipers and Japanese maples. The pale colored decks, paths and white furniture enhance the garden’s appeal.

The Hamptons inspired garden image via www.jamiedurie.com