The Farmhouse

Set within the rural landscape of Otmoor, Oxfordshire, the owners wanted a contemporary country garden that felt appropriate to the farmhouse and its surroundings.

The garden needed to provide generous spaces for dining, entertaining and relaxing, while maintaining a strong connection to the wider landscape. The design also needed to introduce structure around the property without making the garden feel overly formal or disconnected from its setting.

The farmhouse sits within an open rural landscape, with long views beyond the garden.

The existing site offered a strong architectural setting, but the outdoor spaces lacked definition and a clear relationship with the house. The scale of the property required confident proportions, substantial planting and materials capable of grounding the garden within the wider landscape.

The main opportunity was to create a more legible sequence of spaces while preserving the openness and character of the site.

A series of terraces was created around the farmhouse, providing distinct areas for dining, entertaining and enjoying the garden.

Strong architectural lines establish a clear framework, while clipped hedging and structural planting divide the garden without closing it off. Views are carefully framed through the space and out towards the surrounding countryside.

The planting softens the terraces and creates a gradual transition between the architecture of the house and the wider landscape.

Traditional Cotswold stone was chosen to connect the new garden with the character of the farmhouse. Limestone paving creates a calm and understated surface, while weathered steel introduces warmth and a subtle contemporary contrast.

The planting combines evergreen structure with loose, naturalistic layers of perennials and grasses. Iris, salvias, umbellifers and ornamental grasses provide rhythm, movement and seasonal interest.

Repeated plant forms create cohesion across the garden, while the layered planting supports pollinators and helps the garden feel established within its rural setting.

Location: Otmoor, Oxfordshire
Year: 2024
Service: Full Garden Design
Landscape contractor: Client led
Photography: Langlands Studio