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Annie and Mark designed their small garden as part of a renovation and rear extension at their home in a village near York. The finished garden includes a rainwater-fed rill and an open-roofed folly, and Annie describes it as a tribute to Mark, who died after the work was completed.
Annie and Mark created a rainwater-fed garden alongside a rear home extension at their village home near York, bringing the indoor and outdoor spaces together through an interconnected design. The finished garden features a water rill and an open-roofed folly; Annie says it now stands as a tribute to Mark, who died after the work was completed.
The couple bought the home in 2018, when their garden measured about 150 square metres—a much smaller space than the nine-acre garden at their previous home. The existing plot had a sunken trampoline, a stone path, a small raised deck surrounded by bamboo and a lawn. Annie said the surrounding red-brick walls offered a useful foundation for a redesign.
Annie and Mark began working with Ian Hazard of Ian Hazard Architects in early 2021. Their aim was to improve the rear of the house and connect a new kitchen-diner to the garden, creating areas for relaxing and entertaining. Annie described their goal as a garden that felt calm and nurturing, supported local wildlife and could accommodate both family time and growing vegetables.
The garden was completed after the building work for practical reasons, but the designs were developed together. Hazard said the folly was intended to link the garden’s outdoor room with the new extension. Zinc on the extension and western red cedar slats on the folly were selected to relate the materials across the project. Annie said Mark helped design and build much of the hard landscaping, including the water features and folly.
A Garden Planned With the Extension
The project shows how garden layout can be planned alongside a home extension, rather than treated as a separate job after construction. In this case, the couple and architect considered the size of the new living space against the limited plot, so the house would not take over the garden. Annie said Hazard helped keep the outdoor area from becoming too small in relation to the house.
The shared planning also shaped practical and visual decisions: the extension and garden use materials intended to work together, while the water feature and folly serve as prominent outdoor elements. Annie described the result as a joint project that continues to hold personal meaning after Mark’s death.
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From Bare Lawn to Outdoor Rooms
Annie said she wanted to move closer to her children’s friends as they approached their teenage years. Mark needed persuading, in part because the new garden was so much smaller than the couple’s previous one. Once the interior renovation was complete and the worst of the Covid period had passed, he turned his attention to the rear of the house and its connection to the garden.
The couple brought different priorities to the design. Mark wanted water features, while Annie wanted somewhere to sit under the night sky and occasionally have a fire. She said they visited Beningbrough and RHS Harlow Carr for ideas about planting and structure. Existing plants, including wisteria, climbing roses, Verbena bonariensis and an apple tree, helped inform the planting approach; Annie said she also liked combining informal planting with more formal elements.
Hazard’s brief covered both the internal spaces and the garden, including how the rooms related to one another. Annie said the couple spent time sitting in the space and discussing possible layouts before Hazard developed those ideas into workable plans.
“It needed to feel like a calming and nurturing space which was productive and supportive of local wildlife.”
— Annie
Rainwater System Details Not Provided
The report describes the rill as rainwater-fed, but does not specify how rainwater is collected, stored or delivered to it, or how the system performs during dry periods. It also does not provide construction costs, the volume of water used or measurements of any environmental effect. The account focuses on the design and the couple’s experience rather than a technical assessment of the system.
How the Garden Is Remembered
The source presents the garden as a completed project, rather than announcing further construction or a planned next stage. Annie’s account places its ongoing significance in its role as a tribute to Mark and as a shared design shaped by their ideas. No further work, maintenance plans or updates to the rainwater system are specified.
Key Questions
Where is the garden?
It is at the couple’s home in a village outside York, according to the report.
What makes the garden rainwater-fed?
The report identifies the garden’s rill as rainwater-fed, but does not explain the collection, storage or delivery arrangements.
What features were included?
The design includes a water rill, water features and an open-roofed folly, alongside planting and areas intended for sitting and spending time outdoors.
Who designed the extension and garden?
Ian Hazard of Ian Hazard Architects worked with Annie and Mark on the project. The designs were coordinated, although the garden was finished after the building work.
Why is the garden described as a tribute?
Annie said the garden was a joint project with Mark, who died after the work was completed.
Source: amateurgardening.com
