Hard landscaping and a series of raised beds made Jane Kerr’s garden in Stirling easy to manage

But what makes his tree house special is the view, to the west over the old part of Stirling, the Ochils and the Wallace Monument and south over the 18th-century house the couple bought five years ago and have since restored. This must surely be the tree house with the best view in Scotland.

The view from the rest of the south-facing, sloping garden is almost identical: enclosed by walls on two sides with a tall, arched panelled fence on the third side, the space enjoys a sense of structure and privacy. Tucked away down a cul-de-sac reached via a narrow lane, the house is hidden from view; from the garden you can look over the old town without being seen. It’s akin to being in the roof-top garden of a modern skyscraper but with the charm of looking out on to ancient buildings.

Drawing inspiration from the house renovation, where the focus was on highlighting the clean lines of the perfectly proportioned Georgian interior, Jane, who runs an antiques and collectables shop a few steps below Stirling Castle, sought something similar for the overgrown, neglected garden.

“I was perfectly clear about what I wanted,” she says. “I wanted no clutter, and formal clean lines. The house sits on a remarkable site and we wanted to emphasise that.” She also knew she wanted the garden to be productive: her first project involved planting a row of apple trees along one side of the front garden; the existing apple and the plum tree were to be retained, in fact, the apple tree supports the tree house. She also wanted to be able to grow a few vegetables with minimum fuss.

From the telephone directory, she picked out the name of Sam Walker of Red Oxide, the Thornhill-based landscape and garden design company. “The minute Sam walked into the garden, I could tell by his attitude that he was the right person for us,” she says. “He had my favourite garden design books under his arm, including one by Arne Maynard. I just told Sam what I wanted and left it to him, I knew it would be fine.” Sam planned a design based on two terraces, retained lower down by a tall wall softened at the top by a ribbon of transparent planting based on a soft palette of greys and purples, including verbena bonariensis and stachys lantana. A lawn divides the first wall from the second lower, curved retaining wall, edged along the full length by a bed of scented rosemary: just one of the herbs, along with fennel, chives, and sage dotted among the herbaceous planting. “The rosemary is a bit of an experiment as we don’t know if it will survive the winter,” Jane says, adding that she chose it for the shape of its deep green, fragrant foliage and its romantic associations.

To the right of the lower wall, at the side of the flight of steps that lead to the lawn, Sam incorporated a deep square pond, accessible for wildlife, such as birds and the family hen, Cleopatra, by a sloping pebble beach. On a warm day, the children might enjoy a dip too. Taking the shape of the pond as a departure point, Sam built a line of four, wood-edged vegetable beds along the west-facing wall. Very easy to tend – you can sit on the edge and chat to friends while weeding – the beds are packed with nourishing compost and are also free-draining, so workable even in wet conditions. Now, in their first year, overflowing with red and orange nasturtiums, they are getting ready for winter plantings of leeks and cabbages.

“Because the garden is accessible only through a passage at the side of the house, Sam had to plan carefully and be economical with materials he took in and out,” Jane says, adding that plants and soil were recycled where possible. The resulting framework of hard landscaping suits her perfectly, allowing the couple to work in the garden when time permits: in their raised beds, with further colour coming from the herbaceous bed at the foot of the wooden fence, the plants are contained. If they grow tall and flop over the side of the walls it just adds to the charm. “It is nice to be able to get on with enjoying the garden and working in it without having to organise it all the time.” k

Red Oxide, www.redoxide.co.uk

Sage, 4 Broad Street, Stirling FK8