01/02/2026
Our second project on The Rise, overlooking Llandaff Fields, is one we all look back on with real pride.
The brief was short but complex. The garden needed to look just as good through closed bifold doors on a dark winter’s day as it would on a warm spring afternoon or a summer evening.
The site brought its own challenges. Rear gardens here sit in shade for most of the day, even in summer. Five storey townhouses rise above, with the fence line just metres from some of the most mature trees Llandaff Fields is known for.
Classic planting led designs were not an option, so the concept shifted. Light became essential. Porcelain paving formed the foundation, chosen for its durability in shaded conditions, while the hard landscaping itself was designed to stand as a feature rather than simply a backdrop.
We asked a simple question. What do we do more in autumn and winter than in summer? We watch TV. The bifold doors became the screen and the garden became the show. Fire for movement, water for calm and lighting for colour, depth and atmosphere created a space designed to perform day and night, all year round.
With the townhouses arranged as a terrace and vaulting high above the garden, careful consideration was needed not only for our client’s use of the space, but also for neighbouring residents using their balconies at the same time. To keep the solution natural and true to the character of the design, two Trachycarpus fortunei were included. Their dense, architectural fronds provide soft screening, achieving the same function as a parasol while remaining visually grounded within the space.
Perfection and satisfied clients are the goal on every project we undertake, and this garden highlights the constitution of the team at New Leaf Landscapes Cardiff, where adversity, challenges and site difficulties never influence the quality of an installation.
One final insight. The only access was a flight of 20 concrete steps. No machinery, everything carried by hand. By the end of the build we had collectively walked the equivalent distance to the International Space Station and across the Sahara Desert 😂
A small glimpse into the hard work and care behind every project at New Leaf Landscapes Cardiff 🌿
