Hortlands were honoured to be appointed by award-winning landscape architect John Murdoch of Murdoch Wickham to bring a truly exceptional garden to life in the heart of Cookham, Maidenhead.
The project featured two large swimming ponds connected by a rill, over 100 mature trees, hundreds of square metres of sawn York stone paving, bespoke garden art, dry-stone walling using Welsh paddle stone, and the most intricate domestic garden lighting system we’ve ever installed.
From a bare lawn to a breathtaking landscape, Hortlands was proud to be the main contractor on this transformative build. Working closely with Martin Kelly of Fairwater and the talented team at Murdoch Wickham, we were thrilled to help deliver this extraordinary garden for a wonderful client.
Our landscape teams tackled a wide range of demanding tasks on this project, including the installation of retaining walls, gate piers, and extensive pathways throughout the grounds. We also constructed oak-framed outbuildings and log stores, a bespoke carport, and two new driveways. To define the garden’s layout, the team welded hundreds of metres of mild steel edging to shape lawn edges and new borders.
The project was completed with the preparation and installation of 900m² of premium amenity turf, finishing the landscape to the highest standard.
Hortlands Nursery proudly supplied all the mature trees, hedging, plants, and shrubs for this project. Our expert tree buyers travelled with the client and design team to Germany, visiting renowned mature tree specialists Lorenz von Ehren to hand-select every tree, shrub, and topiary piece.
Back on site, our specialist planting team installed each specimen with precision and care, ensuring the highest horticultural standards. The result is a beautifully planted garden with instant maturity, structure, and privacy.
With the significant value of mature trees and planting throughout the garden, a reliable irrigation system was essential to ensure successful establishment and long-term vitality. All trees, hedges, large borders, formal lawns, and the orchard wildflower meadow are serviced by a fully automated irrigation system, featuring Hunter pop-up sprinklers for efficient, targeted watering.
The system draws water from a 60m-deep borehole, stored in a 5,000-litre underground tank, delivering sustainable irrigation across the landscape with minimal maintenance.
Once our landscape teams completed the garden build, the next crucial phase begins – ongoing care and maintenance. This is where our expert maintenance gardeners step in to take over, ensuring the newly created landscape establishes successfully and continues to thrive.
Our maintenance team understands the unique needs of a freshly built garden. From nurturing newly planted trees and shrubs to fine-tuning irrigation, lawn care, and pest management, we provide attentive, hands-on support during this critical establishment period.
Regular visits allow us to monitor plant health, adjust feeding and pruning schedules, and guide the garden as it transitions from a newly planted space into a fully mature, vibrant landscape. Our goal is to maintain the highest horticultural standards, and ensure the garden evolves beautifully with the seasons.
If you have a garden project that you’d like expert assistance with, please contact our gardening team today.
