Garden of Lillie: taking a look at a London development that’s gives new meaning to green homes

Chelsea Island Roof garden. Courtesy Hadley Property Group

The garden square is a defining feature of London's urban fabric. A charming throwback to the 19th century, the squares were originally created as a private amenity for the upstanding residents of the homes flanking them. Today, there are 85 garden squares listed under the London Squares Preservation Act, which was passed in 1931 with the aim of maintaining these spaces as "ornamental pleasure grounds or grounds for play, rest and recreation".

In your average urban centre, having a little patch of greenery to call your own is the ultimate luxury. Which is why two new residential projects in London are using green spaces as a key selling point.

Developers Capco and KFI have unveiled the latest component of Lillie Square, a residential development in Earl’s Court in west London. Consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, penthouses and townhouses, the whole Lillie Square concept is inspired by those traditional garden squares. “These calm pockets of green have provided fresh air and recreational space for generations of Londoners, and are the inspiration for the layout of Lillie Square,” says the project’s website. Two newly created garden squares sit at the heart of the project, ensuring that all surrounding properties offer views of nature.

The latest component of the project builds even further on the idea of private green space. The Garden Collection comprises 32 two-bedroom duplex properties, each with its own garden of up to 540 square feet and interiors designed specifically to take full advantage of these green spaces. Spread across the ground and lower ground floors, each apartment features high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass to accentuate a sense of openness and natural light. Each home incorporates an open-plan kitchen and a dining and living area that leads on to the terrace, providing a seamless extension between internal and external entertaining areas. Bifolding doors also offer the option to extend the living area or create a private study space with views of the garden. Upstairs, the bedrooms boast views across the landscaped gardens.

And these aren’t just any gardens. When the developers decided to place landscape design at the core of their project, they also decided to call upon one of the UK’s leading landscape designers, Andy Sturgeon, who is a six-time recipient of a gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. “A private garden is a highly sought-after feature and consistently commands a premium. We created The Garden Collection for those who want easy maintenance, privacy and also an extension to their living area. Buyers also have the option of having their very own Andy Sturgeon-designed garden, which is even rarer,” says Mike Hood, project director of Lillie Square.

Each outdoor space incorporates thoughtfully designed borders featuring a variety of evergreens and flowering plants, providing colour and interest for residents all year round. “Each garden has been designed to maximise this rare outdoor space and offer beautiful and practical hideaways for residents to enjoy and spend quality personal time in,” says Sturgeon. “They are very much in keeping with the communal landscaped gardens and a place that can be used throughout the seasons.”

First completions for The Garden Collection are scheduled for 2018 and prices for a two-bedroom property start at £1,435,000 (Dh6.6m).

Green space is also a key component of another upcoming development in London, Chelsea Island, a collection of 89 one- to four-bedroom high-end apartments by the Hadley Property Group. Here, the unique selling point is that all residents will have access to a sky garden designed by the renowned Belgravia-based florist Neill Strain.

The majority of the apartments here offer generous balconies, with 20 featuring private terraces, but it is the sky garden that is the project’s pièce de résistance. For his design, Strain aimed to create “an oasis of peace; a calm and tranquil area of botanical beauty”. The design focuses on multifunctionality – features may have aesthetic value, but they also serve a specific function, Strain explains.

“The central pond makes an attractive focal point to the garden, reflects the glass structure of the building and while it creates an area of peace in contrast to the busy flower beds, the sound of water can also soften any distant urban traffic noises. The shaded grass area near the pond is intended for yoga. I have also designed an area to include a ‘bee hotel’ and [included] an underlying bee theme to the space. We will incorporate hexagonal shapes inspired by the bee’s honeycomb and will plant bee-friendly trees, shrubs and plants for the spring, summer and autumn seasons when the worker bees are searching for nectar and pollen.”

In terms of planting, there will be a mix of structural trees and more informal planting schemes, featuring flowers such as alliums, lavender and buddleia, flowering shrubs such as choisya, viburnum and ribes, and herbs like rosemary.

Famous for his bespoke arrangements, dubbed “floral couture”, Strain says he welcomed the opportunity to work on a whole new scale for this project. “I am renowned for my large-scale installations with cut flowers so having a very large space, working with trees, plants and garden features, is definitely an exciting project.

“The design approach is very similar but the materials are different; the aesthetic approach is also quite similar but the function is different.”