Collection

236 GARDEN DESIGN LONDON STONE | NATURAL STONE COLLECTION 2016
237
STONE IN DESIGN
Often the means, that provides
a route through a garden or a
particular point in a space to rest
and contemplate; stone is a crucial
element in most designs, that
should be carefully considered and
work seamlessly and in perfect
harmony with the planting choices
and wider landscape. Many of you
will have heard the popular phrase
‘right plant right place’. Well I’m a
strong believer in ‘right stone right
space’. Think beyond the variety
of stone; consider the finish, the
size, the pattern. London Stone
has been a fantastic resource for
me, allowing my imagination to
be the limit when it comes to hard
landscape design. The quality of
service matches the quality of
their diverse range of products;
both are as good as it gets. I feel
extremely privileged to have had
the opportunity to exhibit at the
RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Show
gardening provides a fantastic
opportunity to showcase your
work on an unparalleled platform.
The 2014 Help for Heroes
garden was my show gardening
debut. Like any other garden
I endeavoured to strike the
appropriate, subtle balance
between hard and soft landscaping
elements. Based on the Military
MATT KEIGHTLEY
Talks everything stone and the Royals
Cross, I decided on Buff Yorkstone
to form the main structure through
the garden. From afar the beautiful
warming tones of the stone
contrasted extremely well with the
planting, but on closer inspection
the stone truly came into its own.
The natural marbling and veining
paired with the bespoke detailing
and pattern, was a feature that
seemed to impress the public.
I also used traditionally hand
carved pieces of stone to articulate
particularly poignant words that
resonated with the charity and the
garden.
My 2015 Sentebale garden saw
stone heavily featured and it was
London Stone that stepped up to
take on the paving challenge. On
plan; a simple meandering path
that lead to a paved terrace. In
reality; 36 unique pieces of 50mm
thick sawn sandstone, individually
cut to exacting standards, every
edge hand-fettled, pre-sealed
and sandblasted over steel
templates revealing footprints
mimicking a child running through
the space. It is this attention to
the fine detail that is crucial when
planning a show garden and
London Stone absolutely nailed
it. It was of course a pleasure
collaborating with the team, who
shared my passion, enthusiasm
and commitment to the task at
hand, going above and beyond
throughout. They were able to
facilitate my every need and
continue to do so outside of the
realms of show gardening fantasy
land, with my day to day projects.
I have had the good fortune
to use many of the London Stone
products, but there are a couple
I seem to find myself drawn to
when creating new concepts
and schemes. The British Stone
collection is a great range of
timeless products that suit all
manner of styles, from classwic
to cutting-edge contemporary.
The Limestone range, and in
particular Jura Beige Limestone,
has a sense of class and elegance
about it, offering a quality finish
full of character. It’s the services
that London Stone offer that
really set them apart and excites
me as a designer. Their team of
experienced, versatile and hugely
knowledgeable masons and
workshops full of state of the art
machinery affords them the ability
to offer an incredible bespoke
service. A service that caters for
the most challenging of projects.
Rosebank Landscaping,
www.rosebanklandscaping.co.uk
“ It’s the services that
London Stone offer that
really set them apart and
excites me as a designer.
Their team of experienced,
versatile and hugely
knowledgeable masons
and workshops full of
state of the art machinery
affords them the ability to
offer an incredible bespoke
service. A service that
caters for the most
challenging of projects. ”
Matt Keightley
GARDEN DESIGN
For advice and orders visit our inspirational showrooms, go online at www.londonstone.co.uk or call +44 (0)8442 251 915
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