Coldstream, Rosemary (MBALI)

A Terraced Garden

Completed: 09/10/2026
Location: Hertfordshire

This garden exudes classical formality, softened by romantic, billowy planting. A limestone patio, steps and colourful planting beds lead from the house into the garden.
Two lawn terraces lead down to a sunny back seating patio and artist’s studio. The lawns are edged with natural stone and bordered with yew hedging, enhancing the formal aspect.
Planting is scented and nectar-rich with lots of evergreen structure. Incorporating a huge variety of flowering plants, the garden is a haven for wildlife.
Silvery grey sculptures by Steel Sculptures, including a water feature customised to soften the sound, add an extra wow factor. The whole garden is magically illuminated by lighting in the evenings.

Award Winner at the British Association of Landscape Industries 2021 Awards for Design Excellence. Photos: Copyright Jason Ingram and Rosemary Coldstream.

Anchor Cottage

Completed: 08/10/2026
Location: Hertfordshire

There are plenty of spaces for entertaining and relaxing in this wraparound garden.  The inside / outside feel is accentuated with sofas, a water feature and fire-table.  The contemporary water bowl brings light and sound to the patio, providing year-round interest.  In the evenings the space transforms into a magical garden with a warming fire and outdoor lighting.

The kitchen and garden room provide a different area to enjoy life outdoors. Privacy is provided by pleached magnolia trees.  Children have space to play on the lawn, and in the playhouse and trampoline area nestled amongst the grasses.  Paving is sleek in soft grey porcelain with a stacked stone curved wall.

Planting is rich in colour and diversity. Successional flowering ensures there is a long season of nectar plants as well as habitats for insects and wildlife.

Award Winner at the BALI National Landscape Awards 2022 for Construction Excellence by Landesigns. Photos: Copyright Richard Bloom.

London Courtyard Garden

Completed: 01/05/2025
Location: London

This split level London garden combines a sunny Mediterranean terrace with a shady tropical courtyard – two connected spaces flowing into one  another.
Contemporary floating steps lead from the basement kitchen to the outside space. Elevated bamboo creates privacy, while the steps lead up through sub-tropical ginger lilies, tree fern, banana and leopard plants to the upper level. En route is a landing with a light sculpture that comes into its own after dark.
This terrace is a podium garden built over a half-submerged basement. It is designed for relaxation and socialising.  The planting is in pots with Olives, Feijoa, Chinese witch hazel and Myrtle providing structure. The generous pots are filled with evergreen shrubs and colourful flowering plants to create a lush roof garden. 
Every detail in this garden has been carefully considered- from the immaculate craftsmanship of the hard landscaping to the wall planter brackets that echo the garden gate.
With clean lines, bright colours and lush planting throughout, it is a vibrant and relaxing haven for the owners to enjoy.

Photos: Copyright Richard Bloom and Rosemary Coldstream

Built by Landform Consultants.

The garden is a double Principal Winner at the British Association of Landscape (BALI) Awards 2025 in two categories: Design Excellence and Joint Contractor and Designer Collaboration Award.

Down to the River

Completed: 31/05/2024
Location: Hertfordshire

Text to be entered

The Tranquil Garden

Completed: 27/06/2023
Location: Hertfordshire

In a triangular corner plot we have created a garden with several distinct spaces in which to dine, relax and unwind.  Wrapping around the house on all sides, every space has been designed to suit the aspect and provide enriching planting for interest in all seasons. The lush green courtyard with copper water feature is the central hub while on each side the clients can choose from a shady or sunny garden depending on the time of the day. The drought tolerant planting at the front of the house attracts lots of wildlife as well as admiration from the neighbours.

This garden has won two awards: Pro Landscaper Project Awards for Best Design 2025 and a BALI National Landscape Awards 2024.

Photos: Copyright Richard Bloom

Feels Like Home, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023

Completed: 22/05/2023
Location: Chelsea, London

As we make our way in today’s interconnected world, many of us may find ourselves far from home. Wherever life’s journey takes us – be it through adventure, family, or work – a garden is a place to ground ourselves.  A place to feel lifted, calm and peaceful. This garden creates a place of memories for the New Zealand born designer.  Plants and colours evoke her home country’s natural landscape as well as her much loved childhood garden. Materials are from the natural environment and the wall cladding is a nod to modern Kiwi architecture, so much a part of her home city. The garden is a green oasis in which to relax and be in a place that ‘Feels Like Home’.

The garden won a Gold Medal, Best Balcony / Container Garden and BBC/RHS People’s Choice Award.

Built by Landesigns. Photos: Copyright Richard Bloom and Joanna Kosak

A Rooftop Oasis

Completed: 09/11/2021
Location: Hertfordshire

This colourful garden transforms a harsh city rooftop into a soothing oasis.  By introducing lush planting and multiple seating areas, the design softens and expands the space, creating a feeling of being immersed in nature.  Lightweight, low-maintenance containers bring height and drama.  Evergreens enhance the sense of privacy and provide important wind filtering.

The planting is wild and vibrant, peaking with an explosion of colour in summer for parties and entertaining. In the evening, dramatic downlighting from the pergola throws a soft pool of light across the space, creating a sense of intimacy – and even romance!

Principal Award Winner at the British Association of Landscape Industries 2022 Awards for Design Excellence. Photos: Copyright Richard Bloom

The Secret Garden

Completed: 04/11/2021
Location: Hertfordshire

This bijou space was transformed from a hard concrete courtyard into a green oasis. The kitchen flows into a beautiful vista, extending the living area to the outdoors.
The concrete wall is faced in a verdigris style porcelain creating a stunning backdrop for plants. The multi-level planting adds dynamic layering. Seating is built-in to maximise space and atmospheric lighting brings a touch of magic in the evenings.
Planting is predominantly evergreen with luxurious foliage and textural contrasts. Flowering plants send waves of colour through the space as they come into bloom through the year.

This garden is the perfect secret courtyard for a place to relax and unwind from city life.

Award Winner Pro Landscaper Small Project Big Impact Awards 2022 for Best Garden Design. Photos: Copyright Richard Bloom.

Inner City Wild

Completed: 04/07/2021
Location: London

Nestled in central London the garden provides a haven for wildlife and a peaceful oasis for the clients. The garden connects the house with its new extension to the outdoor room at the end of the garden.

A generous stepping-stone path leads through planting and beside the lawn. Existing trees maintain the maturity of the garden. Planting is rich and wild. Perennials, shrubs and grasses intermingle. The successional planting in the garden provides long lasting flowering and nectar for wildlife. The variety of plants create a rich habitat for insects and other wildlife. A highlight throughout summer is the sumptuous and fragrant Rosa Queen of Sweden.

Photos: Copyright Anna Tott

Buddha's Garden

Completed: 31/01/2020
Location: London

This sophisticated contemporary garden blends Japanese Zen and classical Mediterranean traditions to create a calming retreat that nourishes the soul and stimulates the senses. The structured formality is tempered by delicious colours and soft textures.

This tranquil central London garden was focused around the client’s 6’ granite Buddha. A reflecting pond, water lilies and stepping stones were introduced to complement the statue, evoking an ambience of calm and contemplation.  An elliptical bench in concrete with an oak slatted seat curves around a matching table with waney edge oak.  Porcelain paving produces a serene atmosphere. Planting is lush with a touch of the exotic. Japanese maples, cannas, and bursts of colour fill deep borders. All in all, an escapist paradise in the heart of the city.

Principal Winner at the BALI National Landscape Awards 2021 for Design Excellence. Photos: Copyright Richard Bloom

Modern Garden Hampstead

Completed: 29/10/2019
Location: London

The front garden and driveway are landscaped in seamless detail with sophisticated blue-grey granite and a ‘black planet‘ puddlestone sculpture. The back garden is for entertaining and relaxing with outdoor sofas and a sleek kitchen. The lawn is constructed on top of a rear basement extension, affording a sense of openness. Pleached trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses bring subtle changes in colour throughout the year. A luxurious roof garden with lavenders, thyme and sedums provides a private space to feel connected to nature in the heart of London.

Country Garden

Completed: 10/09/2019
Location: Buckinghamshire

The client wanted to update this beautiful country garden in the chalky Chilterns. The front entrance has been defined with drum-shaped beech pillars and lavender leading to the front door. A gravel garden has relocated the parking further from the house. A series of terraces wrap around the house with evergreen structure and perennials creating colour and drama through the year. The swimming pool was renovated adding new pool copings, paving in French Limestone and a stone-clad wall for safety. New borders were added, framing the views to the vineyards.

RHS Hampton Court Flower Show

Completed: 01/07/2018
Location: RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2018

Best of Both Worlds is a show garden inspired by stories of couples who share a love of gardening – but have very different tastes.  The key to a happy partnership – a garden for each of them.  On one side, a traditional space with loose planting inspired by country gardens: the other side is geometric and contemporary.  The traditional side has seating for breakfast and lunches; the contemporary space incorporates a sunken area with a fire-table for evening relaxation.  Each garden has a water feature, chosen to match the style of the space. The hard landscaping is also carefully designed to match each garden, with riven paving and warm-toned bricks on the traditional side, and sawn-edged dark pavers on the contemporary.

While this may be two gardens, together they unite to make up one outdoor living area.  The pleached trees define the spaces, but also allow for flow and conversation between the two spaces, as the plants start to mingle at the border.

The garden won a GOLD medal at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2018.

Sponsored by GoLandscape for British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI). GoLandscape initiative, supported by the RHS, encourages young people to pursue a career in horticulture. More than 20 apprentices including students in landscape studies, countryside management, garden design and apprentices working in the horticultural industry worked together under the direction of Rosemary and David Dodd of The Outdoor Room to craft a garden.

Photos Copyright Derek St Romaine.

The River Garden

Completed: 30/03/2018
Location: Hertfordshire

This is a modern courtyard garden in a dramatic setting. The client’s brief was to make the most of this beautiful location next to a small river. The geometric design, with an emphasis on horizontals, maximises the width and helps frame the view. The lower terrace is reminiscent of a jetty, cantilevered over the water and wrapping around the tree. The curved seating offers a late afternoon spot to sit and watch the world – and the local wildlife – drift by. Principal winner Design Excellence under 50K BALI Awards 2015.

Contemporary Family Garden

Completed: 15/03/2015
Location: St Albans

This garden combines the childhood essentials with year round plant interest. A central lawn is the venue for family games. Side paths create secret passages through planting, including a ‘jungle’ designed for young explorers. Planting screens the trampoline and swings from the main views. Decking next to the house and outside the garden studio provide space for relaxation and dining. In the lower terrace are four small but productive vegetable beds. When the play equipment is no longer required, more space will be given over to a productive garden.