These two areas were a little neglected as you can see and didn’t sign post what was to come at your next destination as you move from zone to zone. They now work really well as transitional garden ‘bookends’ to the Italian garden, particularly at the north end where the stone transitions from the older riven Yorkstone to the modern smooth sawn. 

Another touch I was very pleased with was the two pillar ends laid each side of the exit from the Italian garden. They were salvaged by some previous builder but the column must have been too damaged or otherwise lost. They are laid so that you can imagine the column that would have been and you have to walk through the negative space where it should be. It acts as an echo of the concept of bookending something, our need to retain, to edge, to define where it starts and ends. 

The two bookends are supposed to feel a little like patches of Italian wilderness with some remnants of ruined former glory, we thought this was a nice way to bridge the gap between modern formality and traditional formality.