Oriental idyll in Fulwood

And it’s easy to see why; the attention to detail is superb, with it’s slightly oriental feel, bespoke large metal pergola, and meticulous stonework.

Nestled in the heart of the city, it is a natural extension of their Fulwood home and, Andrew claims, one of their favourite places to entertain.

“We knew we wanted something beautiful, something integrated - that was a natural progression of the house - and something that would be easy to maintain,” he said.

“And that’s just what we got. We hired a local designer who shared our vision from the beginning, and created something just perfect for us.”

And not only were the Sheffield couple delighted with the end result, their little city garden has since caught the eye of the judges of The BALI awards - landscaping’s equivalent to an Oscar - who chose the ‘lush and atmospheric garden’ to be the recipient of its Principal Award last month.

“It’s rather exciting to have an award-winning garden,” smiles Andrew.

“Obviously we’re really pleased; our garden is the result of great teamwork and a lot of people working together beautifully. I believe it’s an award that’s very justified.”

The British Association of Landscape Industries National Landscape Awards are highly prestigious, and designer Chris Parsons, along with James Bird Landscapes, were thrilled to be named winners on the night, in the category of BALI Registered Contractors and Registered Designers Joint Submission category.

“It was such a thrill to win,” said Chris, who founded Hallam Garden Design 20 years ago.

“We had superb clients in this instance who really became part of our team. They gave us their complete trust and it was really lovely to have them there with us on the evening and to see their total delight when we won.”

Andrew and Linda were sensitive to local objections when their house was built in 2014. Luckily, since the garden was created two years ago, it is now popular with their neighbours, because the garden is lush and green again with mature trees and climbers beginning to cover house walls.

Linda said: “The garden is like having our own oriental idyll; the atmosphere is so nice, and you wouldn’t think you were just four miles from a city centre when you’re sat in the back. It’s aesthetically pleasing and functional, and utilises every square inch of land.”