After what feels like a journey into the middle of nowhere, the friendly national trust sign welcomes you to Sissinghurst Castle Garden. One of England's most revered gardens, it simply oozes inspiration. In my opinion it's like a very perfect theatre set. It seems as if no plant is arranged or placed by accident. Even a tendril of clematis draped over the wall feels as if it was placed there, as the head gardener did his early morning stroll around the garden. This is a garden to aspire to, but keep your expectations of your own garden realistic unless you have a generous team of gardeners to help you maintain perfection.
Milton Abbott, Devon PL19 OPQ
For a more naturalistic garden, it's really hard to beat the gardens at Hotel Endsleigh. If you enjoy visiting gardens, I think this is the best kept secret in Devon. When we go, it's not unusual to be the only visitors there. A lovely mix of formal herbaceous borders (actually one super long one which claims to be the longest in England), truly magnificent views over the Tamar valley mixed with meandering footpaths through giant bamboo and gunnera magnicata running alongside bubbling streams. Ancient gnarly moss covered trees remind you of just how long this landscape has been here. Originally designed 200 years ago by Humphry Repton, it's the ultimate lesson in patience.
Kemsing, Kent TN15
When we moved out of South East London in 2003, our first child was a bump rather than a baby. We chose our new home according to a very sensible checklist, what we didn't know until we arrived was that at the edge of our village was the most exquisite nature reserve. Wildflowers cover this hill from spring until late summer when the long grass is cut and sheep are brought in to graze. The site is steeply sloping as part of the North Downs. Canary yellow cowslips, fuschia pink orchids, purple thyme, lavender scabious flower in succession over the summer months. The grasses are home to all sorts of creatures. One magical early morning I was lucky enough to witness hundreds of burnet moths emerging from their chrysalises. It's wildflower meadows like this which have inspired the trend for leaving parts of your lawn un-mown. If you like this style of planting, get in touch and we can discuss what might work for you.
Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 1TU
In garden design circles, the owners of Crug Farm plants in North Wales, are ever so slightly worshipped. A visit to their very unassuming plant nursery, is overwhelming in it's choice of unusual plants which they have collected from all around the world. As a fan of the lovely Thalictrum Aquilegifolium 'Thunder Cloud' (pictured above), I was delighted to find not just one or two varieties available, but too many to count. Thalictrum is a great plant which has glaucous foliage emerging in spring, the frothy flowers give gentle colour which are followed by elegant seed heads. If you're lucky it will politely self seed around your garden creating more plants for free. If you like plants that hardly anyone else has got, a trip to Wales is in order.
Northiam, East Sussex TN31 6PH
There are many enchanting things about Great Dixter, not least it's impressive old, old house combined with Lutyens hard landscaping and bold yew topiary which act as the prefect backdrop for the garden within. This collection of pots is a great example of how you can take inspiration from expansive, grand gardens and implement the details at home. This brightly coloured selection of plants gets changed as the plants fade and relpaced with something new. We don't all have the space to store plants which for 300 days of the year are not having a moment, but with careful planting choices, a group of pots like this could be perfect for even the smallest garden. By grouping the pots together it not only creates a stronger impact than scattering them around, but helps them to create their own little huddle of protection from winter frosts.
If you know of a special garden or place that you would like to share, drop me a line.
