“I am absolutely delighted with a wonderful creation, and would highly recommend Helen’s talent for design and eye for detail to anyone”

William and Janet, the Bell at Skenfrith

rural idyll

The garden designers’ brief:

Originally a carter’s cottage, this honey coloured Cotswold stone cottage nestling in a valley in Gloucestershire sits in nearly an acre of ground on a steeply sloping site, with a natural stream running through the garden.

The garden design brief here was to blend the cottage with the garden and surrounding fields - providing places to eat outside, paths to meander, a kitchen garden and orchard, and a woodland area. The owners have a young family, and although they both work they do their own gardening so the design needed to be well thought through to make it easy to manage. 

A deep red climbing rose clambers around the front door, set off by a pair of clipped box cones.
In the heart of the garden, a gazebo on a small terrace is a relaxed place to eat. In June, the magnificent rambling rose ‘Kiftsgate’  is smothered with masses of lightly scented flowers. In the background, Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’ acts as a foil for the frothy blossom of the rose.
A cerise climbing rose is offset by the oak of the new orangery
The combination of Spirea x bumalda ‘Goldflame’ and an orange Hemerocallis act as a backdrop for the sun dial in this South facing border.
A stand of native willow along the stream has been pollarded above head height to give visual rhythm and a contrast to the foliage of the native Iris pseudacorus.
Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ here is teamed with Rosa ‘Kiftsgate’, a crimson climbing rose and the chocolate vine (Akebia quinata) on a pergola, home to family of Blue Tits this year.
A cream margined Hosta’s foliage contrasts with that of native evergreen Carex pendula, Iris pseudacorus and striking round leaves of Darmera peltata. Cornus alba Elegantissima lights up the background and in Winter its red stems are a welcome splash of colour. All these plants thrive in the damp soil of the bog garden, and the planting has interest all year round.
The woodland area softens into the ancient woodlands beyond the garden’s boundaries, here English bluebells are set off by the zesty lime green foliage of the beech trees above, and later on wild garlic will cover the woodland floor with it’s foamy blossom. The owners use the leaves in cooking, and the bulbous stems as an alternative to garlic in Winter.

• The orchard is underway, with the old Bramleys having undergone a very successful regenerative prune by Essence supplemented by a new planting of pears, plums and eating apples. Plans for a peach and vine house are in place to re-use the recently replaced conservatory.

To create your own gorgeous garden, please call Helen on 01452 770680
- a friendly chat over the phone costs you nothing and may be all you need to get started.