Romantic Country Garden

The garden was designed to fit comfortably into this setting and takes advantage of the lovely views out, providing a haven and contrast from the client’s busy city working lives.

A black slate terrace was laid next to the new glass extension, with a steel bowl water feature positioned to be seen from the house. Grey planters on the terrace complemented the grey painted window frames of the house. Large aluminium herb planters are attractive and functional.

A gravel path around the house leads to a bespoke oak pergola, framing a seating area with a bistro table and chairs and a slate standing stone. This was designed as a place for guests to gather before dining. Stepping stones through the pergola lead to a sweeping lawn and focal urn on a plinth with a bench beyond.

An area of woodland edge planting beneath the canopy of oak trees provides year-round interest with shade tolerant planting including Cornus, Geranium phaem and macrorrhizum, Thalictrum delavayii, Aquilegia and Aster divaricatus. The woodland planting flows into sunnier planting with meadows beyond.

Here planting of low growing geraniums, Heuchera villosa, Deschampsia and Aster divaricatus is punctuated by spires of Veronicastrum, Lythrum and Molinia, with umbels of Cenolophium denudadatum and spheres of the natiave Succisa pratensis.

Plant list

Trees

Amelanchier lamarckii

Betula utilis var. jacquemontii

Topiary

Taxus baccata

Ligustrum jonandrum

Ilex crenata

Shrubs

Elaeagnus x ebbingei	Elaeagnus x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge'	Sarcococca confusa
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'	Skimmia japonica 'Rubella'	Physocarpus opulifolius 'Dart's Gold'
Cornus kousa var. chinensis	Cotoneaster lacteus	Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire'
Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai'	Corylopsis pauciflora	Garrya elliptica 'James Roof'

Climbers and Wall Shrubs

Trachelospermum jasminoides	Rosa 'Compassion'	Rosa 'New Dawn'
Clematis 'Jackmanii'	Clematis 'Etoile Violette'	Clematis 'Rouge Cardinal'
Rosa 'The Generous Gardener'	Clematis 'General Sikorski'	Clematis cirrhosa 'Jingle Bells'
Clematis 'Warszawska Nike'	Clematis 'Romantika'

Perennials

Alchemilla mollis	Anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert'	Erigeron karvinskianus
Aster divaricatus	Viola cornuta Alba Group	Bergenia 'Bressingham White'
Euphorbia palustris	Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'	Alchemilla erythropoda
Geranium macrorrhizum 'White-Ness'	Veronicastrum virginicum 'Album'	Astrantia 'Roma'
Veronica spicata 'Glory'	Euphorbia x martini 'Tiny Tim'	Tiarella 'Spring Symphony'
Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) 'Brunette'	Geranium phaeum 'Lily Lovell'	Cenolophium denudatum
Iris sibirica 'Persimmon'	Heuchera 'Obsidian'	Hylotelephium telephium (Atropurpureum Group) 'Xenox'
Sanguisorba 'Tanna'	Astilbe simplicifolia 'Hennie Graafland'	Hemerocallis 'Little Grapette'
Hemerocallis 'Catherine Woodbery'	Bergenia purpurascens	Geranium x oxonianum 'Katherine Adele'
Campanula latifolia var. macrantha	Thalictrum 'Splendide White'	Rudbeckia maxima
Geranium himalayense 'Derrick Cook'	Succisa pratensis	Origanum vulgare 'Thumble's Variety'
Heuchera villosa var macrorhiza

Grasses

Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea 'Karl Foerster'	Carex comans 'Frosted Curls'	Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata'
Deschampsia flexuosa	Stipa calamagrostis