ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN, MANNINGTREE
We were asked to design an English country garden in a steeply sloping site at the rear of a house once our clients had completed extensive interior and exterior renovations.
This beautiful Grade II listed Georgian house has great charm with a warm red brick facade, large sash windows and living space spread over three floors offering wide views up the one acre garden. However the previous garden was featureless with no real views from the house and the sloping lawn gave no reason to venture beyond the immediate terrace. Our clients, who are keen gardeners, tasked us with creating a garden that offered them greater possibilities for entertaining whilst retaining the charm of the setting and space.
A key design challenge was that none of the boundaries ran true to the house, in fact they were all at awkward angles that distracted from the garden space. To remedy this we created a central space surrounded by planting to absorb the unhelpful lines. The slope and the fact the garden belongs to a Georgian house prompted the need for symmetry and proportion so we designed a garden with three tiers, one lower stone terrace and two higher square lawns connected by broad staircases that invite you to travel up into the garden.
The lower dining terrace and steps are made from large format Limestone with warm buff tones and encircled by soft textural planting to include Salvias, Lavender, curry plant and catmints that release gorgeous scents when brushed past. The South facing lower terrace is a real sun trap, so the gentle running water of a small feature, brings a sense of cool and sits at ground level opposite the rear doors so it can also be viewed and enjoyed from inside.
Credit: Rebecca Lewis at Poshyarns Photography
Up the wide and easy steps to the first lawn there is a seating area offering a place to relax in the afternoon sunshine and get a hint of the myrrh scented The Generous Gardener climbing rose as it wafts across the garden towards the renovated summer house. Here four Magnolia Elizabeth trees, planted the year of Elizabeth II’s death, with their unusual large pale yellow flowers are planted on each corner with Lavenders, Salvias, Achillea, Nepeta, Calamintha and Geranium amongst many others that pull together the yellow, blue and purple planting palette. The month of May is dominated by the showy blooms of Iris Benton Lorna with its stunning two tone flowers.
Up to the next lawn and at very top of the garden there is a smaller brick terrace from which there are is a delightful view across the rooftops of the town. Made from brick in a basketweave pattern and backed by a neat yew hedge this terrace is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a glass of wine on a summer’s evening whilst looking back down the garden towards the house.
Tucked to the right hand side is a bijou vegetable garden with raised beds and a small border for fruit bushes and trees next to the much loved Man Cave. A gravel path leads you back down past the summer house to the lower terrace and car parking.
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