Farmhouse

This Grade II* listed house dates to the 16^th century and is situated within a Conservation Area on the edge of a small market town.

The house has been developed and extended over the centuries in a mixture of different materials and styles, which adds to the character of the property and has influenced some of our material choices for the garden.

When we first set eyes on the site the garden had been largely laid to lawn and lacked atmosphere and coherence. There were good quality existing flint and brick walls and lovely mature hedges, which we retained in our design, along with many of the orchard trees.

With appropriate planning permissions, our clients have been able to claim the adjacent fields as domestic garden, which in turn has allowed us to widen the scope of the design. The additional areas provide breathing space around the house and will make a considerable difference to the finished garden. It means we can excavate out at the back of the house to create a level, open area which will include a winter garden to provide year-round interest in the form of a Box parterre and a new, large level lawn for entertaining.

In addition to this, our Master Plan includes a swimming pool garden, productive garden, cutting garden, traditional herbaceous borders with Rose arches to frame the old formal lawn, additional orchard trees to increase varieties and a new dedicated chicken area.

We designed a relatively low maintenance planting scheme that includes wildflower meadow for our clients’ bees, block planting of lavender in the pool garden, borders with ornamental grasses, drumstick Alliums and Yew topiary to complement the existing mature Yew hedges. Lots of native screening, including Hazel, Holly, and Viburnums will be planted to create a buffer around property, so that it still feels very natural.

The garden is now largely complete and the planting is establishing well.