“This is a newly-created garden in the style of Gertrude Jekyll set against a backdrop of mature trees and rhododendrons. The formal lawn terrace garden is surrounded by maturing rose and herbaceous borders. Gertrude Jekyll’s love of garden structures has been recreated with a garden house and paths linking the upper lawn terrace with the lower formal water garden. Recently planted pleached lime path leads off to woodland walks”. This is what Jean and Richard Thompson have put on their website but it does not do this house and garden justice. I went to a private view last week and was completely amazed by the sheer scale and beauty of it. The garden is absolutely stunning and they only started work on it in 2006 so there’s hope for us gardeners yet! Beautiful follies, rills, water blades, natural ponds, formal planting and wild flowers all live harmoniously together and they are surrounded by wonderful mature Scots pines and other magnificent woodland. For their hard landscaping they have used an interesting mix of Bargate stone (of the strata that comprise the Lower Greensand Rocks in the Godalming area) edging with Breedon gravel paths. I haven’t often seen Breedon gravel used so effectively in a private garden – more commonly used on park paths etc, but it has worked wonderfully well. As for the planting – let the photographs speak for themselves. This garden is open to the public on the National Garden Scheme on Sunday 8th July from 11 – 5. Try to see it – the details are on the website which you can Google.
Small blade fountain
Larger blade fountain tumbling in rill
Good luck
Bargate stone edging with Breedon gravel paths
Crazy paving's coming back
I can’t believe it – I’m getting fond of crazy paving again… I mentioned this to my paving guy and he advised me to perish the thought (as it’s hell for a pavier!) but I don’t know…. I think I rather like it and might find myself incorporating it into one of my designs quite soon…
The end of the rill with woodland and an abundance of yew hedging
Beautiful colours
And more beautiful colours
New aspects of the garden are still under construction.