Front Garden

The garden at the front of the house is arranged around a large gravel area with a beautiful Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipa) to the left of the front door. This must be several 100 years old, possibly planted in the 18th century when the first part of the house was built. It produces the characteristic yellow tulips in June and its unusually shaped leaves turn a brilliant yellow orange in the autumn.

Along the entrance drive three Pyrus salicifolia were recently planted, who's grey soft foliage, matches the cat mint (Nepeta ‘Six Hills’) underneath and in 2023 a row of giant alliums were planted to act as senties to the drive.

Directly opposite the house is a border planted 9 years ago: ‘copper- beech columns’ we're all the rage with garden designers at the time, and there are 7 here. In the centre a Liquidambar ‘Worplesdon’ was planted and one day it will dwarf everything else but in the meantime the copper columns thrive and a succession of blue and white flowers come and go – snow drops, Teucrium, Camassia leichtlinii, Pervoskia, Caryopteris and Ceratostigma, amid perennial grasses and the odd Eryngium giganticum.
Behind that bed is a small orchard with apples, quinces and some young cherry trees.
To the right of the house is a wide border planted with shrubs and flowers. It is lovely in spring with Magnolia stellata and Magnolia soulangeana and early scented flowering shrubs, underplanted with bulbs.  In 2022 some of the trees growing at the back of the bed were removed letting much more light in and the flowers have all enjoyed it, especially the dalhias.