Farmhouse COUNTRY ESTATE, GREAT HORKESLEY
The garden of this large country estate in Essex needed some va va voom! The existing features and planting looked tired and needed enhancement and colour to reflect the young owners and their modern lifestyle. We were commissioned to create a Master Plan to bring a cohesive design to the whole estate and enable works to be phased as time and budgets permitted. First to be renovated was the main entrance. Reinvigorated with curved hedged borders bursting with colour the space regained a sense of welcome and arrival. A new extension required a remodelling of the area and opening of pathways to enable a comfortable flow around the spaces. A new terrace to the rear of the property provides the perfect view point out over the garden and a comfortable space to watch children run and play.
With two vistas available the decision was made to prioritise the one from the terrace with the creation of a topiary avenue with the second to be partially concealed through a meadow maze. The meadow is a soft, organic space planted with Narcissus, Camassia and Alliums for spring interest and a profusion of ox-eye daisies for summer relaxed charm.
New borders were designed around the terrace with plants that could handle dogs, children and balls! Iris, Nepeta, and Alchemilla provide early summer interest with Phlomis and Stipa gigantea bringing height and structure. As the borders moved further to the boundary, to sit visually with the arable fields beyond, a more naturalistic style of prairie planting was employed with late season interest from Rudbeckia, Persicaria, Veronica and Calamagrostis brachytrica.
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