Late Season Stunner

Leigh Clapp visits the inspiring gardens at Woodbury Cottage, near Reigate, where the scene is one of colour and texture that is still rich and vibrant in September.

Despite being on a potentially difficult sloping site, Bob and Shirley Stoneley have created a garden of great charm and interest on terraced areas that make the garden appear larger than its quarter-acre plot. Set at the foot of the North Downs with lovely views of sloping fields and trees on Colley Hill, which is preserved by the National Trust, this is a must-see garden, especially for ideas on keeping the colour going through summer into autumn.

The couple has designed, built, planted and maintain the garden by themselves. “For many years we were busy working and raising children, so not able to devote too much time to gardening, but we have spent the last two decades doing the garden ourselves,” explains Shirley. “The result is in the style of a cottage garden, but has a more structured approach in regard to colour, texture and contour than is to be found in the truly traditional cottage garden.”

Bob and Shirley worked on the garden bit by bit, starting from the top and progressing down. To tame the slope they put in steps, paths and terraces along with some lawn areas and plenty of flowerbeds. “Digging it all out and levelling was the hardest part in the solid chalky, clay soil along with laying the paths ourselves,” recalls Bob.