A Life-Affirming Garden

Hildegard Wiesehofer’s hillside garden represents a journey in more ways than one

STROLLING through the garden rooms of Hildegard Wiesehofer’s Derbyshire home represents a journey and a reflection on life.

“Visitors say they love the mysterious journey. You don’t always know where it’s going and it’s not all perfect: it’s a garden that takes you by surprise,” says Hildegard.

It’s a garden of rooms, overflowing with plants and places to sit and contemplate.

“It’s all about tranquillity – and then there are the views which are fabulous,” she says.

“Scent is really important to me, but even the scent is a voyage through the year starting with the honeysuckle. It’s important to me that something is happening all the time in terms of flower or scent or structure.

The garden has a woodland walk where plants such as heuchera, hardy geranium and campanula cascade onto the path.