FIRE & FROST

Flaming red and gold stems contrast spectacularly with carpets of frosty snowdrops in Jackie and John Copping’s cottage garden in Essex

The first encounter with John and Jackie Copping’s garden presents a series of beckoning paths that wander idly through woodland, past borders, to linger in shady retreats or sunlit spaces. ‘I like things to flow — after all, there’s no such thing as a straight line in nature,’ says Jackie.

Her concept is based on the idea of a journey, which is depicted through the use of paths, some of which are clear, while others are more obscure. ‘I wanted the garden to be meaningful — everything has a deeper connection,’ she explains. Beneath a great willow lies a grass spiral cut into the turf in ever-decreasing circles. ‘Following the path, without needing to think where you are going, provides an opportunity for thoughts to emerge,’ she explains, ‘and, on reaching the touchstone in the middle, you can stop and reflect.’

While the paths, created from gravel, mown grass, bark, wood or stepping stones, form the garden’s structure, it is the planted beds and layout that create points of interest along the way.