Heulwen Davies' Evocative Modern Planting and Sympathetic Restoration Echo the Roots of her Historic Elizabeth Garden
Pink hydrangeas stand guard at the embattled gateway of the walled courtyard, where symmetry and formal planting create a tranquil atmosphere.
When Heulwen Davies moved into her medieval home in Pembrokeshire nearly 20 years ago, the gardens were rather unassuming. Two rectangles of grass were bisected by a narrow path up to the front door, and the borders were fairly minimal, but from the outset Heulwen suspected hidden depths.
The neat edged beds of the potager’s lower terrace are complemented by topiary, wirework arches and a salvaged water fountain.
‘It was a simple layout, but I knew there had been something more interesting because there was a nine-foot wide embattled stone entrance. It was a bit over the top for an ordinary garden and I wanted to discover the original design and put it back,’ she says.
However the garden didn’t yield its secrets easily. ‘I couldn’t find plans of the historic site no matter how hard I researched,’ says Heulwen, who also looked at old paintings searching for information. ‘In the end, Monty Don was my inspiration. He presented a television programme about a garden restoration, where a dowser was enlisted to help define the site. At first, I thought it was a load of nonsense, but I was willing to try anything.’
What makes this garden so special...
‘The birds are wonderful; the cacophony of bird song is like little children at playtime. It makes us feel that we are surrounded by nature’
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