Cottage industry

Amwell Cottage near Wheathampstead has a traditional cottage garden and an ancient orchard with abundant blossoms this month. Philippa Pearson visits, as can you.

- Philippa Pearson

‘THERE’S a sense of space in this garden, which we love,’ says Kate Birss of her garden at Amwell Cottage near Wheathampstead. The cottage was built in the 17th century but extended over the years, with the garden mostly laid out in the 1930s. ‘We haven’t changed much in the actual layout of the gardens from that period,’ says Kate who moved with husband Colin to the property from London in 1999. ‘But we’ve added different styles of planting and created more areas within the garden.’ The informal garden of two-and-half-acres wraps itself around the cottage and includes a large orchard, extensive lawns with herbaceous borders, a woodland area with pond, a productive garden with a greenhouse and raised beds, all framed with tall yew hedges and old brick walls. There’s also a fire pit garden area created by garden designer Fiona Green, which is a lovely sheltered place for the family to relax in and enjoy throughout the year.

The large orchard has apples, pears and plums, and is laid out with mown paths through long grass which wander past the gnarled fruit trees. The long grass has naturalised plantings of daffodils followed by cow parsley when the fruit blossom is out.