The double border, in fact, began life as a single border created to take advantage of the sunny south-facing outer wall of the walled garden, then being restored by George Carter. Consisting of four herbaceous beds with yew buttresses, it faced a new beech hedge. Over the years, we added more features, including two oak arbours with ornamental benches based on a design at Boughton House, Northamptonshire. Moon windows were cut into the maturing hedge to provide enchanting views over the open country beyond.
Within the alleé itself, at the eastern end, we created a castle enclosure from yew blocks bought from de Limieten in the Netherlands. At the western end, a mature walnut tree stood with a circular seat around its trunk. Some 30 yards in from the walnut, we placed a huge 8ft-high vase purchased from a French brocante in Beaune as an eye-stopper. The planting matured and, slowly, the lollipop yew cones were clipped into eight perfect balls.
Then, one evening in September 2018, we had one of those ideas that simply would not go away—that this was a job half done. How simple it would be to move the hedge five yards further into the field and to create another border to match the first?
Denne historien er fra May 12, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra May 12, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
