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Molinia ‘Transparent’ and Miscanthus sinensis explode from the globe-shaped mounds of Hebe rakaiensis
Regular readers of this fine magazine will be familiar with Pettifers. It is a beautiful, innovative and photogenic garden in deepest Oxfordshire created over nearly 40 years by Gina Price and her husband, James. Gina is the perfect example of an instinctive gardener: there were no formal plans made and the garden is in an almost constant state of flux since Gina is a tornado of ideas, constantly looking at ways to make a pretty exquisite garden even better. She has collected ideas and inspiration from great gardens and even greater gardeners over the years and then tweaked them slightly and made them her own.
When they arrived here there was “A big lawn, three yews, a narrow border and the most atrocious soil you can imagine!” Since then, years of annual mulching have sorted out the soil problem and Gina has made a lot of inroads into the tyrannical tedium of turf by creating large and generously planted borders to cover every season. Spring bulbs in abundance are followed by lapping breakers of summer shrubs, perennials and grasses that take us through until the dark days descend.
One of the things that makes a garden special is an ability to shine in the less vibrant months of the year. In May and June nature is on our side and there will always be something to bring us joy. Stumble forward a few months and the summer colour has passed, the fire of autumn is over and the leaves have been raked into compost heaps. In many gardens this is the moment when we draw the curtains, rack up the crumpets and wait for spring: not at Pettifers. There is always something to see, always something to appreciate and always a good reason to put on an extra scarf and get outside. This despite the fact that Gina is not a fan: “I don’t like winter,” she declares. “It is dark and depressing.”
To try to counteract this, she has built a small circular terrace that nestles into the hedge where she goes to sit on bright winter days with a rapidly cooling cup of co ee. It is the perfect place to get comfortably familiar with an extensive hellebore collection while looking across the medieval ridge and furrowed field towards the distant treeline.
Even though the garden still carries a trail of colour in winter a lot of the pleasure comes from the detail of plants. It happens on only a few days
Above left Snow-dusted pearlescent pink berries of Sorbus vilmorinii Above right Frosted strands of Miscanthus ‘Grosse Fontäne’. Below right Phormium leaves look like stained glass in the winter sun. Below left The empty seedheads of honesty, Lunaria annua
The Japanese-style water garden features immaculate topiary surrounding a naturallooking pool formed from puddled clay.
Relocating to France may be the dream of many Brits, but for Robert and Juliet Cox-Nicol, a move back to England felt like the right thing to do after 40 years of living on the outskirts of Paris. Berkshire beckoned, bringing closer proximity to their son, although when Lower Bowden Manor presented itself to them in 2015, the property was initially unappealing. “A dated house with a warren of small rooms was not what we were looking for, and the garden was largely an unkempt football field complete with goal posts!” Juliet recalls. However, thanks to its good collection of mature and remarkable trees, along with superb views out towards the Chiltern Hills, the garden was a tempting canvas for Juliet to exercise her horticultural knowledge and design talents.
For two years, the house itself underwent major structural surgery to open up the dark and dated interior, while the garden benefitted from Juliet and Robert’s exquisite eye for detail. Rather than placing an emphasis on
Above Rich, russet beech contrasts gorgeously with dark yew ‘eggs’ and a silvery ice-rimed lawn. Below The peeling bark of Acer griseum is backlit by the winter sun.
flowers, the Cox-Nicols have used structure and elegant form as key themes. Winter interest comes mainly from the textured bark and the colour and shape of trees and shrubs, particular favourites including birch, beech and yew.
The sweeping drive to the house o ers tempting clues as to the beauty that lies beyond.
Mature trees, including a magnificent weeping beech, giant redwood and statuesque blue cedar, are complemented by newer additions such as cloud-pruned hornbeam and the creamy trunks of Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii ‘Grayswood Ghost’ and B. ‘Fascination’ – both loved for their peeling bark. The front of the house, known as the cour d’honneur is framed by curved beds that are punctuated by clipped beech cones and variegated holly and yew balls. Juliet trained with topiary legend Christian Coureau, and her skilled hand has transformed the shape and silhouette of the trees and shrubs that play such a vital role in this garden.
Passing through a small arch at the side of the house, the visitor is greeted
For a fresh garden offering year-round interest, Matthew Pottage, curator of RHS Wisley, recommends a selection of ten strikingly noteworthy evergreens
Evergreen shrubs have an important part to play in the winter garden, providing structure, interest and habitat long after the eye-catching stars of summer have died back. Unusual evergreens abound at RHS Wisley in Surrey, but the Walled Garden specifically contains experimental beds exploring valuable box alternatives, as well as a range of distinctive foliage. Among the foliage candidates
hostas tend to dominate, but there are plenty of evergreen choices, including Taxus baccata ‘Amersfoort’ and Trachycarpus fortunei. Here, RHS Wisley curator Matthew Pottage recommends ten garden evergreens with distinctive characteristics.
RHS Wisley, Wisley Lane, Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. Tel: 01483 224234; rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley
“This is a great variety for form and structure as well as an interesting habit,” says Matthew. “It’s a beautiful Japanese pine with needles that look like they’ve been dipped in butter.” New spring growth is bright yellow, turning a darker blue-green as the year progresses. Slow growing, it is suitable for containers or borders.
