‘We completely trusted Freddy, from the outset. I love the formality of the paths and the grasses flowing loosely around them. What Freddy came up with has exceeded our expectations and opened our eyes.’ Nick Smith

Inspired by our clients’ love of the romantic gardens of Jardin Plume and Le Prieuré d’Orsan, the layout creates intimate spaces that blend into the landscape beyond.  One of the main challenges was to weave together the space between our clients’ home and their restored barn.  As a holiday let, a separate entrance and privacy needed to be introduced without overwhelming the overall effect.  

A bold, contemporary-feeling use of space injects the traditional layout with modernity.  The use of materials is minimal: hedges, gravel and mown paths create a soft, but structured garden of rooms.  Axial paths lead the eye into the fields beyond.  

The existing formal herbaceous garden was reviewed.  Borders were widened, evergreen structure added and a handsome green room of pleached Hornbeam installed.  This encloses an area whilst retaining surrounding garden and paddock views.  Framed by Weeping Pears, a reflective pond accentuates the main axis and evokes tranquillity.

A small knot garden is situated beside the handsome Victorian glasshouse. 

The axial path from the glasshouse into the garden is enclosed by a simple metal pergola, flanked by rectangular beds of ornamental grass. This grass parterre is punctuated by fastigiate Yews and multi-stemmed Malus toringoides.  The beds are divided by mown pathways that dissipate into a well-established orchard.  Excavated soil has been used to create a miniature earthwork surrounding a firepit. 

The Yard’s main feature is a rotunda which mitigates the disparate angles of the buildings and creates a soft, welcoming forecourt.  A rondel of ornamental grass is surrounded by Crab Apples that have also been planted on either side of the Yew hedges defining entrances and screening the potager and barn rental garden.  The Potager, as requested, is small, and manageable.  Raised beds in oak with lead flushing.  Gravel pathways.  Feature urn.  Bench and bed of Rosa ‘Emily Brontë’.  The created axis continues as a mown path through double borders of drought-tolerant perennials and grasses.  A simple field gate as focal point.  

The garden was featured in the September 2025 edition of House and Garden.

Assiduously maintained by our clients, the garden is part of the National Gardens Scheme.