Garden in the Trough of Boland

Abbeystead is situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty. The house sits on the side of a hill and commands distant views of the magnificent countryside in the Trough of Bowland in Lancashire. 

The challenge was to design gardens that would relate the house to the magnificent surrounding landscape as well as soften the large areas of stone terrace surrounding it.  I addressed this by designing a series of gardens leading from the terraces to a wider space, which I divided into three garden areas of different sizes and colour. Further down the hill, on the side of the beck, I redesigned a series of very large existing herbaceous borders with a more fluid and painterly choice of plants to be enjoyed, in particular, in July, August and September. Recent work includes the replanting of the woodland area surrounding the entrance forecourt.  Further tree planting is planned for the whole garden.