An English Garden

A couple of years ago we were able to make some changes to our garden. There had been a hideous block paving feature shaped like a shield. I dug it up one summer. But it left the garden without form and full of rubble.

We live in an old Victorian farmhouse built around 1860. All the land around the house had been sold by the time we purchased the property 10 years ago. But the house still retained some charming stables and is surrounded by old brick walls. Having grown up in the wide open spaces of east coast American suburbia, I love the sense of enclosure the walls give.


I spent years planning what I wanted to do with this part of the garden. I wanted a winding brick path to that would run from my dining room window and end up at the stable door.

And I wanted an outside sitting and dining area that was covered by a pergola. And I wanted everything to be made out of old materials so it would look like it had always been there and would fit in with the character of the house. We had some wonderful builders who specialize in restoring period homes and they helped source the materials and create the pergola. Then some local landscape gardeners put in the path and laid the paving and gravel. Now that the hard bones of the garden were in place it was fun to add the plants and flowers.

We were able to encourage the wisteria over the stable to start covering the pergola from one side and planted climbing roses and clematis. This is the third summer and everything is growing up. This rose is one of those David Austin Roses that smell like heaven. It looks so pretty against the wisteria.

I'm grateful for this part of my garden. Planning a garden is alot like creating a quilt, it's so satisfying to see something I've been picturing in my mind for years come to life.