Eight years ago we moved to sunny Oxfordshire leaving behind our beloved Blackpitts, our home of twenty something years. It was tough but now we feel thoroughly at home here. The garden is young and I have tried to make it quite different to what we were used to – this is helped by the existence of some mature trees which we did not have before. When we arrived there were a number on inappropriately planted leylandii which we felled immediately and were rewarded by a feeling of lightness and warmth.
It took another couple of years before I felt brave enough to tackle the second problem: there were a lot of laurels which gave cover from the neighbours but were (as is usual with laurels) unutterably dull. All (bar one) are now gone and new shrubs planted. The neighbours are currently visible but hopefully not for long.
We have, so far, planted a couple of green roofs, a gravel garden outside the office, we have made a couple of raised banks from building spoil and created a rather promising pond. Celestria has made a handsome vegetable garden than supplies an abundance of beans, fruit, squash etc etc
It is young but promises much and already I feel that I never want to leave.
Most of these pictures were taken by the delightful Britt Willoughby-Dyer and appeared in an article for Gardens Illustrated in 2019
Press Coverage
- Slow rise ■ Gardens Illustrated ■ June 20 ■ Words Kendra Wilson ■ Photographs Britt Willoughby Dyer
