Suburban plot with grand views
This suburban plot in Bedfordshire is full of clever ideas for year-round structure and colour. Owner Susan Sutton explains the inspiration behind it
“The garden used to belong to David’s parents and has been in the family since the 1960s”
This exciting garden is packed with ideas for year-round colour and interest. There’s an avenue of pleached hornbeam trees, a rose-clad pergola, box parterre, sculptures and ornaments, which all help to give the garden ‘good bones’. “We’ve divided the garden into rooms to create a bit of variety,” explains owner Susan Sutton, who lives here with her husband David. “The whole garden changes through the seasons so there’s always something new to look at. In summer it’s full of herbaceous perennials, roses and containers of cannas and crocosmia. Our fruit garden is a feast of cherries, redcurrants, apples and plums – we’re adding greengages to the mix this year.” The couple get much of their inspiration from trips to historic gardens. “We took a trip to Hidcote in Gloucestershire a few years back,” says Susan. “It inspired us to attempt something a little bit grander than usual, which is why we now have a ‘flying hedge’ of neatly clipped hornbeam trees running up one side of the lawn. “The garden was quite spacious and simple in its layout when we first moved here in 2000,” says Susan. “It used to belong to David’s parents and has been in the family since the 1960s. The garden was perfect for kids, with a plain grassy area, fences and a few trees. There are lovely pictures of David as a youngster riding his bike on the lawn. “We threw ourselves into designing it and planting up the borders, but things change. Trees grow and shady spots
emerge, maturing plants crowd out others, shrubs get wider and lots of things need moving. Our pond, for instance, became swamped by the neighbours’ overhanging maple trees. It got sludgy and was always in the shade, so last year we moved it to a sunnier, more open part of the garden. “Often an idea works on paper but doesn’t in practice. You have to get to know your garden well, but that takes time. We like to keep a garden diary – just a simple A4 lined book with sections for each month. This way we can refer back to what was in flower, what the weather was doing, when the first frogs arrived in the pond, when birds started nesting and which plants went in which vegetable plot – useful when planning your crop rotation. At the back of the book we record all the birds we see and whether they nested. We also make a list of the garden projects we want to take on over the next year, so we don’t forget.” Such meticulous planning helps keep renovation projects on track. “Two or three years ago our rose arches collapsed because the roses had grown too heavy<” says Susan. “We took down all the frames, laid them on their sides, trimmed away the excess growth and put the whole structure back up again, this time interlacing the rose varieties so they weave into one another. It now looks wonderful in early summer.” Last year saw some developments in the veg patch too. “I’ve planted our herbs and salads into raised beds,” says Susan. “It means we don’t have to bend down to harvest them, and they now get a lot of moisture and good quality, crumbly soil. The best part is that our chickens run straight past them and don’t stop to nibble!” Susan says visitors and neighbours are full of praise for the garden. “There’s a block of flats next to our house, and those who overlook the garden get a fantastic view,” she says. “We’re always getting lovely comments from people. “Summer is the best time of year – that’s when we enjoy morning breakfast outdoors and spend balmy evenings sitting out in our sunny courtyard. It’s wonderful to sit there as the garden slowly fills with birdsong, watching the stars appear in the dusk sky. It really is quite a magical place to be.” ✿