Garden of the Week
This intriguing haven just two miles from the centre of Coventry welcomes visitors with open arms
Hidden behind a high fence on a corner plot, just two miles from the centre of Coventry, is a garden that has been a long time in the making. It started life well over three decades ago as a classic children’s garden – all slides, mud
and paddling pools – but, when the children grew up and left, former headteachers Sue and Graham Pountney started on a new and exciting phase.
“It just sort of grew, and it keeps growing and changing all the time!” says Sue. “The first thing we did was cut down an overgrown laurel hedge and pull up the old garden paths, then we reseeded the lawn.” Its smartness is a badge of honour and they have it professionally treated several times a year. “People say that it’s nice, but it does undulate a bit,” says Graham.
A certain amount of undulation is par for the course, as the oblong garden slopes uphill all the way. A patio area near the house steps up to the lawn, which then winds up to the top of the garden where there’s an arbour and decked seating area. “I find, as I get older, that I’m very good at sitting,” says Graham.
Sue had always wanted water in the garden so, early in proceedings, a fish pond was installed near the top. This was followed, at the bottom of the hill, by a second pond designed to accommodate newts and other local wildlife, and the two pools are connected via a cascade.
Their initial design had two wide borders, running down either side of the garden. But, practically, these soon proved themselves difficult to maintain. Frustrated by climbing through and under plants, Sue and Graham came up with a solution. “We put gravel pathways with arches at each end, along the backs of the borders,” says Sue. “We originally pretended that it was for the grandchildren to run and hide, but we now admit that we did it because we liked it!”
Accidently, these new paths provided planting opportunities and the archways and fences are now liberally clothed in roses, clematis and ivy. “Where there’s a blank space we often put up a shelf or a box, and put something on it.
"It keeps the interest going where there aren’t any plants,” says Graham. Strategically-placed mirrors reflect the light and trick the eye and there are also lots of hidden corners, containing little surprises. “There are a number of statues, including several dragons," says Graham. “I don’t think you can have too many dragons, myself!”
Blessed with a sunny spot and moderately acid soil, the couple adopted a loose, country style of gardening and, over the years, have honed the plants to their favourites. “We find the plants we like and we stick with them,” says Graham.
They're particularly keen on the roses and have selected healthy, scented, repeat-flowering varieties such as ‘Open Arms’, ‘Malvern Hills’ and ‘The Lady of the Lake’ to ramble up the archways. For the arbour, they went for tall bush roses, “We were hoping for flowers all the way up, and ‘A Shropshire Lad’ and ‘The Generous Gardener’ have worked beautifully,” enthuses Sue.
Clematis, too, is woven liberally through the garden, climbing the fences and scrambling up obelisks. And for Sue patio clematis is a new
revelation. “They're only three to four feet high and they come in all sorts of colours. They'll flower and flower if you keep on top of the deadheading. ‘Abilene’ is good and I like ‘Ooh La La’ for its name!” she says.
Despite a very suburban setting, the garden is secluded to the point of invisibility. “We are screened by the fences so most people don’t know we're here. But, unfortunately, it also means that we almost never get a hedgehog,” sighs Sue, ruefully, “but we did have a badger once.”
Their garden is a sociable and welcoming space that draws you in. Detailed and intriguing, it amuses and entertains visitors with its unexpected vistas, lots of places to sit and relax, and myriad nooks and details.
“We use the garden as an extra room really,” says Sue. “We wanted to create a haven of tranquillity that wrapped itself around you. And though it probably sounds a bit strange, I think it likes having people around and visitors to look and admire it.”