A pretty and productive garden

A steeply sloping piece of land in the Cotswolds proved a fascinating challenge for Caroline and David Cook, but look at it now! Sue Bradley reports

“We are selfsufficient in veg from June to Sept”

A‘projeCt’ was what Caroline and David Cook were looking for when they were househunting back in 2006, and that’s what they found when they discovered Sweet Briar Cottage.

Surrounding the stone-built, 18thcentury dwelling was a steeply sloping piece of land, which was little more than a field when the couple moved in.

twelve years on, and after many, many hours of soil moving, terrace building and patio laying, the Cooks have a cottage garden that strikes the perfect balance between being pretty and productive. this garden has plenty of flowers, fruit and vegetables – not to mention a stunning view from their elevated position of more than 600ft (180m) above sea level.

“We liked the fact that there was no garden when we came here, just rough grass and ivy everywhere, with a little border by the back door and wisteria growing on the walls,” says Caroline.

“We both liked gardening and we wanted a project: we did have a grand design, although we didn’t have a huge amount of time to spend on it when our daughter was younger.”

taming the garden’s slope was the first task for David and Caroline.

“We needed to make it more manageable, and decided the best way to do this would be to create a series of tiers supported by walls faced with Cotswold stone to match the cottage, along with steps to make it easier to get to the top,” she explains. “We used a

bulldozer to move soil around. It took a while, but it was worth the effort.

“Over the years, we have also brought in tonnes of compost, sourced from a composting scheme in our neighbouring village, Bisley, which has done wonders for the fertility and depth of our thin soil.”

Once areas of hard landscaping were completed, work began on creating herbaceous borders and two kitchen gardens, one at the top of the plot and the other at the side.

“David enjoys growing fruit and vegetables, while I prefer flowers,” laughs Caroline. “I grow a few for cutting and I love to see lots of colour.

“We manage to be self-sufficient in vegetables from June to September and have plenty to freeze to keep us going for the winter months.

“Along with putting in plants, we’ve also collected bits and pieces, such as stone pots and troughs that provide extra growing space,” she continues.

When he’s not growing food for the kitchen, David often uses his engineering skills to build garden structures. Over the years, he has dismantled and reassembled a greenhouse purchased on eBay and fashioned a metal pergola, over which Caroline is growing roses and other climbers, as well as making numerous plant supports.

“If there’s something I need, he’ll set about making it,” says Caroline. “It may take a few months, but he always does a great job.”

Teamwork is clearly the secret to the garden’s success and the couple say they’re continuing to fine-tune aspects of their plot as time goes by.

“We do little bits at a time, and over the years it’s been rewarding to see it progress,” says David. “I don’t think we’d enjoy it so much if we hadn’t done it ourselves.”

Create layers of colour by adding vibrant delphinium to a herbaceous border. This perennial may need support in windy spots Plant lilies like this bi-coloured Asiatic cultivar for summer colour and perfume

Combine vegetables and flowers for true cottage garden style. David’s south-facing kitchen garden enjoys a glorious view

Make a sloping site easier to navigate by creating terraces and steps; David has stuck to Cotswold stone for the hard landscaping

Look for pots that chime with the building materials used for your home to add unity to the garden

Combine vegetables with flowering plants, such as lavender, for a plot that’s pretty and productive

Make the most of climbing roses by adding a pergola to the garden. This bespoke metal-framed structure is one of David’s own creations

Copper piping stops slugs from attacking the runner beans

Use ornaments or vintage pieces, such as this staddle stone, to help fill tricky corners

A combination of nepeta, Erigeronglaucus, nicotiana and a pink rose makes for a lovely entrance

Put Mexican feathergrass (Stipa tenuissima) in a pot for a smart way to soften a hard surface

Train wisteria over a building to merge the boundaries between the home and garden. Arches add vertical height without obscuring the view

Use hard landscaping to bring structure and interest to the area immediately beyond the back door. An old millstone provides a novel table top.

Galvanised water troughs are ideal to use as planters in narrow spaces

Use a yew pyramid to bring structure to a border

Attract bees by growing nectar-rich plants, such as allium, which make an impact in an early summer garden with their big purple globes

Embrace self-seeders, such as opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) and red valerian (Centranthus ruber) to add extra colour to a border