CALL OF THE WILD
The immersive organic garden tended by Lynn and Simon Woodward combines subtle order with glorious rural romanticism
This country garden of meadows, natural ponds and cottage-style planting is a beautiful sanctuary for all sorts of wildlife
Weaving though the gravel and herringbone pathways up to Lynn and Simon Woodward’s 17th-century cottage, it’s apparent how this gently sloping garden seems to mould seamlessly within the Herefordshire landscape. A more formally planted garden wraps around their home, Montpelier Cottage, then the wilder meadow and orchard sections disperse gently into open farmland. Even though the couple moved here two years ago the care, love and attention for this garden is already evident. ‘We had lived in a semi-rural environment in Cheshire for some time but moving here we’ve totally embraced the rural lifestyle,’ says Lynn. ‘Despite viewing many other properties in the area we were always drawn back here.’
The garden comprises four acres of sloping land. It is south facing and sheltered from prevailing winds by the surrounding woodland and its main section is a cottage-style perennial garden with a naturalistic look. ‘At the top of the garden our home and a little cottage, which we call The Cob, are linked together with a gravel garden full of prairie planting, its borders kept within neatly clipped box hedges and gravel pathways.’ In spring, it is a mass of yellow primroses and various hellebores. Later in the year there is a dreamy feel to the garden, with various grasses, Verbena bonariensis, Knautia macedonica and Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ wafting in the breeze.
Primroses, daffodils and tulips emerge from mid March, but from May through to October the perennials are in control, and the dense, naturalistic planting helps to suppress weeds. ‘Plants such as Dahlia hortensis, Aster x frikartii ‘Monch’ and the
❝ IT’S THE PEACE THAT MAKES IT FEEL SO SPECIAL LIVING HERE, AND THE ABUNDANCE OF WILDLIFE THAT VISITS FROM THE NEIGHBOURING WOODS AND FIELDS ❞
aster Symphyotrichum ‘Little Carlow’, plus goldenrod Solidago ‘Goldenmosa’ and Lysimachia ciliata ‘Firecracker’ are all allowed to mingle and self seed,’ says Lynn.
The formal garden leads down to three meadows via a meandering herringbone brick pathway. Stock fences form a boundary to stop deer and rabbits eating the plants and hedges of hazel and willow divide the three meadows. The first is home to the apple orchard and The Cob, the newly renovated shepherd’s hut where B&B guests can stay. This cottage is built with Douglas fir timbers and a straw and lime render, and has a living roof of sedum and Allium schoenoprasum (chives).
‘Under the tutelage of our local farmer, who has a cider apple orchard, we’ve pruned the apple trees here and are hoping for a bumper crop this September,’ says Lynn. Paths are mown through the middle meadow during its flowering season, and they lead to a circular spot defined by Cornus sanguinea (common dogwood) and willow, and which also houses a clay pizza oven. The area at the end is a wet meadow with wildflowers and many specimen trees, including Liriodendron tulipifera
(tulip tree), Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’, Taxodium distichum (swamp cypress), Pterocarya fraxinifolia (wingnut) and Metasequoia (dawn redwood), as well as two natural ponds.
Yet when Lynn and Simon first arrived, the house had been unoccupied for years and the garden was very overgrown. The couple believe it had been owned by a plantsman/garden writer about 12 years ago who created the original layout and planting. When the couple first saw the cottage it was winter, so areas
❝ My love of gardening comes from my dad who taught me such a lot when I was growing up and when I had my first tiny garden at my Wimbledon flat ❞
were covered in weeds and debris. They discovered the apple orchard when they were cutting back brambles. ‘We’ve also recently unearthed the old raised beds of a kitchen garden and have now dug in plenty of manure courtesy of the local livery stables next door,’ says Lynn. This area is now filled with
Iris sibirica bulbs in spring and Tropaeolum majus (nasturtiums) in the summer. Meanwhile, a polytunnel covered in green mould and filled to the roof with nettles has also been cleared out and cleaned. It is now a favourite spot for Lynn, where she spends time sowing seeds and growing vegetables.
Over the two years that Lynn and Simon have lived here, there has been a lot of hard work involving cutting back, drastic pruning, digging and mulching. They have revealed an amazing garden, but it’s definitely still a work in progress. ‘Our mission now is to work further towards being as natural as possible in the way we garden, encouraging as much wildlife as we can and avoiding any use of pesticides or weedkillers,’ says Lynn.
By introducing bird feeders and clearing the ponds of debris they now have very few slugs and snails, thanks to the abundance of visiting frogs, toads and birds. Kites, buzzards and sparrow-hawks fly overhead, rabbits and hares run in the meadows and the bird tables are full of visitors all day long.
‘It’s the peace and tranquillity of the gardens and the surrounding woodland that makes it feel so special,’ says Lynn, ‘and we still can’t quite believe that we are living here to this day.’ To book a stay at The Cob Luxury B&B, visit stayatthecob.co.uk