WEST SUSSEX GARDEN REVIVAL
Area: 2 acres
The new design brings a natural rhythm of enclosure and expansiveness. Immersed in a vibrant world of insects buzzing around nectar filled flowers, the rush of daily life drops away and a sense of relaxation and clarity take its place.
Work on the 2 acre plot of meadow, productive area, rich borders, lawns and woodland is being carried out in stages. The priority was the terrace - originally a bland 150m.sq. expanse of paving with retaining walls and a sunken pond acting invisibly as a barrier to the rest of the garden. This was restructured into a lighter set of generous spots for entertaining with inviting steps creating a natural pull towards the garden.
The ethos is that the family can be immersed in and enjoy the full extent of the land, as custodians and shared inhabitants with wildlife, from the house down to the colourful Romany caravan at the far end of the meadow where softly carved oak trunk seats around a firebowl offer a simple welcome.
An elegant greenhouse arrives soon into a newly prepared kitchen garden of sturdy rectangular oak raised beds set into naturally curving borders, to be filled this spring with scented herbs for household use and to attract pollinating insects. Drifts of fruit trees will be planted through the meadow before the winter is out. In a subsequent phase the century old heritage barn will be turned into an airy contemplative space for yoga and a threshold to the meadow and new orchard.