Old Park Barn

About Old Park Barn

We created a garden from a rough field of just under three acres starting over 25years ago. Near the house a series of terraces, cut into the sloping site, become the formal part of the design with long and cross vistas, lawns and deep borders with drifts of perennials, specimen shrubs, trees, clematis and climbing roses. The aim is to provide interest throughout the year with naturalistic planting and views borrowed from the surrounding countryside.

Paths and slopes link a series of quiet sitting areas and lead to a wildlife pond surrounded by dense planting. Beyond this is an open, flower meadow with long grass, mown paths and a colony of indigenous bee orchids. The meadow is fringed by a horseshoe of deciduous trees planted at the Millennium and containing a serpentine walk with woodland bulbs, shade loving perennials and ferns. A stream garden forms the western boundary between the garden and neighbouring fields.

We try to garden in a sustainable way, propagating our own plants, avoiding using mains water to irrigate and with much of the materials we use recycled from the garden and the local environment. We are constantly evolving the planting and layout, often inspired by great gardens we have visited and new plants we find. We hope to share our love of plants and design with our visitors.