Stone House Cottage Gardens

About Stone House Cottage Gardens

The garden at Stone House Cottage is the display garden for the adjoining nursery which has the reputation of having one of the largest selections of rare plants for sale in the country. All the plants in the garden are painstakingly labelled.
The ¾ walled garden is adorned with architectural follies beautifully built by James Arbuthnott during the last quarter century using mellow old brick and often giving the garden the epithet ‘ The San Gimignano of the Midlands’
These brick follies and walls are covered with a jaw-dropping collection of beautiful and unusual plants and climbers from all over the world, cleverly mixed for maximum effect.
The term ‘wall-shrub’ implies an element of risk, and over the years many reputedly tender plants have been grown here with the most surprising results.
The garden and nursery is staffed only by one person- Louisa the garden owner- who is always on hand to discuss the plants she grows (and loses). This gives an unusual ‘hands on’ feel.
The small size and ‘collection mania’ means that each new plant acquisition must be found space for at the expense of one has become a passenger, or in some way lost it’s charm. This means that the small area is being constantly honed and improved with no chance of neglecting any one piece. Much thought is given to the way each plant will associate with its neighbours. Each year an enormous amount of new planting will occur– but always within the framework of the existing bones of the garden.

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