The Hill Cottage

About The Hill Cottage

The owners have lived here for 29 years. Only the large trees survive from what they inherited and the stone-built summerhouse and pond. The house sits on top of a ridge, from which there is a steep descent to a bluebell wood. This makes for a challenging site but a fascinating garden design.

This is a garden for views and for plants, of which there are very many. The owners are project-oriented, so this is a garden in motion. Clematis is a particular favourite.

Enter into a gravelled area with oaks on the left and a hornbeam a little further away. On the right, is a stepped and paved area with the free-flowering, highly-scented Clematis x triterna ‘Rubromarginata’ atop a pillar. On the house wall is the self-clinging evergreen climber Hydrangea seemannii, with a Leycesteria formosa nearby. The plants in this area are mainly white.

Pass through a wall adorned with Hedera ‘Paddy’s Pride’ through which scrambles the chocolate vine, Akebia quinata. The rose ‘Princess Ann’ can be seen to the right along with Clematis x durandii draped over a Viburnum davidii.

As you walk through the entrance to the start of the main garden, down steps flanked with terracotta pots of variegated Agaves, you pass an area with the layered Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ on the left adorned with two clematis: ‘Hagley Hybrid’ and ‘Etoile Violette’. A wooden gazebo with a prominent Miscanthus x giganteus flanking its entrance to the right. The seating here affords views of the lower garden and pond, as well the stunning scene out across the Avon Valley to the far ridge of hills.

A paved terrace runs right along the west-facing side of the house, fronted by a wooden balustrade. The immediate view is of prostrate junipers and, beyond them, a large Turkey oak and other mature trees with the lower garden areas of the summerhouse, water and woodland. The garden drops down sharply here, that view of a small garden immediately below is concealed.

Along the terrace is a profusion of pots, some displaying majestic 1.5m tall lilies which favour the seating area here with their evocative fragrance. Three steps down to a lower level of terrace, the surface changes to an interesting timber-effect paving with gravel, interspersed with Stipa tenuissima and thymes and other subjects that seed themselves readily in this medium, such as the horned poppy, Glaucium flavum. The beautifully graceful pink Dierama enjoys every breeze here beside a small water feature, and nearby Melianthus major clambers up the wall, with Fuschia magellanica versicolour for company, in a race with Clematis vit. pur. plena elegans. A stunning example of Echium candicans, the national flower of Madeira, is also at home in this open, sunny area and has reached 5′ in height and girth even in this climate.

The bed on the left is richly planted, mostly with hot colours and exotics, especially purples, such as the Millet – Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Majesty’, yellows and oranges. Spiky plants include Phormium and Eucomis comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy’, with the see-through Stipa gigantea providing the height.

At the end of the gravel and sleepers terrace, we approach a Golden Indian Bean tree, Catalpa bignonoides ‘Aurea’, providing welcome shade over an octagon-shaped paved seating area adorned with yet more pots. as you round the corner of the house and an area of lawn then becomes visible and gives a different feel. Generous planting is still in evidence everywhere, with pots, seating, and raised beds with pergolas.

Across the grass, approach an island bed, through which a path winds to bring you close and personal with the delicate planting. Shades of pink, white, blues and lavender mingle in this area of dappled shade provided by trees. Clematis vit. ‘Minuet’ is on show together with C. Mrs Julia Correcon climbing up The dark-leaved poplar, Populus deltoides ‘Purple Tower’, a relatively recent introduction to cultivation, which is fast gaining height.
However, dominating this area of the garden, and its crowning glory, is a magnificent bespoke glasshouse, sitting proudly in its own walled kitchen garden, all newly-constructed in 2018/19
A complete labour of love, this extensive area has been designed entirely by Gillie and in such a way as to give an immediately traditional and symmetrical feel, yet with unexpected and individual artistic touches. The various construction materials used are tactile and beautiful: brick; sandstone; gravel; oak, blended with innovative design. Raised beds support a plethora of vegetables but space is left for seasonal and exotic planting.

Taking a grass path which descends gradually, a waist-high densely-planted bank of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Imperial Gem’) and Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ retained by a curving dry-stone wall. A golden smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria ‘Golden Spirit’) together with Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’, under-planted with a well-pruned Hypericum ‘Golden Beacon’ showing striking yellow foliage and working well as a contrast plant, along with Hosta ‘Gold Standard’. Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ is a feature, with delicate foliage. Clematis ‘Julia Correvon’ gently climbs the rounded head of the tree, Cornus mas.

Passing a tall Turkey Oak on our left, with sprinkling of orchids in the grass beneath, you descend sharply, and start to glimpse a dramatic greenoak circular structure built to enclose ‘The Pond Garden’ with central, round, stone-edged pond with tinkling fountain and water lilies. Dragon flies are on guard. An impressive stone-built summerhouse with seating accords views around this peaceful haven. Immediately around the pond are hostas, Rodgersia podophylla and its close relative Astilboides tabularis.

The Turkey oak is joined, in the woodland area beyond the pond, by selection of other mature trees – beech, several ash, horse chestnut, sycamore, deodar cedar, yew and other oaks. This wooded area is quiet in summer but sports masses of snowdrops and bluebells in spring.

A 2019 project was a traditional walled kitchen garden with beautiful glasshouse. The area has been designed for aesthetic value as well as for the opportunity to grow a range for vegetables and fruit on attractive raised beds. It looks as though it has been here for years. A playful touch to seek out is the arch in the tall wall with tinkling water feature below.

This is a garden that takes time to traverse and appreciate. But it is time very well spent.