The Ridges

About The Ridges

The sheltered 3 acre garden of ‘ The Ridges’ consists of part of an 18th century walled orchard and kitchen garden, now planted with wide herbaceous borders, giving a cottage style effect.The old apple trees, still blossoming in May and bearing fruit, support clematis and scented rambling roses. A Magnolia Grandiflora, sheltered by the house, bears large almond scented blossoms in late summer.There is also a small wild life pond, and through an arch, covered in mid summer with the rose Paul’s Himalayan musk, filling the air with fragrance, we have a natural looking stream, meandering through grasses and damp loving plants.Recently part of the old buttress wall was uncovered to create a quiet seating area with scented plants and herbs to attract butterflies and bees.A living arch leads to the sheltered formal lawn, which is surrounded, by natural woodland. It is fringed with bright foliaged specimen trees positioned to shine against the dark copper beech, holly and many different varieties of rhododendrons, part of the original surroundings.Around the lawn new beds have been planted with flowering shrubs and in the centre of the lawn, a mock pebble pond with central urn has been created. In the shade of a Victorian style glass house a small bed is filled with ferns and hostas.There are many areas to sit and a new feature is created each year, including new woodland areas being restored & planted with ferns & shade loving plants.