Country House in Devon

Renovating and replanting a classic country house in South Devon.

A large front garden with too much lawn and very tired, narrow borders, untended apple trees and an unkempt (but promising!) little pond.

Scarifying the lower lawn was the first step, exposing the natural seed bank, and following a ‘no-mow summer’ a biodiverse seasonal meadow was created. The adjacent apple trees were pruned back and a lovely balance between the wildflowers and the old apples was found.

The old rigid borders were extended in a series of arcs around the sloping top lawn and planted up with evergreens and herbaceous perennials. New lawn paths were aligned with both sets of French doors, the pond was partially cleared and the margin planted with native wildflowers