The Garden.
My garden faces west with striking unspoilt views and an ideal backdrop of the Far eastern fells including Kidsty Pike, Bleatarn, Riggindale Straits, the White Crags with the now barren and bleak wild Ralfland Forest in the foregound after the farmland pastures.
From the garden you can also see the The High Street range and the old Corpse road. The valleys of Haweswater, Ullswater and Wet Sleddale form the unmistakable ridge line of the summits westwards. Swindale & Mosedale are two valleys which are undeniably of the most beautiful in the area. These two pristine valleys gallop off towards the Northwest. They are little known or visited and are extremely lonely and isolated and are well hidden gems off the beaten track. The Shap area is one of the last remaining true wildernesses left in England. The Shap area is not only famed for what lies beneath the landscape as to what the landscape is, being the summit of Shap Fell.
The garden is a deliberate reaction to and a related connection with the stunning wilderness beyond the Drystone wall and this landscape forms the backdrop for it. It is a garden for wildlife, birds, summer flowers and a predominantly perennial planting in the borders. It is a garden that is best seen in the Spring & Summer as it mainly dies back during the winter although there is some evergreen foliage which remains during the winter months.
You would think that gardening so high at around 1000 feet above sea level would be problematic and it can be if you let it be, buts its not impossible. The original garden of 2005 which was left for us was a formal, may I say drab Victorian linear garden which did not inspire me at all. Well it inspired me to rip it up and start again if nothing else. Almost 10 years later and I have completely redesigned the gardens beyond all recognition.
I have created an informal, cascading, free flowing and wildlife friendly garden with curvaceous perennial borders around three informal lawns and the existing herringbone pathway. A patio, summerhouse and greenhouse remain too.
There is a purpose built rustic pergola /shelter to house my substantial collection of container grown Japanese Maples/Acer Trees. This is the most effective way to show off and stage my 39 Acer Trees and their pots and to also protect them from the worst of the wind and weather, all within a Japanese style gravel garden. Some of these diminutive beauties are well over 20 years old now.
There is also a raised area of decking for outdoor dining and to enjoy the view. I created two informal ponds, one shallow and one deeper, set off centre in my garden. There is a silver stainless steel tower water feature which sits slightly off centre in the larger pond. The pond water is pumped to the top and then it cascades closely down the tower. The garden is sheltered on three sides with beech hedge and drystone walls with the western end open to the fellside and the elements.
The garden is informal and freely planted with little linear aspects left, it also has several rare trees including a Prunus "serrula tibetica", the Tibetan birch bark cherry and a Snake bark Maple Acer rufinerve "George Forrest". There is also an old Juniper prostrata flanking the pond and a graceful balloon shaped Rowan tree as a major feature. I also have a beautiful ancient Contorted hazel as a feature element on entrance to the gardens.
The imagery below was shot during a crisp, sunny and beautiful Autumn day in October 2014.
The Garden.
My garden faces west with striking unspoilt views and an ideal backdrop of the Far eastern fells including Kidsty Pike, Bleatarn, Riggindale Straits, the White Crags with the now barren and bleak wild Ralfland Forest in the foregound after the farmland pastures.
From the garden you can also see the The High Street range and the old Corpse road. The valleys of Haweswater, Ullswater and Wet Sleddale form the unmistakable ridge line of the summits westwards. Swindale & Mosedale are two valleys which are undeniably of the most beautiful in the area. These two pristine valleys gallop off towards the Northwest. They are little known or visited and are extremely lonely and isolated and are well hidden gems off the beaten track. The Shap area is one of the last remaining true wildernesses left in England. The Shap area is not only famed for what lies beneath the landscape as to what the landscape is, being the summit of Shap Fell.
The garden is a deliberate reaction to and a related connection with the stunning wilderness beyond the Drystone wall and this landscape forms the backdrop for it. It is a garden for wildlife, birds, summer flowers and a predominantly perennial planting in the borders. It is a garden that is best seen in the Spring & Summer as it mainly dies back during the winter although there is some evergreen foliage which remains during the winter months.
You would think that gardening so high at around 1000 feet above sea level would be problematic and it can be if you let it be, buts its not impossible. The original garden of 2005 which was left for us was a formal, may I say drab Victorian linear garden which did not inspire me at all. Well it inspired me to rip it up and start again if nothing else. Almost 10 years later and I have completely redesigned the gardens beyond all recognition.
I have created an informal, cascading, free flowing and wildlife friendly garden with curvaceous perennial borders around three informal lawns and the existing herringbone pathway. A patio, summerhouse and greenhouse remain too.
There is a purpose built rustic pergola /shelter to house my substantial collection of container grown Japanese Maples/Acer Trees. This is the most effective way to show off and stage my 39 Acer Trees and their pots and to also protect them from the worst of the wind and weather, all within a Japanese style gravel garden. Some of these diminutive beauties are well over 20 years old now.
There is also a raised area of decking for outdoor dining and to enjoy the view. I created two informal ponds, one shallow and one deeper, set off centre in my garden. There is a silver stainless steel tower water feature which sits slightly off centre in the larger pond. The pond water is pumped to the top and then it cascades closely down the tower. The garden is sheltered on three sides with beech hedge and drystone walls with the western end open to the fellside and the elements.
The garden is informal and freely planted with little linear aspects left, it also has several rare trees including a Prunus "serrula tibetica", the Tibetan birch bark cherry and a Snake bark Maple Acer rufinerve "George Forrest". There is also an old Juniper prostrata flanking the pond and a graceful balloon shaped Rowan tree as a major feature. I also have a beautiful ancient Contorted hazel as a feature element on entrance to the gardens.
The imagery below was shot during a crisp, sunny and beautiful Autumn day in October 2014.