Ten towering yew topiaries usher you in to the gardens at Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire.
Photography by Clare Coulson.
With no training (although a fair amount of gardening experience), Lesley devised a complex series of garden rooms and a croft set in four acres and laid it all out with meticulous precision so that, at almost every turn, there are stunning glimpses and stop-you-in-your-tracks moments.
Tall Topiaries
By placing imposing towers in a relatively narrow area, Lesley has achieved maximum impact.
The cool and calm rill garden is a tranquil resting place and gives glimpses across the gardens to the yew walk. In spring terra cotta pots are filled with white pansies but by high summer these are switched for the graceful Hydrangea Paniculata Unique ($15.95 from Burpee).
Symmetry
Shady Spots
There are wonderful views at every turn; here a walk up to a timber summerhouse is edged with Nepeta Six Hills Giant ($10.95 from Bluestone Perennials).
Painterly Color Palette
Lesley was once an art teacher and that painterly eye shows in the rich planting combinations; here the gorgeous lilac Phlox Blue Paradise ($13.95 from White Flower Farm) is paired with Rosa Lady of Shalott ($27.95 from David Austin) and Salvia Nemorosa Caradonna ($8.95 from Bluestone Perennials).
The Hot Garden is a riot of intense colors, from zingy yellows to eye popping reds, but the foliage is equally mesmerizing.
Hot Garden
Contrasting Textures
Wollerton is packed with interesting plants and the owners excel in discovering more unusual varieties.
In the font garden, the loggia is festooned with Rosa ‘Francis E Lester’ (£15.50 from David Austin in the UK; Francis E. Lester is $14.95 from High Country Roses), just coming into bloom and bordered by enormous box balls.
Unmown Lawn
Wildflowers are encouraged to grow in the unmown grass surrounding the font.
Wildflower Volunteers
The Big Reveal
This garden is an endless lesson in the power of the big reveal: the breathtaking entrance to the garden is slowly revealed as you enter through a hobbit-size gate topped with branches of Hydrangea Petiolaris ($29.95 from White Flower Farm).
Rustic Wooden Backdrop
Architectural features meld seamlessly with the timber structure of the ancient house. Lesley designed and commissioned the Arts & Crafts-inspired oak posts and gates in the garden which have now mellowed to look like they have been here forever.
There’s no snobbery about plants here from the variegated ground elder growing happily in the shade garden to these dazzling hollyhocks that line the entrance to the tea rooms in mid summer.
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