Garden Visit: Dan Pearson's Old Rectory - Gardenista
Photography by Nicola Browne and Dan Pearson Studio. Of all the old rectories and vicarages in the Cotswolds, the one with the garden by Dan Pearson is the standout. The old rectory’s one-acre garden is near the heart of the village. He has also been chosen to design the plantings for a new garden bridge spanning the River Thames in London. Panels of wildflower meadow divide up the lawn, requiring skilled maintenance by the two gardeners who work here part-time. As a designer, Pearson’s relationship with clients involves some hand-holding, and the process of establishing a meadow can be particularly nerve-wracking for all parties. “I use a small planting palette,” says Dan Pearson, referring to the different sections of the garden. Dry stone walls use material that is both new and reclaimed from the local quarry. Surrounding a simple canal flanked by sawn stone paving, the walls are broken up with narrow slits for glimpses of the garden beyond. The property is bordered on one side by the River Windrush. Dan Pearson describes his approach as “relaxed and naturalistic.” Here, alpine strawberries spread around stepping stones, accompanied by white astrantia and clouds of umbels. Roses round the door of the old rectory, with elements of formality in the slightly shaggy boxwoods.