Gorgeous Devonshire Garden

We’re staying at a cottage for New Year with some friends. The house was built probably in the 1920s or 30s and is lovely but it’s the garden that has really stolen my heart. There isn’t a vegetable or fruit tree in sight so it’s odd that I should be so taken with it. But there is the ‘potential’ for a kitchen garden, and that’s good enough for me.

It looks like the garden was heavily landscaped some time ago as most of it is covered in lush, green moss. But it makes it look like a wild moor and like it’s been here forever.

Some parts of the garden, near the house are clearly for entertaining. There are patio areas in semi-circle shapes with fantastic views.

And I particularly like the matching stone steps. There is even what looks like an old stone plunge pool!

Then the decorative merges into the wild…

With a woodland waterfall…

and huge outsized boulders that look like the landscaping was fitted around them.

The smaller stones finally subside into a lawned area that is perfect for kids to play on.

And right here would be the entrance to my vegetable garden, complete with orchard, greenhouse and potting shed.

Category: Holidays     Tagged:

17 Comments on “Gorgeous Devonshire Garden”

  2. That looks great, though a bit of a slope by the looks of it which would worry me as I struggle to garden on the flat!

  3. The garden looks great!
    with the moss and the stone it reminds me of some gardens around here.
    Hope you are having fun, Happy new year!

  6. What an amazing garden. It looks like it has been forgotten and rediscovered by you. I have just read ‘The Small Hand’ by Susan Hill. Admittedly, this book could have been condensed into a much shorter story but it centres around a run-down house and overgrown haunted garden.

    Lovely blog by the way, keep up the good work.

  9. I done some research on your garden and it was definitely one of three designed by the famous Elf Vlodum-Sqodge back in 1919. He designed the Lost Gardens of Heligan (which unfortunately were found) and the Secret Garden (which remains so)…it is said in the old legend…that she who photographs the image of the Elfin Garden must visit…
    http://www.higgledygarden.com …or be turned into Pixie porridge… just saying. ;)

  10. Looks wonderful. Glad I’m not the only one to plan what I would do to gardens I “meet”. I generally try to shoe-horn an orchard with chicken run and a walled kitchen garden in, without ruining the view. I find the process helped by a large G&T… Love all those mossy stones and steps!

  12. Good day, I only recently found your blog while searching for some information regarding gardening, I want to start planting my own veggies and so forth.

    I was truly delighted to find this little jewel on the web after, oh I don’t know, about a week of searching for some good gardening related blogs. This was exactly what I was looking for, I did this little “victory / happy” dance when I started reading some of your post (went through all of them since your Feb 2005 posts) and my 2 friends that was also in the room stared with this: “do-you-perhaps-by-any-chance-need-a-doctor-look?” Just so that you know, your blog is now the proud owner of my ego…… but hey, it’s worth it!

    Anyway, thank for your blog, the weather in South Africa is quite different, but I’m going to use all your tips etc. and see what 2011 has to offer me in the form of a beautiful garden.

    Kind regards,

  13. Happy New Year

    What an amazing garden. I love the mushroom/toadstool in your first photo in particular.

  14. What a gorgeous garden. I can see your vision of the vegetable garden beyond the hedge like a secret garden.

  15. I live in Devon and would love to visit this place. Where is it please?

  17. a great looking place, love the old “mushroom stones” that they used to put sheds on to protect the stored contents from vermin getting in…. you do not see them everywhere! I bet ferns would grow well here looking at the moss. Chris Gardening Express