Her Wildest DREAM

On England's windswept Isle of Wight, gardener Louise Ness creates a naturalist's haven alive with flora, fauna, and magical twilight vistas.

- CAROLINE DONALD

A mown path weaves through an expansive meadow of moon daisies.

TO SIT DOWN AT LAST IN THE GARDEN at the end of a long day of weeding and pruning is true contentment for Louise Ness-husband and dogs beside her, a glass of wine and a plateful of homegrown produce at hand.

The allure of far-flung adventures is not for her. Home is where she is happiest, and from an early age, she says, "all I have ever wanted to do is garden."

Louise's roots run deep into the soil of the Isle of Wight, a roughly 150-square-mile island off the southern coast of England that is blessed with a mild climate, plentiful sunshine, and a postcard-perfect rural terrain. She grew up here and met her Scottish husband, Derek, while working at his company on the island. In 2002, they moved to an early 19th-century former Church of England rectory in a tiny village, where they raised their three now-grown daughters.