Pale and interesting

A sense of tranquillity is the guiding principle in this beautifully realised white garden, with an elegant, pared-back planting palette

-  JODIE JONES

Chrissie Rucker OBE loves the sense of calm that living with white can bring, and has built a multi-millionpound business - The White Company - on her belief that plenty of other people feel the same, so it's no surprise to discover that she applies the same pared-back aesthetic to her garden making. For 15 years she has lived in a lovely 17th-century house with her husband Nick Wheeler OBE (founder of menswear brand Charles Tyrwhitt) and their four children, and the ten acres of gardens that enclose their family home are as picture-perfect as a White Company catalogue.

A meandering gravel drive leads through sweeping parkland to the front door, framed by a long-flowering succession of fragrant, white roses - R. William and Catherine (= Ausrapper'), R. Claire Austin (= 'Ausprior') and R. Tranquillity (= Ausnoble) - among others. The Grade I-listed building is wrapped on all sides by softly elegant garden areas, including deep lavender beds and a traditional parterre, but it is the one-acre walled garden that is closest to Chrissie's heart.

Approached via a new covered entrance set into the old brick walls, it is as captivating as any storybook secret garden. "This is one of my favourite places and I love nothing more than to wander through it, seeing what has changed, and cutting seasonal flowers, herbs and greenery,' says Chrissie. "We might read or work here quietly, but it's also a place that loves to be filled with friends and family for long lunches and fun evenings. And at sunset, the warm, low light coming through the trees feels particularly magical."