Nature STUDY

Sue Townsend's informal prairie-style planting is alive with birds and bees and has brought a new dynamic to a hilltop garden

- JACKY HOBBS

BOUND BY waters of a moat and flanked by walled gardens and orchards to the south-west, this Suffolk farmhouse overlooked two grass-filled paddocks. Uncultivated, they presented an opportunity to create flower-filled spaces, 'wilder' and more informal than the existing gardens. The north-side paddock was transformed into a wildflower meadow, with paths mown through to a shepherd's hut. The remaining south-east-facing, half-acre field lay directly opposite the house. Here, designer Sue Townsend was briefed, 'to create an informal garden with Piet Oudolf-inspired planting', which the owners had admired at Hauser & Wirth in Somerset. The design was to be 'based on curvilinear shapes with mown paths through the planting and the occasional space for a bench or sculpture to enjoy the garden up close'.

On paper, the plan came to life; 'the central axis, taken directly off the front door crossed the moat, via a bridge, with mown paths wending through a dynamic assortment of perennial beds', arranged around, 'a central spiral of Pennisetum 'Fairy Tails", which was to conceal a secluded seating area. The entire scheme was designed to create an immersive experience, with 'opportunities to lose yourself amongst the planting'.

Before planting, the issue of the poor-draining, heavy-clay soil had to be addressed. Permanent and extensive land-drains were entrenched, followed by soil improvement measures, including plenty of organic matter. Windbreak hedging was planted on exposed sides. Broad, three-to-four-metre boundary paths facilitate maintenance of the existing hedges and the moat, the margin absorbs shadows cast by the enclosing hedges, leaving the garden in full sun.