A haven for wildlife

FROM BLANK CANVAS TO NATUREFRIENDLY OASIS, DOROTHY AND JAMES HAVE CREATED A MULTI-FACETED GARDEN THAT'S TRULY THRIVING

- ALI LOVETT

After making the move from a commuter town in Essex to a tiny village in Suffolk, Dorothy and James Clark set to work to transform their new 'blank canvas' garden into a haven for wildlife.

After retiring we wanted to move to the countryside," says Dorothy. 'Lots of properties around here have enormous gardens, but it was important to us to find somewhere manageable. This one wraps around the house without being too big. It already had a patio, pergola walkway, summerhouse and lawn, but there weren't any plants, and it felt like a completely blank canvas."