A Dorset garden – Hilltop, Woodville
Susy and Colin Varndell visit a Stour Provost garden with a great view
Published in July ’19
Dahlia Edinburgh
Like a delicious meal, this is one of those gardens that needs to be lingered over and savoured. It is situated in a very rural and remote part of Dorset on the top of a hill and may take a bit of finding, but once you’ve found it, you won’t want to dash around; put aside a day, and don’t try to rush the experience.
It is obvious when you arrive that this garden has been nurtured and developed over many years. It is also clear that the two people responsible, Josse and Brian, are not just amateur gardeners. Besides being absolutely delightful people in their own right, they both ooze garden expertise and knowledge. Put that combination together with a beautiful setting and a charming and delightful creation is born.
The entrance, through a simple latched gate, does not prepare you for the stupendous sight which awaits. First, you have the chocolate box thatched cottage as the backdrop, surrounded by a mass of incredible colour then, finally, your eye is drawn to the little gate where one of the best views in Dorset greets you.
The chocolate box thatched cottage acts as a backdrop to an amazing array of plants
Agapanthus
The garden is split into many different sections, each gently leading from one area to another: there is the dry area under a dominating oak tree, where shade is a welcome feature on hot days. Then there follows an ivy-themed octagonal seating area, surrounded by vibrant herbaceous borders; follow this round again and you can look back and enjoy the view of the cottage with all the crowded plants jostling for your attention.
Rudbeckia attracts butterflies and hoverflies
Purple loosestrife
After the rather more formal area of the garden, you approach a slightly more informal area. Indeed, part of this area is just like a jungle – a jungle of amazing vegetables and a profusion of luxurious blooms.
Dahlias are an essential part of the colourful palette in this garden. Pots, brimming over with rich tenants boldly showing off their wares, are carefully located around the paths near the house, framing the view. Phlox grow in profusion, clearly enjoying the care and attention that is lavished on them.
The stunning Dahlia Giselle
A most commodious commode, which is not to be missed
Other plants of particular interest to look out for include a Calycanthus, grown from seed by the owners, with its large fragrant blooms. The stately Eupartorium purpureum grows profusely and is a magnet for bees. Lythrum salicaria, or purple loosestrife, grows abundantly, also a magnet for invertebrates. As with many of the plants at Hilltop, if it likes the location it is allowed to stay and prosper, ensuring a natural selection on what could have been an awkward site.
Brunnera add shape and a different colour to the lower borders
‘Good doers’ survive, but anything that struggles is overpowered and disappears. The Pyrus salicifolia, or willow leaf pear, arches gracefully over the small gate, framing the view. Watch out for the Ricinus communis, or castor oil plant, as the seeds in particular are poisonous if ingested and the foliage may cause skin to become irritated. Oxalis tetraphylla, or good luck plant, is well named as the leaves look exactly like a four-leaved clover. Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ was spectacular, probably due to the long hot summer, which it would have thrived on.
This wonderful oasis of vibrant colour evidently has a lot of dedicated work, love and enthusiasm given to it. To ensure its continued success, a constant feeding is necessary with home-made compost and locally sourced horse manure, with watering supplied as needed. Not a job for the faint-hearted.
The arbour, which separates the two distinct areas of the garden
If you stay for a cup of tea, another part of the garden that you really should not miss is the garden loo, which was built by Brian. The exquisite, secret closet is as beautifully designed and executed as the rest of the garden.
And finally – there is that view. Just rest your arms on the little gate and marvel at the expanse of landscape. Before you there is Bulbarrow, the Dorsetshire Gap, Hambledon Hill… and flowing ceaselessly through that gently undulating landscape is the River Stour.
