Serge Hill, Barn Garden and the Plant Library

Colour and water in the Barn Garden

Eryngium bourgatii ‘Picos Blue’

We depart this private space and visit the prairie area created in 2011 filled with a matrix of perennial and annual flowers and grasses. Someone comments that it reminds them of African grasslands in atmosphere. We are encouraged to explore the paths that meander through the space. We learn that they cut all plants back annually, between late November and February, and they wait to see what comes through the next year, with the plant mixes often changing. By controlling some thugs, such as Solidago, the mix is self-maintaining, such that after the first few years of careful weeding the plot looks after itself. It’s a lovely haven for insects and a great learning space.

The Prairie Garden

The Prairie Garden

Dianthus carthusianorum in the Prairie Garden

We move on to the main garden of the Barn, a much more structured space of garden rooms. Borders are backed by large yew hedges loosely cloud pruned, forming a backbone to the floriferous borders and fastigiate yews on guard. This space is plant-filled and busy, and contrasts well with the external structure of grassy hedged rooms.

Floriferous borders and yew hedged garden rooms surrounding the Barn House

Next up, we have a much-needed cup of tea and homemade cake, a welcome pause on our arrival at the gardens of Serge Hill House. This is the pretty Regency house where Tom and his sister Kate grew up, with an outlook across to parkland and distant woods. Kate explains that the walled garden was given over to vegetable growing in her grandmother’s day to feed a family of eight children. Today, they no longer need so much space devoted to vegetables, so she has gradually transitioned some of the space, mixing the vegetables with some lovely planting.

Vegetable beds in the Serge Hill House garden

Rosa x odorata ‘Mutabilis’ provides a colourful border backdrop

It’s quite a romantic space, with soft planting flowing over the paths. A large greenhouse is lauded for its ability to grow super tomatoes and warmer loving fruits.

Soft, romantic planting in Serge Hill garden

Lastly, we visit the new plant library space with its impressive garden studio designed by Tom and Sue’s architect son Ben. We meet head gardener Millie Souter who explains that the purpose of the plant library alongside the studio is to enable designers to immerse themselves in the plants and get to know their growing habits.

The Plant Library

Head Gardener Millie Souter explaining the surroundings to the group

The site has had tons of sand imported for the more drought-tolerant plants. The space merges from dry planting in the sunny zone to a lower, shady, damper area. In these spaces, the studio can experiment and collect information on what grows well in which conditions. All this information is being collected as a resource not just for the studio but for the wider horticultural community. As the project has progressed so has the remit. and with the event of Covid they gave over growing space for local schools and the community. The studio building can also double up as an events space. It is an ambitious project and inspired, and one which continues to grow with big aspirations.

Sandy beds showcasing plants in the Plant Library

Text: Sue Tymon

Images: John Fielding and Sharon Horder