Stay in a garden long enough and inevitably its development becomes entwined with family history – plants that were gifts, features inspired by visits to other gardens or countries. Charingworth Court has all those elements with the most striking the Japanese-style pond.
Susan and Richard Wakeford, who have developed the garden over the past 28 years, were inspired by a holiday in Japan.
“We came back with ideas for decking, a pond and a restful area,” recalls Richard.
The result is a large expanse of water, a zig-zag bridging path and deck, with flag iris and Equisetum hyemale (the ornamental horsetail) softening the margins. Wisteria on the house wall adds to the Japanese feel.
It may seem an odd partner to the house, a mix of Tudor and Georgian, but the scale means it sits easily alongside and forms a buffer with the large lawn – once a football pitch for the couple’s three sons.
The couple took on a blank canvas when they bought Charingworth Court in Winchcombe, near Cheltenham. The house had been recently renovated after years of being unoccupied and derelict, and there was no garden beyond several leylandii, planted by a previous owner for privacy, and a few mature trees, including a Cedar of Lebanon, Wellingtonias and walnuts.
Over the years, they have added to the tree stock and these are now sizeable specimens. Many were gifts from organisations Richard worked with and one, an apple that produces blossom but not notable fruit, was grown from a pip by their youngest son. In contrast, a blackberry with particularly vicious thorns, given to them by Susan’s parents, is prolific and produces so many berries picking them becomes almost a chore.
It’s in the walled garden on the north side of the house. Here, the lack of topsoil after building work led to the couple bringing in 120 tonnes of topsoil to create a series of raised beds.
Over the years, the range of vegetables grown has diminished as the number of flowers has increased but they still plant potatoes, beans of all sorts, tomatoes, onions and courgettes – “We grow the things that are easy to grow,” explains Susan.
At the centre of the walled garden, they put in a number of obelisks, planted with roses and clematis and in recent years added a bubbling water feature. Another addition since my last visit are a pair of sheltered seats that catch the sun at different times of the day – an idea they got from a garden visit.
Self-seeders, such as aquilegia, fennel and forget-me-nots, are tolerated until they are in the way: “We’re much more environmentally friendly than we were,” says Susan. “We try not to pull things out – the fennel is amazing for insects.”
Another ‘volunteer’ plant that’s found throughout the garden is the Welsh poppy (Papaver cambricum), which pops up in borders and paths.
I particularly liked the way it combined with self-sown aquilegia near the house, creating a really vibrant display.
Nearby, a trellis was smothered in clematis flowers – cheering up what was rather a dull day weatherwise.
As you move to the outer reaches of the garden, so it becomes more informal with snowdrops, primroses and snake’s head fritillaries early on, followed by lots of cow parsley and green alkanet.
Dotted in amongst the wild flowers are geraniums, particularly G. pheum varieties, and splashes of colour from shrubs and perennials.
For many years, the garden was the setting for an annual sculpture display and there are many pieces set into it. Yet another layer in Charingworth Court’s journey.
Charingworth Court, Winchcombe, is open for the National Garden Scheme on Saturday and Sunday May 18 and 19, 2024. Details are on the website.
Enjoyed this? You can read more of my garden visits here.
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