Garden TOUR
This diverse plot on the south coast brims with borders and containers, all cared for by one devoted gardener
Gardens take time to get right, and there’s always an element of experimentation and trial and error – but when Lois Machin and her husband Peter retired, they knew they were settling in for the long-term. “This house is two doors down from the nursing home we managed for many years,” explains Lois. “We lived there originally and ended up buying this house for my mother-in-law so she could be nearby. It was perfect: the two gardens were connected by a strip of land at the back, which we used as a veg patch, and when we moved, we kept it so I could grow fruit trees and strawberries.”
With a large plot to play with and grand ambitions for the years ahead, the couple kicked off proceedings by having the garden landscaped to their liking.
“We had it all designed for us,” says Lois. “It was such a treat, they dug out various areas and put in brickwork, and they created raised beds and paths –we really went to town, it was wonderful!”
Thirty-five years later, the bones of this initial phase of work are still evident. To the front, there’s a parking area to one side, but in this capacious, south west-facing garden there’s still plenty of room left for a sunken circular lawn, shrubs and borders. To the rear, steps lead down from the back doors onto the lawn of a plot that’s long enough so that asomewhat northerly aspect becomes irrelevant. Surrounded by irregular borders, the swathe of grass leads down to a raised circular patio and seating area, together with a shed and asummer house.
