Vanessa and Steve Price’s Cotswolds plot is a COSY DELIGHT full of homegrown veggies and vintage finds
Christmas SPECIAL
Vanessa Price’s charming 1890s wooden cabin looks like something out of a Christmas movie, so it’s no surprise that it and the surrounding half-an-acre garden is listed on a film location site. With vintage car, caravan and picture-perfect veranda at their disposal, Vanessa and husband Steve cruise into Christmas with ease. A few added extras – chiminea, fairylights, lanterns and a pine tree – and their winter wonderland comes alive. “Snow of course is the perfect finishing touch,” says Vanessa.
It was the veranda that first drew the couple to the property. “It’s our favourite part of the house and where we spend most of our waking hours when we’re not working – relaxing, eating meals, reading, listening to music or podcasts and just enjoying looking out over the garden watching the birds and squirrels. Why don’t more UK homes have them?” she ponders.
The couple’s home in Whiteway, Stroud, is part of a colony set up by Tolstoyan socialists 125 years ago, and new residents must still be approved by a meeting and vote of the colonists. Having been successful in their application in early 2022, Vanessa, who works in an estate agents, started garden planning well before they got the keys, seeking ideas online. And while the south-facing plot had plenty of potential and low-maintenance evergreen shrubs, it didn’t have much colour or flower power. “I love Instagram and find my inspiration there,” shares Vanessa. “I planned the garden completely before we moved. I even bought things to arrive after we moved in. I grew flowers from seeds and took cuttings at my previous house ready for the move. We needed an extra removal van just for the plants!”
Enjoy a cosy evening in your garden too, p43
NEW BEGINNINGS
The couple moved into their new home in May 2022 and Vanessa didn’t waste any time. “I wanted to create a pretty garden right away as I didn’t want to go through our first summer and winter with a garden I wasn’t happy with,” she recalls. “I also wanted to grow food for our home. Growing up, my parents were both keen gardeners and my dad had an allotment; growing vegetables reminds me of weekends as a child helping my dad, plus nothing tastes better than homegrown. Luckily it was the perfect time of year to get started.”
Six metal raised beds had been ordered pre-move. “They’re so easy to build and should last for many years,” enthuses Vanessa. “They’ve exceeded our expectations and are great, we don’t need to dig and slugs seem to sta
