The first glimpse of Cressy Hall, appearing as you round a bend on the narrow serpentine drive that winds to the rear of the house, is a moment of wonder. There stands a fine red-brick building of han

In 1993 Sarah and Chris Vermont moved from Brixton, London, to Hungerdowns in Essex, an old farmhouse dating back to 1600 with a Georgian front added in 1757. In the garden there were existing hedges,

John and Jenny Brett have created an all-year garden design at St Mary’s, combining formal plant structures with colourful insect-friendly perennials, but in winter, when dusted with white and dancing with shadows, the garden shimmers

The quiet beauty of winter sets the stage in this garden, where topiary shapes and the borrowed landscape are the main performers

Mike Palmer shares his suggestions for creating sharp shapes and year-round structure in the garden

In winter the bones of the formal garden at Owlpen Manor come to life. Highlighted with frost, the dark greens and greys of hedges and topiary take on the patina of an engraving. The manicured parterr