Shaping history

Coughton Court, Coughton, Warwickshire The home of Mr and Mrs Magnus Birch Throckmorton

A close observation of the season’s cycles and respect for ecology have been the guiding principles in the development of the garden at Highlands, in the High Weald of East Sussex

James Cordingley, head gardener at National Trust Dunster Castle in Somerset, tells us about its diverse planting and historical features

Tucked in the Herefordshire countryside at Much Marcle, not far from its border with Gloucestershire, is Hellens Manor. Now presenting as a Tudor/Jacobean home, it predates those eras by some margin;

In the six acres of grounds, Maud Peters has adopted a classical English gardening style with a dose of her own characteristic French flair

The garden of Knowle House, East Sussex George Dillistone’s original Arts-and-Crafts design has been lovingly restored and updated with contemporary planting, discovers George Plumptre