A spiral pathway leads from the outer edge to a central butterfly sundial, a memorial to Benjamin Oppenheimer who died in infancy. On the rear brick wall, a metal ribbon sculpted by Roger Doyle, evokes the meandering flight of the butterfly. Few can resist the urge to follow the path, ambling between the self-seeding annuals and perennials which abound here.
The silver-grey shrubs, Teucrium fruticosum, set a subtle colour tone for a light and breezy colour palette. The observer will note that almost everything in this garden is beneficial to pollinators. Indeed, the garden is a haven for bees and other invertebrates. Spikes of Persicaria amplexicaule ‘rosea’ and Agrimonia odorata punctuate the plantings, alongside wild marjoram, Stachys officinalis, pimpinella and Lunaria rediviva. Large cream clovers sit beside a surprised bird-sown spelt. Horsetail grows along the base of the brick walls and is harvested to make a biodynamic horsetail tea which is used across the estate. The garden hums with the song of crickets in Summer and is a favourite spot to sit and watch the world go by.
