Guest Blog: Katy Smith – Creating a Country Garden with Inspiration from Haddonstone

Hi I’m Katy, a long-time customer and visitor of Haddonstone. I live in a nearby Northamptonshire village with my husband, two sons, springer spaniel Libby, cat Thomas and three hens. Over the last ten years I have developed my already mature walled country garden with inspiration from Haddonstone’s Show Gardens and products from their beautiful range.

I grew up in Northamptonshire and Haddonstone has always been the go to place for quality garden landscape products. Over the years I have regularly visited their beautifully kept Show Gardens, taking inspiration for planting and design ideas. Their stunning gardens enable you to experience nearly all of their products in a true garden setting. You can see how the stone ages, as they have examples of all the different finishes from brand new to many years old throughout the gardens. You can hear what the fountains sound like, impossible from a catalogue. This all combines to allow you to imagine how something could work in your own garden space.

Click here for my tour of the Show Gardens.

Bayeux Wall Fountain

I visited the Show Gardens last summer looking for a feature to create atmosphere and interest in the centre of one of my boarders. I saw the Bayeux Wall Fountain and immediately knew it would work perfectly in Portland stone contrasting beautifully against the Georgian brick walls.

I used reclaimed bricks to build a false straight wall (as my original walls are so wonky) to attach the fountain to. Using the left-over bricks to build a decorative path in front to finish the look. I added alliums and foxgloves surrounding the fountain for a country garden feel.

Water in any garden adds another dimension to your space. It brings in wildlife, its sound is relaxing and can help mask unwanted noise such as a road. Haddonstone have an extensive range of water features from bubbling stones to grand pool fountains.

Click here for tips on choosing the right water feature for your garden.

Scrolled Bench Seat

In my garden I have six different seating areas. As well as the obvious patio furniture I have options all around the garden, by the pond, under a tree, in the shade and by the vegetable garden. Some are practical, some a decorative feature.

The Scrolled Bench Seat works perfectly in my front garden. It’s a beautiful, versatile, low maintenance all weather option that would fit easily into any garden space.

It is also available in a curved version which would look great around a tree.

Elizabethan Jardinière

Statement pots add interest and colour to any space, in Haddonstone’s huge range of pots there is one for every garden, big or small.

The Elizabethan Jardinière is a timeless classic. I chose to plant up this one in my garden with classic buxus and pink pelargoniums for a splash of colour.

Having several large pots in your garden enables you change the look and feel of your garden spaces with the seasons, by adding seasonal planting options. They can also be used to add a structured formal feel planted with classic topiary.

Quirky Surprises

Every great English country garden needs an element of surprise, a touch of eccentricity. I have chosen the Grotesque Mask peeping out from my Cotoneaster.