Scarlet Fever

The home of the reserved plantsman and horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnston from 1907, Hidcote remains an influential English garden, taking its inspiration from France and Italy and featuring collections of rare plants and trees from around the world. Formal in design, based on architectural principles, with contrived views and an insular approach, there is an overall gentleness to the planting here, and Hidcote continues to be an inspiration for gardeners worldwide.

Set in the inhospitable conditions of the north Cotswolds, Hidcote Manor (then a farm) and the hamlet of Hidcote Bartrim were purchased in 1907 by the twice-married-and-widowed Gertrude