It may not have been specifically designed with winter in mind, but this contemporary, naturalistically styled garden has a plant selection that proves its seasonal versatility. And, thanks to the care and husbandry regimes adopted by its owners, it now yields drama, delights and interest all year round. Peeling bark, colourful fruits, autumnal foliage, seedheads and evergreens – all the characteristics of a garden for late autumn and early winter can be found here.
“We just wanted a natural look, where it wouldn’t matter if the odd weed came up here and there”
Croft Lodge in Kent is rather unusual. With the house sited relatively far back in an elevated position on the plot, most of the drama happens in the front garden. Consisting of a circular lawn accessed by a path lined, it is surrounded by luxuriantly deep borders where crab apples, birch and mature conifers form the backdrop for mass plantings of dogwood ‘Midwinter Fire’, and generous groups of show off their solid blocks of autumn foliage colour. Here you are surrounded by plants on all sides. Multifunctional grasses provide height: ‘Graziella’, ‘Kleine Fontane’ and ‘Morning Light’ stand tall, their flowers illuminated by the late-autumn sun, while rust-toned softens border edges.
