Leila’s garden is only a short step through an old gateway, but it seems far away from the outside world. The walled garden is a calm space where sunshine filters through a canopy of bronze and green foliage, highlighting an array of spring flowers. ‘It was the garden that sold me the house,’ says Leila. Dating from the 16th century, the property has been extended over the centuries, and the garden has seen many changes. ‘Old houses feel very different to new ones, and their gardens have a special mood,’ she notes.
When the couple first moved in, the garden was well cared for and very traditional, with a framework of mature plants such as the magnolia, a purple-leaved ornamental cherry and wisteria.
