Strolling alongside Josephine Hoy while her garden unfolds as a series of entrancing ‘cameos’, there is no doubt that this planted oasis means the world to her. This is not only because it has been four decades in the making but also by virtue of it adjoining the farm where she spent an idyllic childhood. ‘My sisters and I freely roamed the countryside around here; hence, I’ve always loved life outdoors and been very aware of nature in all its guises,’ she says.
Flowers feature prominently throughout her garden: blossom swathes cherry and apple trees above carpets of cow parsley; clematis, honeysuckle, roses or long trusses of fragrant wisteria clothe walls, obelisks and an arbour, and myriad blooms weave through borders to create a spontaneous embroidery of different textures and colours. ‘My gardening style is very freeflowing: I prefer a meadow-like effect as opposed to planting in blocks,’ Josephine explains. ‘I do not
