KEY ELEMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

What<\/strong> Family garden designed to maximise fun and enjoyment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where<\/strong> Surrey.<\/p>\n

Size<\/strong> Around three acres including woodland and walled garden.<\/p>\n

Soil<\/strong> Sandy and acidic.<\/p>\n

Climate<\/strong> Temperate.<\/p>\n

Hardiness zone<\/strong> USDA 9.<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div> <\/section>

Alongside the practical requests for a swimming pool<\/a>, pool house and a low-maintenance garden<\/a>, there was one key emotional requirement, too. \u201cI wanted my children to want to be here,\u201d says Jill. \u201cAnd when they leave home, I want them to want to come back here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matthew\u2019s first step in designing the garden was to think about its history and how its previous owner might have used it. \u201cRank made all the Carry On<\/em> films and I had this fantasy that perhaps Sid James and Barbara Windsor might have hung out here,\u201d says Matthew. \u201cYou can just imagine the laughs they\u2019d have had. I wanted it to become that kind of garden again, a garden that was about fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspired by the garden\u2019s original design, Matthew has incorporated not only the desired pool and pool house, but an extensive natural pondscape, a large dining terrace, a contemporary firepit<\/a> area and several other more secluded seating areas. With the help of contractor Belderbos Landscapes<\/a>, the Westmoreland stone that had littered the space was dismantled, laid out and then painstakingly placed, rock by rock, to build the garden.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9\u00a0Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nThe stone is now the most prominent hard-landscaping material, along with similarly calcareous limestone on the terrace. To balance the environmental footprint of the concrete, used in the pool and its striking cabana, designed by architectural practice Surman Weston<\/a>, Matthew tried to be as sustainable<\/a> as possible in other aspects.<\/p>\n
Though Jill had never really gardened before, she had started experimenting with growing cut flowers<\/a> since she left her job and found herself becoming more and more enthused as the garden project progressed. \u201cBefore long, I\u2019d asked Matthew to design a cutting garden<\/a> in our walled garden too,\u201d she says. It is here, among the raised beds chock-full of dahlias<\/a>, lavender<\/a>, cosmos<\/a> and other annuals<\/a>, that Jill now spends most of her time, growing and picking plants for her new business, Heathside Flower Garden<\/a>. \u201cIt gives me goosebumps to think that this process has inspired a whole new lifestyle,\u201d says Matthew.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
The terrace gives several access points into the garden, stepping down to the pond, the \u2018prairie path\u2019, and the path leading to the pool below.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9\u00a0Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
The crisp limestone of the terrace makes an excellent contrast with the light, airy habit of plants such as Stipa gigantea<\/em> and Oenothera lindheimeri<\/em> \u2018Whirling Butterflies\u2019, the tall, wiry stems of which allow views through to the garden beyond.<\/p>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> \u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nThis seating<\/a> area where the family like to have breakfast is illuminated by clumps of Aster<\/em> x frikartii<\/em> \u2018M\u00f6nch\u2019 and Rudbeckia fulgida<\/em> var. sullivantii<\/em> \u2018Goldsturm\u2019. Matthew has carefully positioned the two amelanchiers around the \u2018prairie path\u2019 so that they don\u2019t disrupt the view towards the South Downs from Jill and Chris\u2019s bedroom window.<\/p>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> \u00a9\u00a0Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nThe \u2018prairie path\u2019 is the hottest, driest part of the garden and has been planted accordingly with a drought-tolerant<\/a> mix of herbs, grasses<\/a> and perennials<\/a> that includes Origanum laevigatum<\/em> \u2018Herrenhausen\u2019, Stipa lessingiana<\/em>, Achillea filipendulina<\/em> \u2018Gold Plate\u2019 and Penstemon<\/em> \u2018Andenken an Friedrich Hahn\u2019.<\/p>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> \u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nIn the walled garden, Matthew has designed an attractive cutting garden with a pergola at its centre, flanked by beds for dahlias and annuals. Strips of wildflowers<\/a> and lavender encourage pollinators<\/a> and provide extra blooms, while an orchard area is filled with apple<\/a>, pear, quince and plum trees.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
To help the garden blend with the wooded landscape around, and to add evergreen interest and structure, Matthew has added a number of conifers including a large Pinus nigra<\/em> to help balance the pool house and several small Pinus sylvestris<\/em> \u2018Watereri\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Key plants of this Surrey hillside garden<\/h2>\n
Achillea filipendulina<\/em> \u2018Gold Plate\u2019<\/h3>\n
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\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
It\u2019s easy to find spike and globe flower shapes, but achillea provides a rarer horizontal flower. 1.8m x 60cm.<\/p>\n
Oenothera lindheimeri<\/em> \u2018Whirling Butterflies\u2019<\/h3>\n $\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Has a beautiful airiness that really does look like butterflies floating above other plants and grasses. 75cm x 45cm.<\/p>\n
Aster<\/em> x frikartii<\/em> \u2018M\u00f6nch\u2019<\/h3>\n
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\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
A great plant for late summer<\/a> and autumn<\/a> with good-sized flowerheads that deliver a really strong hit of colour. 70cm x 40cm.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t miss our piece on everything you need to know about asters or michaelmas daisies<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Stipa lessingiana<\/em><\/h3>\n $\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
This soft, floaty grass just begs to be touched. Can be short-lived but self-seeds vigorously, though the seedlings are easy to pull up if unwanted. 60cm.<\/p>\n
Penstemon<\/em> \u2018Andenken an Friedrich Hahn\u2019<\/h3>\n $\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
A long-flowering plant with deep-red, bell-shaped flowers. Chop back to encourage a second flush. 90cm x 30cm.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s our growing guide to penstemon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Rudbeckia fulgida<\/em> var. sullivantii<\/em> \u2018Goldsturm\u2019<\/h3>\n $\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nThis cheerful yellow daisy<\/a> sheds its petals to leave dark bobbles of seedheads. 60cm x 45cm.<\/p>\n
Miscanthus sinensis<\/em> \u2018Gracillimus\u2019<\/h3>\n $\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
This lovely grass is great for adding movement to a planting. The splash-like seedheads are a nice link with a water feature. 1.3m x 1.2m.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s everything you need to know about ornamental grasses<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Verbena rigida<\/em><\/h3>\n $\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
\u00a9 Alister Thorpe<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
A magnet for pollinators, it provides a vivid purple haze from June to September. 60cm x 40cm.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read our guide on how to grow verbena<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
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By Natasha Goodfellow Published: Tuesday, 18 October 2022 at 12:00 am Designer Matthew Childs has long been inspired by the Californian landscape architect Thomas Church, and his maxim that \u2018gardens are for people\u2019, so a brief to create a garden where the whole family would enjoy spending time was for him like nectar to a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":15685,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/10\/a-fun-contemporary-garden-on-reigate-heath-in-surrey-scaled.jpg",2560,2213,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/10\/a-fun-contemporary-garden-on-reigate-heath-in-surrey-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/10\/a-fun-contemporary-garden-on-reigate-heath-in-surrey-300x259.jpg",300,259,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/10\/a-fun-contemporary-garden-on-reigate-heath-in-surrey-768x664.jpg",768,664,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/10\/a-fun-contemporary-garden-on-reigate-heath-in-surrey-1024x885.jpg",800,691,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/10\/a-fun-contemporary-garden-on-reigate-heath-in-surrey-1536x1328.jpg",1536,1328,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2022\/10\/a-fun-contemporary-garden-on-reigate-heath-in-surrey-2048x1771.jpg",2048,1771,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Natasha Goodfellow Published: Tuesday, 18 October 2022 at 12:00 am Designer Matthew Childs has long been inspired by the Californian landscape architect Thomas Church, and his maxim that \u2018gardens are for people\u2019, so a brief to create a garden where the whole family would enjoy spending time was for him like nectar to a…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/15684"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}