Hidcote manor and gardens

OUR VISIT TO:
HIDCOTE MANOR
AND GARDENS

ONE OF ENGLANDS
MOST INFLUENTIAL
GARDENS

During our recent tour of the Cotswolds, we had a chance to visit Hidcote Manor Garden, one of England's most famous and influential gardens. This experience was nothing short of humbling, as we both gained a new perspective on the scale, composition, and just how diverse they can be. These experiential gardens were created by Major Lawrence Johnston (1871–1958), an American-born British garden designer and plantsman known for his meticulous and innovative approach to garden design.

“TRAVEL MAKES ONE
MODEST. YOU SEE WHAT A
TINY PLACE YOU OCCUPY IN
THE WORLD.”

- Gustave Flaubert

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

In 1907, his mother, Gertrude Winthrop, purchased Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire, and Johnston began transforming its surrounding land into an extraordinary series of garden rooms. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement, he designed Hidcote with a strong architectural structure, using hedges, topiary, and themed garden rooms to create distinct, immersive spaces. Johnston was an avid plant collector, traveling to places like South Africa, China, and the French Riviera to source rare and exotic species for Hidcote.

STRUCTURE THAT
JUXTAPOSES
INFORMALITY

We visited these stunning grounds during the month of February, and while this is certainly not the time of year to experience such diverse gardens, we just had to after all we had read over the years about them. To our surprise, there was much beauty to be found throughout the grounds even when the lushness of the variety of plants were not in full bloom as a result of the 5-10 degree weather. However, what stood out the most was the structure of the hedges and topiary, creating a maze of different themed “rooms” that each felt curated in their own way. What was even more stunning was the way that the topography of the gardens was laid out using these hedges, making elevations gains and drops feel so natural. The result is a walk through these gardens that is thoroughly enjoyable.

“ONCE A YEAR, GO SOME
PLACE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN
BEFORE.”

- DALAI LAMA

DIVERSITY THAT
CREATES STUNNING
NATURAL BEAUTY

Our favourite part about our work through these stunning gardens was the “Long Walk”. This stunning pathway is lined with mature tall hedges that draw the eye upwards toward a stunning view of the rolling hills of the Cotswolds. Second to his was the Hidcote lavander, a staple of English garden design that Johnston bred at Hidcote. However, its hard to stop there as these gardens are so diverse in composition and climate control that Meditteranean, tropical, and temperate plants are able to exist and thrive in one location.