Tea Caddy Cottage
I was delighted to be commissioned to produce a planting design for this unique and rather wonderful grade II listed cottage in Suffolk. Going through the gate is like stepping into a fairy tale. The property is nestled among banks of evergreen shrubs and deciduous trees, but unfortunately the areas in front of the cottage had been left a little unloved. As my clients were intending to rent the cottage as a holiday let, as well as using it as a second home, they wanted a design that brought some joy and romance back to this space with a scheme that reflected the story of the house, whilst not detracting from this stunning architecture.
As the property is believed to have been built by a member of the Wedgewood family in the early 19th century, I took colour inspiration from Jasperware pottery, as well as plant inspiration from the romantic tastes of the time. The scheme includes cottage garden staples such as Delphinium, Peony and Roses, as well as shrubs for structure and winter interest including Osmanthus balls, Sarcococca and Winter Honeysuckle. The shape of the building is based on a Tea Caddy so scent is an important part of the garden, including the beautiful Rosa ‘The Lark Ascending’ with its light tea fragrance.
Away from the cottage I designed a new planting bed for the entrance. Everything was visible directly from the gate and there was no sense of mystery or surprise for this fairytale cottage. Once it develops this scheme of swathes of ornamental grasses and summer perennials such as Echinacea, Phlomis and Perovskia, as well as spring bulbs, will frame the cottage perfectly and provide gentle screening.