Hidcote; an appreciation

‘Inventive’

‘Influential’

‘One of the great Arts and Crafts gardens in England’

‘A series of outdoor 'rooms'.

These are just a few of the words used to describe the garden at Hidcote, in the Cotswolds.  There is little point in me telling you all the background as you can find some of it here. Needless to say it is a garden that many people have heard of, thousands visit every year & it has been one I have been wanting to visit for some time. A week ago I had the opportunity during a short break in Stow-on-the-Wold.

The view as you step out of the door; vista alert

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Some more vistas

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The area near the house is dominated by a large cedar tree.

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Paths to look down, viewpoints & holes in hedges.

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And a few more of those vistas

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A wide open space spoiled, in my view, by the tree at the end. A more elegant one might have improved it.

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The red border was still looking good

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Some favourite bits!

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So, what did I think?

Initially I thought all the different views & vistas were fabulous; looking down little paths to a different area with something interesting to see at the end, glimpses through gaps in hedges but after a while I began to tire of being ‘encouraged’ where to look & would have liked the relief of a wide open space where I could just look around in my own way. I also felt rather claustrophobic quite close to the house; the hedges were very high  & the ‘rooms’ were fairly small. Added to this was the large cedar tree & lots of tall plants coming into autumn & looking rather sad & floppy. I wondered if the hedges were supposed to be this high.

I think my view of the garden may well have been coloured a little by the season: the ‘wow’ factor of some of the flower beds was missing, but then a good garden should hopefully be one for all seasons. The advantage of the time was few visitors of course.  I really enjoyed my visit, loved many parts of it & could see how the garden had been very influential but personally would have enjoyed a little more freedom to view.