June Blake's Garden

The view across June Blake's garden from below an almost horizontal larch.

For a family to have two exceptional gardeners is extraordinary, but such is the case with the Blakes: just down the hill from Jimi's Hunting Brook is his sister June's property, known to the world simply as June Blake's Garden (website here). Both are great, exciting gardens full of good plants intelligently and boldly used: they have similarities but also great differences. The core of June's site is largely flat and lends itself to a more formal design structure - which it has been given - and the main borders are perhaps planted more solidly. Anyone interested in good planting, and good plants, needs to see both: they are entirely complimentary to each other. Many thanks to June for showing me round, and for the plants, seeds, and inspiration I brought away.

June Blake's Victorian home: tradition meets contemporary design in both the garden and in the modern extensions and renovations to the buildings.

Rich plantings in the hot border.

Cotinus 'Grace' and Crocosmia 'Lucifer' - a perfect match.

Veronicastrum 'Fascination' and Artemisia lactiflora 'Jim Russell'

Looser planting characterizes the prairie garden, though here a sinuous low box hedge gives definition between Achillea and Knautia.

Pulmonaria 'Blake's Silver' was a seedling in the garden: it is a very striking plant, here forming a river between very dark-flowered Primula florindae hybrids.

Adjacent to June's garden is the Cow House, a magnificently converted barn available for holiday lets. This is a screen of sheet iron pierced in the shape of Cardiocrinum flowers - a beautiful piece of art.