Bledlow Manor

The Carington family have been at Bledlow since the 1790s, but the garden was created by the late Lord Carrington. Enclosed spaces surround the house; each has its own colour or planting theme. Clipped viburnums lead to a sunken pool behind the house and a yellow and blue garden is centred on a fountain. The walled kitchen garden, filled with immaculately grown vegetables, is crossed by central borders filled with mid-summer flowering perennials leading to a gazebo covered in Rosa ‘Phyllis Bide’.

Towersey Manor

The garden shows what can be achieved from a blank canvas with a combination of good planting and strong structure. Hornbeam hedges create a central axis and perennial borders near the house give way to a small grove of decorative trees, which provide shade around the summerhouse. The vista continues to a large grass mound crowned by an obelisk, with views across the landscape towards the Chilterns.

Haseley Court

In 1954 Nancy Lancaster began to create the stylish garden. In 1982 Desmond and Fiona Heyward bought Haseley Court and shared the garden with Mrs Lancaster, who died in 1994. Fiona Heyward continued to develop the garden, making it very much her own. Haseley Court has changed hands again and the current owners are making some changes while ensuring that the original feel and style are preserved.