Honing Heritage

The garden

The character and heritage materials found across the picturesque Cotswold region lend the space a timeless feel. Beautifully constructed dry-stone walls, reclaimed stone and a central iron gazebo, forged by local blacksmith Matt Potts, highlight the importance of handmade features in historic garden design, while reinterpreting them through a contemporary lens.

Flagstone paths run through the garden, deliberately laid with small gaps to allow Nigella damascena and other self-seeded plants to emerge in between. This approach creates a compelling contrast between formal architectural structure and softer, naturalistic planting, echoing Gertrude Jekyll’s style. Rosa GERTRUDE JEKYLL pays direct homage to the Arts and Crafts tradition, while species that create depth, colour and seasonal interest through harmonious layered drifts, such as Nepeta (catmint) and Yucca glauca (soapweed), suit today's changing climate.

Although the design could sit comfortably within the grounds of a larger country house or estate, the use of reclaimed materials, climate-conscious planting and historic construction methods demonstrates how timeless design principles can be adapted for smaller domestic gardens.

Artisan craft in action

A demonstration area allows visitors to see a section of dry-stone wall being rebuilt, raising awareness of an increasingly rare heritage skill

The planting

Plants have been chosen for their resilience and suitability to the UK climate, particularly in response to increasingly variable weather conditions. Many of the plants also support pollinators and biodiversity, helping to create a garden that feels natural, sustainable and in keeping with the character of traditional British gardens.

The focus of the planting design is on creating harmonious drifts of colour, texture and height, allowing plants to blend naturally through the borders while complementing the structured elements of the garden such as the dry- stone walls and formal flagstone paths.

Key plants:

• Rosa GERTRUDE JEKYLL: included as a direct reference to the garden’s inspiration, this rose provides classic beauty, fragrance and a strong link to the Arts and Crafts planting tradition

• Nigella damascena (love-in-a-mist): this delicate annual has been chosen for its soft blue flowers and fine, feathery foliage, which bring lightness and movement to the planting scheme. Its airy texture contrasts beautifully with the more structured plants in the borders, helping to create the layered, naturalistic effect associated with Gertrude Jekyll’s Arts and Crafts planting style. Nigella also adds seasonal interest and supports pollinators, while reinforcing the traditional cottage garden character that sits at the heart of the garden’s design

• Yucca glauca: this architectural plant has been chosen to introduce strong structure and contrast within the planting scheme. Its narrow, blue-green leaves form a bold, upright shape that stands out against the softer, more naturalistic planting typical of the Arts and Crafts style. Yucca glauca is also extremely drought tolerant and resilient, making it well suited to the garden’s climate-conscious planting design. Its sculptural form provides year-round interest and helps anchor the planting, balancing the looser drifts of perennials and cottage garden species throughout the space

• Nepeta (catmint): chosen for its soft blue-purple flowers and long flowering period, Nepeta reflects the relaxed, naturalistic planting style associated with Gertrude Jekyll. It is also drought tolerant and excellent for pollinators

• Delphiniums: chosen for their tall, elegant flower spikes that bring strong vertical structure and height to the planting scheme. Their rich tones of blue, purple and soft pink are characteristic of traditional Arts and Crafts and cottage garden planting, making them a natural fit for a garden inspired by the work of Gertrude Jekyll. They help create rhythm and drama within the borders, drawing the eye upward and adding a sense of grandeur to the planting. Delphiniums also provide striking early summer colour while contributing to the layered, naturalistic look that defines the garden

Plants supplied by: Nature First, Bernhards Nurseries, Hedgeworx

The designer – Nick Leitch

Nick began his career in landscaping at 16, gaining hands-on experience in hard landscaping and traditional building methods.​ In 2007, he founded Bespoke Stone Walling, specialising in dry stone walling. ​ As the business expanded, he trained in garden design at the Cotswold Gardening School and launched Bespoke Landscape Design in 2018 to integrate design and construction services. ​ His work includes an RHS Flower Show Tatton Park garden that earned an Silver-gilt medal, BALI award-winning projects and features in Pro Landscaper magazine. ​

About the sponsor – Great British Gardens

As one of the UK’s number one online garden guide, Great British Gardens celebrates gardens with strong history and heritage, many of which reflect the same values that inspired the Honing Heritage Garden. Their index also includes several Gertrude Jekyll gardens, making the Arts and Crafts influence of this garden particularly relevant to their audience.

The garden legacy

To be confirmed.