Journal

Allt y Bela garden

Last year we stayed in the Tudor house Allt y Bela, in Montgomeryshire, Wales. The house was restored by the garden designer Arne Maynard and William Collinson and is beautiful in both its restraint and vigour.

You can stay there for bed and breakfast (via Sawdays) and pretend that the gardens are yours for a few days.

It is a great treat.

I has seen the garden in its infancy while on a natural dye workshop a decade or so ago, and it was wonderful to see how everything had matured. I particularly loved the use of pots around the doorways and on low walls.

When looking at the photos I think that it is important to remember that there are two gardeners employed not quite full time on the garden - which must be about an acre in size in the cultivated part - so its manicured perfection must be seen in that context. There were, for example, beautiful narrow hawthorn topiaries which were trimmed by hand every couple of weeks . . . .

It is, of course a calling card for Arne’s garden design business, as well as a home. But there are many details could easily be adopted into less time intensive spaces. I have been inspired to incorporate many more flowers into my vegetable beds this year.

I have put together a gallery of photos that I took over our stay - starting at the front door, pottering around the vegetable garden and ending up in the back flower border.

You may also enjoy …