Hidcote Manor Garden has been on my mind all summer. After a major deck replacement and landscape removal, my otherwise beautiful gardens looked bleak. I needed some inspiration and remembered the extraordinary English gardens explored a few years ago while traveling through the Cotswolds.
Our first landscape crew, soon fired, cut three of my Hidcote lavender to the ground and killed them. Gah! The rest were annihilated by hail damage. Don’t worry, I planted twenty more around my circle drive. They’ll look great next year.
What they used to look like.
I fired up my old laptop yesterday and took a photo tour while thinking of ways to transform my garden.
A view from inside the Garden Centre. See the horse? Wait for the next photo.
Now do you see the horses? A beautiful contrast with the green landscape.
We meandered on winding paths between sculpted hedges.
Mature trees added interest and shade. I don’t think that umbrella-shaped variety grows here in Colorado.
Flowers splashed throughout the beds in bursts of color, shapes and sizes and all stages of growth.
An old stone bridge invited us to explore further into the large estate.
Rustic landscaping worked well with the chocolatey cottage behind. A blogger friend, Jim O’Sullivan, coined that special flavor. He lives in the Cotswolds too.
And just when I thought I’d seen it all, a scene from The Shining appeared. This maze provided a more relaxing atmosphere.
Hidcote Manor Garden must hire huge amounts of landscapers to maintain all of this. We didn’t see one while touring. Wow. They must work at night while wearing headlamps.
The simple cottages and brick walls peeked out from the verdant landscape.
Such a lovely place. Love the word, Lovely. Heard it a lot in England. Later that afternoon, we drove through the countryside. I screamed at my husband, Danny, to STOP!
I jumped out of the car and took pictures of my favorite flower.
I’m still working in the garden. We planted perennials yesterday and will wait a few weeks to buy shrubs. I have a few ideas for some sculpted hedges. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Are you into gardening? Would you ever tour gardens while on vacation? What’s your favorite perennial?
Related posts:
Hidcote Manor Garden National Trust
Susie Lindau's Wild Ride 
Beautiful gardens. I love the lavender. I must try to get more of it growing here. It takes from cuttings fairly easily. I tried it once and put cuttings in damp sandy soil in a coffee can with holes in the bottom over the winter. Int he spring I planted the cuttings with their tiny new roots and then I had several more lavender plants. I must do it again and get some more. They smell so good.
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That is such a cool technique, Anneli! I’ll have to try that. Several of the original lavender planted were weird varieties. They’re lighter purple and have bigger hulls. I would love to replace them. Thanks so much for the idea!
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If you take the tenderer cuttings where the wood is not so hard, they seem to take better.
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Cool! I will try that!
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Good luck. I hope you have a lot of success.
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Thank you! I’ll let you know!
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A terrific story and amazing photos – bravo! Oh, loved that you screamed for your husband to stop for that last shot!
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Thanks so much, John! I gave Danny a heart attack. Ha! I jumped out of the car and joined another more professional photographer taking pictures along the field.
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It’s a great shot and of course you had to get it – gorgeous!
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Thank you!
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Wow, I agree Susie, they must have an enormous staff to care for these plants! So beautiful. I use the word Lovely frequently both verbally and on my meager site. It’s great that we have a common language with England! And Canada!! 😎❤️🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦
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I love that word and have to remember to use it in conversation more often. Thanks so much for stopping by, John! Have a great weekend!
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I love gardens but I hate gardening. I need a gardener. Your photos are absolutely lovely. I wish I had the money to create a garden like these. I have the space (an entire city lot) but no money or ambition to maintain it. (sigh)
Thanks for sharing. I hope your lavender comes back extra lovely next spring.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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Thanks so much, Patricia!
It’s a lot of work. I love getting my hands dirty. After two summers of setbacks, I jumped right in!
We went backpacking this weekend and I saw the most amazing wildflowers. Nature makes it look so easy!
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I like scented plants but as a renter a lot of my gardening is done in pots. Lavenders, pineapple sage and heliotrope are 3 plants I love to have in any garden
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I haven’t tried heliotrope or pineapple sage. I’ll keep my eye out for them this week!
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Will like to. On Jul 27, 2018 5:27 PM, “Susie Lindau’s Wild Ride” wrote:
> susielindau posted: ” Hidcote Manor Garden has been on my mind all summer. > After a major deck replacement and landscape removal, my otherwise > beautiful gardens looked bleak. I needed some inspiration and remembered > the extraordinary English gardens explored a few years ago w” >
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But to cover the distance is not easy. But looking forward to coming. Am a fan of tourism
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Yep. I’m all about being a tourist!
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Lilacs Lilacs Lilacs amazinggggggggggg
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It was an amazing place! It was fun to go through my photos. Thanks, Linda! We were backpacking this weekend and feasted our eyes on tons of wildflower. Nature doesn’t need a gardener. Ha!
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wow….. its so beautiful…… well maintained….. amazing…..
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It really is and it’s huge! I can’t imagine how they keep it so perfect.
Thanks for stopping by, Sudhir!
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Stunning gardens! Yours will bloom again … waiting for pics.
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Yes! I should have taken more “before” pictures. They had really taken a beating between the work that was done and Mother Nature. They’re starting to shape up!
Thanks, Patricia!
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I’ve always wanted to go to the Cotswolds. Now I REALLY want to go. And that shade of purple on the flowers is my favorite too!
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The light was at the perfect slant for that incredible color! I would love to go back to The Cotswolds and spend more time there. Amazing place!
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If you don’t mind that I’m asking, what is there to do besides walking through amazing towns, seeing awesome, quaint homes and landscapes? I’m asking because I’d love to go but my husband is wondering what else there is to do there.
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There are pubs galore, local soccer, biking, and hiking. You could also look into theater, concerts, and events! It’s the land of Shakespeare. There was an electronic music festival going on while we were there!
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Wow! Fantastic! I’ll look into it! Thank you. 🙂
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Any time!!
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Easy to see where the idea for the colonial gardens at Williamsburg came from. They are lovely – and so restful when you are there. Mazes are the best!
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So true! We went to Williamsburg many years ago and had forgotten about the gardens! Mazes and sculpted hedges are mind-boggling! Such precise landscaping!
Thanks, Phil!
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Beautiful gardens, Susie! I can see where you found some marvelous inspiration. In hot and dry Southern California I can’t lean in this direction but I can admire. 🙂 I go to gardens anywhere we vacation and many in our own state that inspire me to followthrough with drought tolerant landscaping. I think with today’s climate and water-shortage sensitivities “Bloom Where You are Planted” has taken on an entirely fresh meaning for me. And the key thought is ADAPT! Anything alive is beautiful and can provide garden serenity, but an English garden is high up there among the most gracious and inviting. Good luck cultivating your lavender again! 🙂
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Thanks so much, Debra!
We went backpacking this weekend at the peak of wildflower season! It’s amazing how they survive the tough high altitude weather conditions. They were gorgeous!
Hidcote was on another level!! Mine are coming around, slowly but surely. 🙂
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the gardens are lovely. Just what I need to start my day over coffee.
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I’m so glad you took the virtual tour! They were incredibly beautiful and serene. Thanks for stopping by!
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Great shots ! Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thank you so much for stopping by! The flowers and vistas were breath-taking.
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I loved everything about this garden! Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for stopping by, Violet! It was a gorgeous place to visit. Love your name by the way. 🙂
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