In the second of our ‘Over the Bridge to Wales’ series, we are focussing on the highly praised garden in the Welsh borders created by Anne Wareham and Charles Hawes. ‘Veddw Garden’ is in the Wye Valley, just a short drive from Tintern Abbey. Nestled on the edge of a pine forest, there are two acres of ornamental gardens surrounding an old Welsh cottage together with two acres of woodland. The gardens are not, however, what you would expect to find in such a location but are certainly worth a visit and were voted one of 100 best British gardens in 2018.
Garden writer, journalist, and editor of the website ‘thinkinGardens’ Anne Wareham wrote ‘The Bad-Tempered Gardener’ in 2011. It is her story of her development as a ‘thinking gardener’ and how she and her husband designed their garden, using their combined and contrasting ideas to develop an utterly unique outdoor space.
There is a large pool in the back garden which has black dye added to the water to enhance the pool’s reflection of the Hedge Garden and Coppice on the other side. There is also a wild Garden, a small orchard, several gardens full of perennial plants, a rose garden, and a meadow, conserved from the original pasture the garden was made from.
The gardens although modern in design also draw on the history of the inhabitants who have lived in the area over the years. The box hedging mimics a Tithe Map of 1842 of the local area reflecting the pattern of the 19th century fields. The woodland garden has ruins of an old stone cottage that contrasts with the contemporary style of the gardens. Plaques and poems have been inscribed on stones and backs of benches and there is even a lizard lurking on the trees in the wood.
Together, Anne and Chris have created a garden full of experiences drawing on their individual strengths which “embraces nature rather than trying to conquer it”.
Whilst Veddw Garden has been closed during 2020 due to the COVID-19 restrictions, there are plans to offer visitors an opportunity for just one or two people to make a special visit, including a guided tour of the garden and overnight accommodation in a converted railway carriage. There will also be open days for casual visitors reduced to one per month from June to September.
To find out more please visit veddw.com.
© Charles Hawes