Hidcote Garden

Hidcote is a renowned garden located in the northern Cotswolds.  It was created by Major Lawrence Johnston (he fought in WWI), starting in 1907; it was largely complete by the 1920s when Vita and Harold came to visit.  Johnston essentially had a blank canvas on which to create his garden, which is famous in part for its garden 'rooms'.  Indeed this was the place where Vita and Harold got this idea.

Johnston was a well known plantsman, travelling the world in search of interesting new varieties, many of which can be found in the garden..  It was acquired in 1948 by the National Trust, the first major garden acquired, though today there are many.

The garden is laid out on two axes, one north-south and one east-west. These famous red borders are on the way north.  You can see the two very small pavilions, like large gateposts, that mark the end of this 'room'.

Beyond those small pavilions the path extends toward a distant gate.  And beyond the gate you can look out over the adjoining Cotswold countryside with its grazing sheep.

Looking the other direction is a shorter axis marked by these two topiary birds.  The path leads through a fuschia garden to this round pond.

Looking beyond the pond the garden disappears through a door in the hedge and changes into a 'wilderness', with walking paths through the lush foliage.

Eventually this rejoins the more formal gardens through this 'pillar' room

I'm always interested in the layout of any gardens we visit, and this one of Hidcote is fascinating to me.  The large green swath of space in the middle is a theatre lawn, and the working gardens are to the right.  All the garden 'rooms' I've shown above are to the left.