The English Garden

True to FORM

Proportion, symmetry and balance are the hallmarks of Michael and Frances Dobson’s elegant Cotswold garden. Rising in a series of lawned terraces, divided by low walls and yew hedging, the walled garden perfectly complements the Grade II* listed Georgian manor house. There is a sense of timelessness, but the one-and-a-half acre garden has been a work in progress for many years, and Michael continues to make adjustments. A recent innovation has been to plant 30,000 bluebells in longer grass beside the drive for a welcoming sea of blue in May. The flowers were chosen because Bluebell was the name of Michael’s favourite dog, the kind of touch that gives heart to this cool, green garden.

The drive sets the tone, swinging round in

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