Caisson Gardens – a hidden gem

As our coach inched its way down the narrow country lane, the tall hedgerows of hawthorn and cow parsley on either side creating a leafy green tunnel, our sense of anticipation grew. When the coach could go no further, our adventurous tour guests hiked the last 0.2 miles on foot, before finally reaching the  driveway that led into Caisson Gardens.

This little slice of heaven is in Somerset, England not too far from Bath, yet a world away. Homeowners Phil and Amanda bought this unique property in 2010 and have since restored and nurtured it into a magical oasis.

The house itself was built in 1815 by the Somerset Coal Canal Company as their head office. A series of canals and locks, including a new type of lock called "Caisson" was constructed here. Sadly, these failed and were replaced by a conventional system, yet many of these structures can still be seen throughout the garden today, with the now dry canals creating a variety of ecosystems.

Caisson House, built in 1815, is surrounded by the most formal gardens, with clipped boxwood hedges corralling a profusion of flowers in shades of blue and white

Nurturing the Land

As with the best fairy tales, the 'once upon a time' beginning to their story was far from idyllic; the house was dilapidated and the garden overgrown. Both Amanda and Phil come from dairy farming backgrounds and understood the importance of restoring soil health and implementing organic practices, however. That, philosophy, combined with Amanda's training as a garden designer and Phil's experience building film sets has resulted in a remarkable transformation. We were delighted to be able to visit this hidden gem on the Great Gardens of Devon & Cornwall tour we recently led.

The meadow was alive with insects feasting on wildflowers

Composted vegetable and garden waste was used to replenish the soil, and some areas left wild to encourage greater biodiversity. Today, meandering paths weave through the meadow which was studded with wild orchids and many other wild flowers, inviting guests to slow their pace and fully engage their senses.

Cut stone rills draw the eye away from the more formal gardens adjacent to the house, through a meadow to the distance

An intriguing rill takes advantage of the homes elevated position on the land, carrying water and the eye down the meadow-filled slope into the distance. A very clever use of sight lines and axis.

Romantic Walled Garden

The walled garden includes two large greenhouses where Amanda grows edibles and ornamentals from seed

We all spent a lot of time exploring the walled garden which featured two large greenhouses, a potager, orchard, and a delightful assortment of flowers which had been mostly grown from seed.

The central axis featured a number of charming structures made from tree prunings.

Edibles and annuals mingle unapologetically in the walled garden. Bees and guests were equally happy.

Color Explosion

The long border is planted with rich, saturated colors

Lining the path that leads to the walled garden is a sheltered, sunny border, jam-packed with perennials and annuals. So many exciting combinations, both intentional and serendipitous.

Seed heads of love-in-a-mist added to the rich tapestry

Elegance meets Function

Perhaps my favorite area, however, was the 'white garden', a serene courtyard adjacent to the home planted in a monochromatic pallet. I could live here. In fact, if I could only have one small area- this would be my choice. Amanda refers to this area as the Mulberry Terrace.

A simple rectangular courtyard had everything: space to sit, an alfresco dining room, edibles, flowers and privacy

Talking To Amanda who designed this area as well as the landscape overall, I commented on how hard it was to successfully design a white garden as so many white shades simply do not go together! She laughed and admitted that was the very reason she wanted to challenge herself – to see if she could!

It was perhaps the layout itself that really appealed to me, however. This could be any suburban back garden in terms of size yet it could comfortably  seat up to 10 at the table and 8 on the generous padded bench, working equally well as a family lunch spot or a larger cocktail gathering. Dimensional stone pavers were used throughout the space with  richly planted beds supplemented by containers including old stone troughs planted with mint.

Airy plantings of perennials and annuals in silver and white create a billowing gauze-like curtain beneath mulberry trees

Rather than fencing or hedges to separate this courtyard from the larger garden, ancient pollarded white mulberries, underplanted by a froth of loose perennials and annuals were used to define the space on one side.

The white garden was a semi-enclosed area adjacent to the home, visible yet private

Along the shorter side of the courtyard, espaliered pear and quince were used to create a semi-transparent screen, again underplanted with airy plantings. During our visit white astrantia, cosmos and foxgloves reigned supreme where earlier there had been spring bulbs.

The Caisson Vision & Ethos

In Phil's words:

We are building a place that's good for nature and good for the human soul.

Indeed, our visit that day left us all feeling nourished at a deep level, inspired to try new ideas in our own gardens, and encouraged that such beauty still exists in our fragile world.