barefoot garden, cornwall

This seaside garden was designed for a family, with different areas for games and entertainment and plants chosen to attract wildlife. To invite exploration the garden is divided into separate areas by cotoneaster hedging fronted by miscanthus grass. This tall, graceful grass, which flowers in the autumn, is underplanted with tulips and alliums for spring and early summer interest. An informal herb garden, centred on the kitchen, leads to a decked area bordering a black swimming pool. On one side of the pool is a croquet lawn which flows back towards the house through a walkway of honeysuckle-clad arches.