Autumn colour both in the garden and in views from the garden at this grand old summer home

Evesham is one of the grand old summer houses on Waverley Ridge Road at Crafers West.

The substantial Arts and Crafts home replaced a modest 1870s dwelling in the early 1930s. When the current owners bought the property in 2009, the once lovely old garden with its established trees was past its prime, but hard work revealed many botanical treasures, a wonderful network of winding paths, dry-stone walling, and a long flight of stone steps that have since been extended. The old and new craftsmanship is exemplary, and care has been taken to blend the two.

Similarly, the recent plantings have been skilfully merged with the garden’s established species.
In autumn, the views from Evesham across the tops of the trees in the heavily wooded valley below are a memorable show of dazzling colour!

In the garden, a tulip tree, several silver birches, and the stately old linden tree all change to buttery yellow, the maples are fiery red, the copper beach is a deep russet shade, and the leaves on the liquidambar become a rich mix of autumn colours. Other deciduous trees add to the spectacle, and the evergreen foliage of the big old conifers, magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons, and azaleas makes an excellent foil for the vibrant colours.

A path down the garden's slope leads to a cleared area. There, a fire pit is surrounded by lavenders and waving grasses, which have turned a soft, rusty colour with the change of season. A once overgrown above-ground pond was discovered and is now restored. It is an attractive feature filled with water lilies and aquatic plants.

Hidden behind hedges are a flourishing vegetable garden, a glasshouse where many of the newer plants in the garden have been propagated, a chicken coup and a children’s pirate ship cubby, a reminder that this is a much-loved family garden.

Evesham has been restored with diligence, determination and ideas collected from travels to gardens around the world – it is now a lovely alliance of plants and stonework!

Seaview garden is open across the road on the same day.