The Serpentine Garden

Is a terraced slope above the Peony and Wheelbarrow Borders. Added in 1993 to provide a view for the new living room wing, it is backed by an old stone wall and faced by three new stone retaining walls.  The curving shapes of these walls are the result of Barbara’s draping hoses on the ground.  Barbara chose hot colors here, starting with paler yellows at the lowest level, then oranges and stronger yellows in the middle level and finally the upper border planted in reds and purples.

Backlit by the sun when viewed from the terrace, the large colored leaves of the flamboyant cannas appear translucent in late summer and the spikes of tree sized purple Cordylines shimmy in the breeze.  A Malus Robinson, chosen for its name as well as its bronze foliage, is part of the backdrop, with red flowering rhododendrons, blue-green hollies and purple berberis.  Spring bulbs and annuals are replaced and changed each year.

To provide a focal point, Charlie built the “Folly”, which offers a comfortable place to sit and look over the garden. The Folly’s lattice walls and oval openings echo the design of the antique stained glass of the back window, its center featuring a lovely rose that is lit by the setting afternoon sun.

At the top of the hill the yellow Woodland Arch or “WA” beckons you up to the Woodland Walks and the Waterworks beyond.