E
mercial landscapes. Nor is it formalized like French and Italian dis-
nglish cottage gardens, in vogue in the 1930s, are enjoying a
plays or elaborate like the carpet bedding the Victorians preferred."
glorious revival.
Martha Hoffert, perennials specialist at Ray Wiegand's Nursery in
What's the attraction? Probably the return to the popu-
Macomb County, which a year ago put in an English cottage walled
larity of perennials and the charming and natural effect achieved
garden at Meadow Brook Hall, explains: "It's more a plant collection
by people who know how to plan perennial gardens and grow
than a design. Anything goes. One gets a plant, sticks it in the ground
them.
and if it doesn't work at first, just keeps moving it around until it does.
In any case, if you receive an invitation to visit one, go immediate-
You can play with it."
ly. These dramatic beds and borders are
Or as one gardener not familiar with
visual feasts for the eyes.
cottage gardens said: Put in a garden and
Since they keep changing with the sea-
let it get a little bit messy."
sons, try to go back several times. By
Gardeners agree, however, that Eng-
then, of course, you will already be plan-
lish cottage gardens are perennials, plants
ning your very own English garden in
which keep coming back year after year
Michigan.
provided they're hardy; some shrubbery,
Earlier this year I was privileged to vis-
such as roses; and perhaps a few useful
it Biddestone, a blooming English cottage
plants like herbs.
garden complete with charming Cotswold
The Biddestone garden was there
house, in Farmington Hills.
when Jean Fox bought her home in 1968.
Owner Jean Fox, mayor of Farmington
The garden was one of the reasons.
Hills for three years, guided me through
Another reason for her purchase was
her wooded property, and suddenly,
the delightful Cotswold cottage built by
there it was in the midst of the trees — a
the late Edward Moseman in 1937. He
lovely stone structure and accompanying
A was trying to recreate his native England.
gardens, one might find in Wiltshire, Eng-
"This isn't face limestone," explains Fox,
land.
"but real blocks (from the old Federal
Since it was early June there was an ex-
Building in Detroit). Ifs sturdily built like
plosion of color. Pink and white peonies
a European house, castle or fortress."
filled the front two-tiered border along
There's a slate roof, copper guttering
with dramatic clumps of brilliant red Ori-
and downspouts, white oak flooring and
ental poppies and large bearded irises.
casement window that can be opened so
Baptistas were just beginning to bloom in
breezes can come through. Marcus Bur-
the background as cascades of French
rowes, a Michigan architect, designed
thyme reached their peak. The lower lev-
the house, which has been declared a his-
els were covered with lavender. Coral
toric home and site.
bells dotted the landscape.
In keeping with the borders and beds
like an English walled garden, this one Peonies, Oriental poppies, irises and coral bells bloom in the
front of a Cotswold cottage built from Indiana limestone.
up over the years, Fox really hasn't need-
is confined by hedges, mostly yews, that
ed to consult local nurseries. She has
keep winds from doing too much dam-
the original plans for the two acres de-
age.
signed in 1940 by Edward H. Laird, and
"There's something in bloom from
also plenty of personal green-thumb ex-
March until freezing temperatures in Oc-
perience.
tober or November," explains Fox, who
"All my life wherever I've lived, I've
has lived and gardened here for 25 years.
fixed up the yard and garden. About the
How would one define the English Cot-
time I'd get it pretty much the way I want-
tage garden? Everyone has a slightly dif-
ed it, I'd have to move and start all over
ferent interpretation.
again. When I moved in here, I inherit-
Fox says: "It's natural, rolling and ro-
ed a basic English landscape."
mantic. One feels an affinity with nature."
Although Fox lived in England briefly
She explains what ifs not — rows of bed-
while a small child, her real interest in
ding plants like you see in most corn-
Think in terms of creating a
smashing bouquet with a
variety of contrasting colors,
shapes and textures.
STYLE • FALL 1 903 •
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