When a historic mill keeper's house a hundred miles north of London recently got a new addition to meet the needs of a modern family, the architects also turned their attention to the gardens that once belonged to the Keeper of Hunsett Mill, on the banks of the River Ant. The garden design from London-based ACME celebrates a mix of old and new:
Photographs via ACME.
Above: The focal point of the landscape, the red brick Hunsett Mill built in 1860, was until the advent of electricity an integral part of the pumping mill system that powered the Norfolk Broads.
Above: Natural prairie style plantings. Using a large variety of indigenous plants had the effect of boosting the biodiversity of the site.
Above: Sedum, phlox, and coneflowers create a changing tapestry of color seasonally, through November.
Above: Intermixed with the perennials are tall grasses, to provide structure.
Above: Clumps of identical plants strategically face each other across a path to create a sense of symmetry, and of order, despite the unruly shapes and textures.
Above: The landscaping strategy was to use native plants, to blend with the local ecosystem and to frame the architecture. The flower bed heights have been designed to enhance views or to frame the house from various vantages. Tall plants create privacy and short bushes frame views of the Mill from the river.
Above: Behind the house wild meadow flowers are surrounded by wild grasses to give a natural meadow appearance.
Above: Along the riverfront, informal flower beds border lush stretches of lawn. (N.B.: To see more of the modern addition ACME designed to suit an old house, go to An Ancient Mill Transformed in Norfolk.)