An English Country Garden
Cumbria | UK
Photography + words Anna Rubingh
Set around an old country house in Cumbria, in the north of England, this beautiful garden is a natural blend of an English cottage garden and the natural landscape. Long grasses sway in the breeze, mown paths wind gently through them, and clouds of cow parsley surround the old stone walls. Climbing roses and fragrant honeysuckle scramble across the ancient masonry, adding colour and scent throughout the garden.
“We love our slightly wild garden,” Henry says. “Native plants grow alongside old cottage garden favourites, and they’re good for wildlife as well as supporting biodiversity.”
The house and its gardens are owned by Henry and his wife Anna and have been in Henry’s family for generations.
With a garden of this size, allowing some areas to grow more naturally also makes practical sense. “A garden this size takes a huge amount of work to maintain, so allowing parts of it to grow a little more naturally isn’t just better for wildlife — it’s better for us too. A win-win,” Henry laughs.
The result is a garden that feels abundant and unforced, with something changing around every corner: grasses moving in the breeze, flowers climbing over old walls and sunlight catching the foliage. It is a garden shaped by generations of family care, but one where nature is given plenty of room to take its own course.
