Description
Denmans is a contemporary country garden that lies on a gentle, south facing slope sheltered by the South Downs to the north. Featuring well-drained alkaline soil, good light and a mild climate, it is ideal for growing a large range of plants, including plants from the Mediterranean and other warmer climates which blend with plants indigenous to West Sussex. The diversity of its plants and its unique planting style have resulted in a garden with year-round interest, structure, and colour.
The 4 acre garden is a series of spaces that flow one into another elegantly but informally, including outside views in some places and focusing on an interior point in others. Far from resembling any recognizably traditional English garden styles, Denmans is relaxed and defiantly “country” but its informality is contained by carefully considered proportions, strong geometric shapes punctuating both the horizontal and vertical planes, and its indisputable link to the countryside in which it is nestled. The ground plan includes a series serpentine paths which present new sight lines, glimpses and surprises at every turn. By design there is nothing grand and stand-offish about Denmans. It provides welcoming and intimate spaces that enfold and enrich you every time you visit. True to John Brookes’ design tenets, every curve is strong and related, creating exquisite inter-linking spaces.