Doddington Place Gardens has been in same family for 120 years

Ask Amicia Oldfield to sum up the spirit of Doddington Place Gardens and she quotes the 18th-century writer Horace Walpole describing landscape architect William Kent: ‘He leaped the fence, and saw that all nature was a garden. He felt the delicious contrast of hill and valley changing imperceptibly into each other.’ It’s a spot-on description for this landscaped garden in Kent.

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Overlooking the Syndale Valley, the Victorian red-brick house, built in 1870, is the home of Amicia and Richard Oldfield, whose family has been in residence for the past 120 years. "This is a family garden first and foremost,” says Amicia. “It’s not an ancient garden by any means, but every generation who has lived at Doddington Place has played a part in its evolution.” 

Garden in bloom — The Ghost Border was inspired by the early 20th-century vogue for silver and white plants, including Brunnera macrophylla ‘Silver Spear’, Paeonia lactiflora ‘Festiva Maxima’, Tulipa ‘Ivory Floradale’, Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ and Narcissus ‘Cheerfulness’. © Clive Nichols

People’s tastes change and we need to keep moving forward

Last year, a record 8,000 people came to experience the Woodland Garden, Spring Garden, Rock Garden, Sunk Garden and more than a mile of ancient yews clipped in clouds of undulating shapes. This year, Doddington Place has the accolade of being an RHS partner garden.

We like to keep evolving the garden in an exciting way

Garden with flower beds and hedging — The Sunk Garden with its glorious lily pond dates from a similar time to the house, and the original 1873 design hangs in the hallway. Redesigned by Kirsty Knight Bruce in 2010-11, its eight flower beds, defined by Buxus sempervirens blocks, are filled with lush planting, including tulips such as the fluted pink Tulipa ‘Mariette’ in spring. ©Clive Nichols

In Brief

What Private and historical garden, including yew hedging, silver birch avenue, Woodland Garden, Rock Garden, Sunk Garden and Ghost Border.
Where Kent.
Size Ten acres.
Soil Mostly chalk and flint inherent to the North Downs with unique seam of acid soil in the woodland.
Climate Temperate, mild. Kent is one of the warmest counties in the UK.
Hardiness zone USDA 9.

“We are very flattered,” says Amicia. The magic of Doddington is its ability to keep one foot in the past while stepping into the present with contemporary design thinking. Amicia and Richard drive the vision hand in hand with head gardener Lucy Adams and her small team.

Tropical style garden — Doddington’s Rock Garden was laid out before the First World War using Kentish rag stone from a quarry near Maidstone, and revitalised by Matt Jackson. Several Yucca gloriosa bring an exotic touch to the space with Acer palmatum ‘Beni-maiko’, Pinus mugo, Santolina chamaecyparissus and Libertia grandiflora adding to the shape, form and texture, and splashes of colour from Pulsatilla vulgaris and pink Bergenia ‘Overture’. © Clive Nichols

“We like to keep evolving the garden in an exciting way,” says Lucy, who has been on site for more than ten years. “We use the landscape as the backdrop to our bold planting choices.”

Woodland garden — At the edge of the Woodland Garden, flame-flowered Rhododendron calendulaceum brightens the walk to a folly built in memory of Richard’s first wife, Alexandra, which houses a mural painted by artist and gardener Charlotte Molesworth. “She’s a very good friend of mine,” says Amicia. “We often sit and paint together in her garden.” © Clive Nichols

There is a sympathetic narrative everywhere you look at Doddington Place. Its nostalgic bones are much in evidence, yet the current Oldfields have a passionate desire to mark it with present- day thinking. “The garden has a strong Edwardian atmosphere,” says Amicia, “but I don’t believe that gardens should stand still. People’s tastes change and we need to keep moving forward.”

Garden pond surrounded by shrubs — Water descends through a series of pools in the Rock Garden to where a groundcover of Petasites hybridus surrounds the lower pools, with Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’ and Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii adding contrasting colour to the banks. ©Clive Nichols

8 key plants from Doddington

1. Camellia hiemalis ‘Kanjiro’

Pink flower — 1 Camellia hiemalis ‘Kanjiro’ A vigorous, evergreen shrub producing a stunning show of semi-double blooms in dramatic cerise pink against dark, glossy green leaves. Lightly scented. Height and spread: 4-8m x 4-8m. RHS H4, USDA 7a-9b†. © Clive Nichols

2. Rhododendron ‘Pink Pearl’

Pink flowers — Rhododendron ‘Pink Pearl’ A blowsy, evergreen shrub with large clusters of pink flowers fading to white. A vigorous, hardy, hybrid shrub that likes a sunny spot and reliably flowers. 2m x 2.5m. AGM*. RHS H4, USDA 5a-8b.

3. Daphne x latymeri ‘Spring Sonnet’

White and pink flowers in bloom — Daphne x latymeri ‘Spring Sonnet’ An evergreen shrub hybrid of D. rodriguezii x D. sericea with dark, glossy leaves and pink flowers with a delicious scent. 60cm x 60cm. USDA 6a-10b.

4. Davidia involucrata var. vilmoriniana

White flowers — Davidia involucrata var. vilmoriniana Commonly known as the handkerchief tree, thanks to the distinctive white bracts that surround the small flowers of this deciduous tree. These are followed by pear-shaped, but inedible, fruits. 6m x 4m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-8b.

5. Rhododendron ‘Blaue Jungs’

Purple flowers — Rhododendron ‘Blaue Jungs’ A showy evergreen rhododendron with glossy green foliage and large clusters of mauve flowers that have a chocolate brown blotch. 1.75m x 1.75m.

6. Viburnum plicatum ‘Grandiflorum’

7. Tulipa ‘Parrot King’

Orange flower — Tulipa ‘Parrot King’ With its ruffled petals of orange, yellow and green, this perennial bulb is a striking choice for emerging through grass. 45cm x 15cm. RHS H6, RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b.

8. Tulipa ‘Grand Perfection’

White and red flower — Tulipa ‘Grand Perfection’ A perennial eyecatcher thanks to its lavish ruby-red striped effect on butter-yellow turning creamy white. Works well with other creamy whites. 45cm x 15cm. RHS H6, RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b.

*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.

Useful information

Address Doddington Place Gardens, Doddington, nr Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 0BB. Tel 07596 090849. Web doddingtonplacegardens.co.uk Open 20 April – 28 September, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, 11am-5pm.

This historic English country garden with monumental hedges has been in same family for 120 years