When Geoff and Anne Shaw bought Follers Manor in 2006 it was a mess. The house was virtually uninhabitable and the grounds an eyesore: a jumble of tussock, weeds and builders’ rubble with a large, long-abandoned tennis court as a central feature. 
Today with the house and gardens rejuvenated it is easier to understand why they bought Follers. Invisible from the road, the house sits high above the Cuckmere valley just outside Alfriston in East Sussex.
Below it to the east lies the small village of Litlington with far views of the South Downs National Park beyond. After renovating the house, Geoff and Anne realised that they would need help with the derelict garden and turned to designer, Ian Kitson for inspiration. His brief was simple: a garden that was colourful; that would encourage wildlife and trickiest, a garden that would vie confidently against such an impressive backdrop.
I first…
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Old School Garden 