Tucked away down a quiet single track lane, Lowder Mill lies against an ambient Surrey landscape of lush fields and rhododendron woods.
With the now redundant millpond forming a backdrop against the pale brick wisteria clad house, water is the main feature of this garden, flowing abundantly along streams througout the garden whilst beside the millpond, visitors enjoy afternoon tea and home-made cakes.
For the sure-footed, a pathway winds around the perimeter of the mill pond, where candelabra primroses, ferns and azaleas line the walkway, precarious at times with stepping stones, planks and bridges to negotiate.
In the main garden a box parterre, somewhat sparsely planted (but showing promise of later lushness) leads towards a vegetable plot with blackberry pergola and beyond, a greenhouse surrounded by meadow grass.
To the side and rear of the house, numerous planters of all shapes and sizes are utilised and here, blackly purple pansies and petunias flourish in unusual containers such as a disused birdcage and old storage jars, whilst more water cascades from an upper level to a pool below, overhung with pink and purple rhododendrons.
Homemade teas were served in the former Mill building itself, which is set back from the main house, overlooked by the mill pond and visitors seemed in no hurry to move on from the tranquility of tea beside the water.
Lowder Mill has been featured in several publications and is open on selected days under the NGS.
gardenvisitoruk 
Comments