John Howard Cottages
Since Spring 2009, we have managed the maintenance of John Howard Cottages. At the time, the gardens had become unruly, and they needed a gardening team with fresh eyes to restore and innovate within the space.
“Heidi has a willingness to listen to both the trustees’ and residents’ concerns, communicating effortlessly and reporting back accordingly. She and her team will happily roll their sleeves up with a willingness to get the work done. John Howard Cottages now benefit from beautifully well maintained grounds and – most importantly – we have very happy residents.”
— John Howard Cottages
The brief
John Howard Cottages provide 24 homes for former nurses and carers, run and maintained by the trustees of St. George’s Church in Kemp Town and managed by Graves, Son and Pilcher. The site consists of a substantial croquet lawn surrounded by planting, a hedged area of allotment plots called ‘The Spinney’, and 24 individual private gardens.
When discussing the cottages’ requirements, it became clear immediately just how paramount it was that the residents had the same consistent and friendly faces in the gardening team. Throughout the project, we took deep consideration of their wants and needs –as well as the trustees – to build community and cohesion.
The result
Over more than 15 years working with John Howard Cottages, we have tamed areas of wasteland to create ‘The Spinney’, an area of residents’ allotments, and cut flower beds as well as reinvigorating the current planting. Over time, we have also refreshed the 24 residents’ individual gardens. This has resulted in plants that are much better suited to their surroundings, and therefore easier for the residents to maintain.
In 2020, we also took over the hedging contract, as they had been slowly creeping into the beds over the years. We made a brave decision to take one meter of depth off each side, and a meter off the height of the hedges, and the effects have been fantastic. These hedges that used to dominate the estate now look invigorated – and the borders have more space to breathe.
Recently, the residents stopped using the main lawn for croquet, so we let a portion of it return to a wild flower meadow. We have been blessed to see agrimony, yellow rattle, wild orchids and field scabious. This has also attracted a plethora of pollinating insects. We’ve also attracted a bee’s nest in one of the blocked up chimney pots, so JHC is really gaining its green stars.
What I am most proud of with JHC is the melting pot that I’ve created. Some residents are passionate gardeners who are happy to have their own spaces, while some just want to look out on something lovely, which we provide (though managing this is quite a dance!).
