The satisfying geometry of neat lines of crops pleasures of picking and gathering for the table.

Shot from an upstairs window, the strong architectural design of the kitchen garden can be seen to full effect. There are four entrances, each with an arch entwined with clematis and wisteria, and intersecting paths divide the space into four principal squares. Within each square there are four further divisions, so the different vegetables and flowers arranged in neat blocks and rows are like pieces of a living patch quilt. Pink and mauve flowers are concentrated on the side nearest the house, where pots of pink pelargoniums line the steps up from the terrace. On the far side, nasturtiums in every shade from deep red through orange, deep ochre and lemon romp among the vegetables with picturesque abandon. Wonderful large cactus-flowered dahlias are grown in the garden, in stunning shades of deep crimson, scarlet, orange and pink.