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COTSWOLDGARDENSThe floral danceAs florist to the stars Paul Hawkins knows justhow to arrange flowers and his Cotswoldgarden demonstrates the same skill. Wordsand pictures by Mandy BradshawIT SEEMS hard to believe thatwhen Paul Hawkins first made agarden it was in garish colours.Admittedly it was in a tin bath and hewas a young child but nothing couldbe further from the controlledsymphony of pastel shades thatconstitutes his current plot. Today theleading florist favours muted shadesand his garden, far from beingdiscordant, is a romantic retreat.He remembers his early days withfondness, growing plants in the oldbath in a corner of his parents’ formervicarage garden.“I’ve always been passionate aboutplants and flowers,” he says. “I hadswathes of yellow and peach – fearful!”Such colours are banned from hisgarden now: the only yellow toleratedis from self-sown mulleins while aninherited clump of yellow‘I’ve always beenpassionate about plantsand flowers,” he says. “Ihad swathes of yellowand peach – fearful!alstroemeria was removed.Paul has been in the Cotswold cottagefor six years, taking over a garden thathad been well loved but which hadbecome somewhat overgrown.“It was quite good planting but ithad all gone a bit mad.”Many of the original plants survive –albeit in different places – and the basicstructure of the main area, which slopesdown to the cottage, has been kept.Cotswold stone walls divide it intodifferent levels, with paved pathsoffering several routes through, whileold apple trees and a magnificentclipped mop-head box give height,which is reinforced by rose and sweetpea-covered obelisks dotted throughoutthe borders.To one side what was an old piggeryand outside toilet has been transformedinto a pot-filled patio and shelteredterrace that makes the most of viewsacross the village.“We took 42 skips of soil out ofthere,” recalls Paul.New Cotswold stone retaining wallsare already ageing to blend in with theoriginals and repeating plants, such asRosa ‘Iceberg’, which are found in themain borders, strengthens the senseof unity.Indeed, roses are one of Paul’sfavourites and form a backbone to theplanting, framing a seat, scrambling overan arch, or grown as bushes andclimbers in the box-edged borders. Herethey mingle with inky blue aconitum,clouds of nepeta, blue spires ofdelphinium and anchusa, all set off bylimey euphorbia. There’s white phloxand leucanthemum, and a purple salviathat Paul admits is a “bit of a bully”.“I keep it in check,” he comments.Teasels self-seed and are allowed toremain, while ‘Miss Wilmot’s Ghost’ isalso given a free rein.“It comes up every year somewhereelse, which I love.”It’s these small acts of rebellion thatstop the garden becoming sterile andover-controlled, as do the wild fieldpoppies that turn up occasionally and thescarlet oriental poppies that have beenallowed to stay – despite their colour.Surprisingly what is now an area oflawn was originally one massiveherbaceous border.“I lived here for a year withouttouching it and it was absolutelystunning but I just couldn’t manage it.”150 October 2011www.cotswold.greatbritishlife.co.ukwww.cotswold.greatbritishlife.co.uk October 2011 151

COTSWOLDGARDENSToday the lawn and a second at thetop of the garden provide a calm, greenfoil to the packed borders in the rest ofthe garden.The herbaceous plants, meanwhile,were divided and reused, many of themin the long, narrow border that Paullaughingly calls ‘The Lime Walk’, dueto the pleached limes that provideprivacy without screening the stoneboundary wall. Again the colours arerestricted, this time to green, white andmauve, with foxgloves, aconitum, silverStachys byzantinus and Alchemillamollis. At one end what was anovergrown laurel is gradually beingshaped into a square. Meanwhile, a newborder edging the other side of the pathrepeats these colours with euphorbiaand Crambe cordifolia among thesummer stars.‘Sometimes I thinkwhat is nice is to have avase of green with noflowers. I think all greensgo together.By the terrace there is aMediterranean feel to the planting.One new bed has Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’teamed with silver helichrysumalongside banks of lavender and pots ofthyme that flank the steps, while on theterrace itself white pelargoniums add anote of cool in summer sunshine. Potsof box balls form a protective barrieralong the drop to the patio below.While Paul refers to himself as “anamateur gardener” when it comes toarranging plants in a more formalsetting he is anything but a beginner.Although he was a child actor –appearing on stage alongside peoplesuch as Yul Brynner, Kenneth Branaghand Helen Mirren – his childhood loveof plants led him towards floristry. Hetrained with leading florists MoysesStevens and 17 years ago he set up hisown company, based in London andthe Cotswolds. Today his client list isimpressive, ranging from The Queenand Michael Caine to Ivana Trumpand The Savoy. He has arrangedflowers for St Paul’s Cathedral and StJames’ Palace and appeared frequentlyon TV.The crossover between his work forcorporate and private clients and hisown garden is strong. When starting anarrangement, he explains, you first putin the green and if you get the shape ofthat right, the flowers will just follow.In the same way, his garden is built ona strong green structure – clipped boxand yew, topiary trees and obelisks.“Sometimes I think what is nice is tohave a vase of green with no flowers. Ithink all greens go together.”In his garden he describes his style as“heavy grouping with a bit of chaos aswell” and he also limits the number ofdifferent flowers in his arrangements,with maybe one or two stars, such aspeonies or roses, and a supporting castof alstroemeria, for example.“I group them heavily for maximumimpact – like a border. That is howflowers grow.”As with his garden, he favours pastelshades – blue, pink and white – andlikes to use seasonal flowers only.Passionate about buying British wherehe can, he enjoys his early morning tripsto London’s flower market.“I like going to the market. I see allmy competitors there and the porters aresinging songs and telling jokes. Thereare yummy mummies and crusty oldduchesses. It’s a great mix of people.“I get up very early to go there –about 3.30 in the morning. The smellof it just hits you. It’s so evocative. Itreminds me of when I first starteddoing flowers.”The garden is regularly used by Pauland his partner for entertaining. Seatsfilled with soft cushions are placed tomake the most of views and a largetable complete with glass candelabraspeaks of many an alfresco meal.Yet it is as a place of retreat fromwork and the bustle of London that hevalues it most and often itis the first place he headson returning home.“Sometimes I don’t go infor a couple of hours.I’m outsidethinking: “I’ve gotto dead-head that”.It’s obsessive butI think in agood way.” For moreinformation aboutPaul HawkinsFlowers, visitwww.paulhawkinsflowers.co.uk152 October 2011www.cotswold.greatbritishlife.co.ukwww.cotswold.greatbritishlife.co.uk October 2011 153