A private garden worth searching for

Original photograph of the garden's planting

Hello, this is a slightly odd request but Im looking for this garden, was my opening line. When the housekeepers eyes flickered in recognition at the photos I suspected I had struck gold. When she said, Ah yes, the garden here! I was thrilled. Not only did the garden still exist but Mr Morris, the original owner, was at home. He invited me in to see the garden.

I discovered, with amazement, the intact bones of a late Seventies masterpiece. Certainly many borders have become overgrown, but there is no doubt that the underlying structure that Jakobsen laid down survives.

A lucky win

Having bought the house in 1967 at the tender age of 22, Michael Morris concentrated on getting the interior right before doing anything about the garden. He says: When I bought this house the builders had left it in a terrible state. It was horrible, really horrible we had to throw the kitchen out.

Fortunately a winning bet on the 1979 Greyhound Derby brought the garden into being: effectively, it was built by a fast greyhound called Sarahs Bunny.

It is a well-used and much-loved plot. Mr Morris has raised two families here and he clearly still loves the place.

Loved by many the garden is still going strong (Rii Schroer)

Its like being on holiday in a hotel and at home all at once, he says. Ive got the best of both worlds. There is always laughter and happiness in this garden at night it is wonderful.

He agrees that Jakobsen was famously uncompromising in his design approach. I found him difficult at times. He [Jakobsen] knew what he wanted.

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A private garden worth searching for