Giles Hoey

Planting Design & Consultancy

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The Lost Kitchen

This ambitious project transformed a former cider barn into a restaurant, necessitating a design that harmonised planting for guests to enjoy with edible crops for the kitchen.

Nestled in the village of Chettiscombe, near the Devon town of Tiverton, The Lost Kitchen is a wood-fired restaurant housed in a traditional Linhay and former cider barn built in the 1800s.

The brief required a seasonally impactful planting scheme that would delight and engage the customers, while encouraging as much biodiversity as possible to the formally barren farm yard. 

Lost kitchen garden design nepeta herbs galvanised pots

Drifts of perennials were planted around the terrace paths, wildflowers sown into the challenging bank and specimen trees were introduced — Magnolia loebneri ​‘Merrill’, Malus ​‘Evereste’ and Mespilus germanica.

A selection of heritage apple varieties were planted as espaliers along the terrace border, a specimen Szechuan pepper shrub (Zanthoxylum simulans) and selection of culinary herbs were planted in every available corner. Pots and reclaimed water tanks were filled with pelargonium sidiodes, nepeta racemosa and albuca shawii, which softened the still agricultural edges.

The project was a resounding success and continues to to thrill guests as The Lost Kitchen goes from strength to strength.

Lost kitchen cottage garden planting design alliums

Giles’ exceptional craftsmanship in establishing the English kitchen garden at The Lost Kitchen has profoundly enriched our dining experience, offering a seasonal feast for the senses. His meticulous design of beds and potager and vibrant wildflower bank, not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of our surroundings but also provides a sustainable source of fresh produce for our seasonal menus. Every flourishing plant and blooming flower embodies Giles’ dedication to creating a harmonious blend of beauty and functionality. We are immensely grateful for his contribution, which continues to delight our guests and staff alike. His invaluable advice and expertise were instrumental in crafting the space that greets our customers, inviting them to sit within and look out to and beyond.

Aurora Aykroyd, The Lost Kitchen