The gardening team - led by Head Gardener Andy Pullin and Deputy Head Gardener Matt Mace - will shortly commence the early stages of clearing the Mogford Lodge garden to prepare for its new landscape design. Previously known as Ashton House, the property has belonged to Corpus for centuries, but both the house and grounds had fallen into disrepair. Thanks to generous donations from Old Members, the College was able to restore the house to provide new student accommodation. We are very lucky that alumna and award-winning landscape designer Jo Thompson is overseeing a similar renovation of the garden.

Jo has produced her initial concepts for the new landscape at Mogford Lodge based on a careful survey of the property and existing plants, and after consulting with the Gardening Team and the Gardens Committee. Jo and her team have come up with a design that seeks to provide a restful space for students and visitors, using sustainable principles, naturalistic planting and a soft colour palette. The design concepts were presented to, and approved by, the Garden Committee, which is chaired by Fellow Professor Emma Spary.

Jo and her team established some key goals for the space, which include building a sense of connection between Newnham House and Mogford Lodge, creating areas for students to catch the sun and to enjoy being in nature, to retain some wilder areas around the property for wildlife, and to create new planting beds and other features. The proposed design makes maximum use of the space, with curved lawn areas, wildflower and bulb meadows, a wildlife walk, glades filled with woodland bulbs, meandering pathways and multiple seating options for studying, relaxing and socialising.

Matt says, "I think it's a beautiful synergy between thoughtful design and naturalism, which feels very soft and very expressive. It seems deliverable from a landscape management perspective, and fairly low maintenance. It's also going to provide good habitat for beneficial insects such as native bees and butterflies."

When Jo visited the site she was impressed by the variety of mature trees and the quietude of the site, especially given that it is on the busy Newnham Road. She was keen to incorporate as many of the existing garden features as possible, using them to define different 'rooms' throughout the property. Andy says, "I like the way the design uses these features that already exist to create pockets throughout, which will offer different sensory experiences. There's a mix of shade, light, maturity and openness. For example, there's a rough and rugged part of the garden that used to house a compost bin and it divides the Newnham House side from the Mogford Lodge side. That will now be a little woodland dell carpeted with low-growing bulbs that will naturalise over time."

Although the specific planting lists have not yet been finalised, Matt describes the proposed plant palette as 'quite romantic', with flowering plants in pastel shades of pink, blue, mauve and blue, punctuated with darker toned specimens such as purple alliums and scarlet tulips, as well as some new flowering shrubs and roses. In the wildflower areas, grass will be allowed to grow long, much like the meadows at Leckhampton, with native flowers blooming throughout the seasons. You can view the proposed concepts in the photo gallery below.

Creating the garden

Jo herself will be project managing the installation of the garden, with much of the work being done by Andy and Matt alongside specialist contractors. It is expected to be 'soft-launched' in mid-June, although the majority of the planting will take much more time to mature.

Matt will be cultivating some of the plants in the College greenhouse, which is located at Middleton House just around the corner from the site. He'll also be raising some annuals to fill in with colour whilst the permanent plantings settle in. (Matt used the College greenhouse to start many of the perennials and grasses now planted in the Leckhampton borders).

Decisions have not yet been made about any reconfiguration of the parking spaces, which are used by the staff at Old House.

The gardening team, pictured, includes from left: Kristian Dawson, Andy Pullin, Tim Bennett and Matt Mace (not pictured: Darren Controy-Littlechild).

About Jo Thompson

Jo (Modern Languages, m.1990) is an award-winning designer and plantswoman.

She established and developed her own garden design business, teaches at the London College of Garden Design, mentors aspiring gardeners and she has now written two books with a third commission underway. Her 2022 study on colour, The Gardener’s Palette, was named by The Sunday Times in its top gardening books of the year.

Jo has been awarded four Gold and five Silver Gilt medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and in 2017 she won the People’s Choice award at the first RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. She is also a member of the RHS Gardens Committee and Garden Advisor for RHS Rosemoor, an RHS judge, as well as being a member of the RHS Show Gardens Selection Panel. This year she will be designing a Chelsea Flower Show Garden for The Glasshouse charity.

You can read more about Jo and her time at Corpus in our Alumni Profiles.