Classics

Classics is a stylish, interesting and varied collection of unique second hand and often rare vintage items for your garden. Displayed and sold at Hill House Nursery in Landscove, Classics is a new feature at the nursery and is proving very popular with not only gardeners, but anyone with an interest in Classic, well made, timeless pieces.

Hill House has been described as "magical" "amazing" "dream-like" and "special" by many people as it perfectly combines the opportunity to buy beautiful brilliantly grown plants from enthusiastic interesting people, try tasty treats from an award winning tea room, lounge and dream away an afternoon in an idyllic setting, watch languid and intriguing gold fish, mooch around old greenhouses filled with exotic inspiration and now take your pick from the Classics collection to inspire perhaps a new planting scheme or create an interesting or quirky feature in the garden.

The Classics collection is sourced from the UK and France.

"Hunting for pieces to sell at Hill House is an adventure in itself. Trying to find classic items that have been lost to secret places and that you can't just go in to a garden centre and buy is what makes the Classic collection original and special.  We're always in treasure hunting mode and our collection is sourced from the obvious to the most unlikely places; from auctions to hidden homes in France. Hunting for junk isn't as glamorous as it sounds but getting to work in the outdoors often and wear your wellies is fun and varied."

The Classics collection offers all kinds of inspiration for a finished garden scheme. Our riveted galvanised tanks are often used to display topiary and olive trees and some of the more unusual shaped tanks have been used to display standard roses or viburnums. The galvanised tanks look striking standing alone at the front of a property or even incorporated in a herbaceous planting scheme.  Our galvanised tubs and baths can be planted with annuals or bedding plants and often of our customers have used the zinc colouring and patina to enhance their planting schemes. Euphorbias and lavender look extra special in our galvanised pieces as well as ferns and geraniums.

This year, our French galvanised circular tubs and containers have been very popular. They are a flexible addition to any garden, courtyard or balcony. Often bought just for their elegance, customers soon find a use for them. This year there has been a particular interest in using our containers for marginal plants such as irises or marsh marigolds and some people have also been inspired to turn the containers in to gazing ponds.  Hill House is inspirational and normally visitors come and buy their plants and pieces from Classics leaving with the idea of a new project for their plot.

Enormous French coppers are a brilliant way to add aged but solid features in to the garden and often people who just want the old beautiful item will buy it to store water. Why have a plastic butt when you can have a beautifully aged one?!

Dressing the garden is important to people too and customers this year have been very keen on our original French wheelbarrows. Known as Brouettes in France, these wheelbarrows are strong and stylish with detachable sides. Historically they would not only have been used for gardening but also for transporting the washing to various 'lavoirs' or wash houses along the rivers in France.  Customers have bought our wheelbarrows for a variety of features including a spring display at the base of a tree with high sentimental value, for a centrepiece in a wedding garden, for using as it was intended but also just for prettying up a courtyard. They are lovingly built with stylish detail and excellent craftsmanship. 

French pieces are undoubtedly popular in the garden and Classics prides itself on being able to bring French style to Devon without the Southeast price tag. Particularly popular are our patio sets or "Salon de jardin". Made in fine ironwork with tabletops that conveniently detach from the base for easy moving, often muted French paintwork in attractive pastel colours, these patio sets can stay in the garden all year round. The designs reflect the fluid nature of planti