Previously known as Ashton House, Mogford Lodge belonged to the College for centuries. The building has recently been transformed into new student accommodation. Jo Thompson, an alumna of Corpus Cristi College, has been invited to oversee the renovation of the gardens with a design that incorporates sustainable principles, naturalistic planting and one of her signature colour palettes.
The proposed new landscape was created following consultation with the College’s gardens team and gardens committee and an extensive survey of the property and existing plants. The diverse variety of mature trees and the quietude of the site will be incorporated into the new design, as will many of the existing garden features.
Speaking about the design, Thompson said: “It’s an honour to be designing a garden for my old college. The garden is surrounded by beautiful trees and so the starting point for the design takes inspiration from this setting. I want the garden to have the feel of a woodland glade, and as ever this is a gentle intervention, working with what is already there. There is a journey around the garden inspired by the idea of contemplative walks as well as places to gather and places to sit quietly and enjoy nature.”
Areas have been created to encourage students to catch the sun and to enjoy being in nature, fostering a sense of well-being and relieving some of the pressures brought on during the intense academic terms at Cambridge. Some wilder areas around the property have been introduced to help encourage and support wildlife. The new design ensures 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.
The planting lists are still being finalised, but the proposed plant palette will be 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. The garden will be finished in mid-June, although the majority of the planting will take much more time to mature.
The College gardening team is led by Head Gardener Andy Pullin and Deputy Head Gardener Matt Mace and they will shortly commence the early stages of clearing the garden to prepare for the new landscape design. Speaking about the new design Mace, said, “I think it’s a beautiful synergy between thoughtful design and naturalism, which feels very soft and very expressive. It’s going to provide good habitat for beneficial insects such as native bees and butterflies.”
Andy Pullin, added, “I like the way the design uses features that already exist to create pockets throughout, which will offer different sensory experiences. There’s a mix of shade, light, maturity and openness.”
With her small studio team, Jo Thompson works on projects ranging, from residential family gardens, historic landscapes, public spaces, country estates, rooftop terraces to urban boltholes. Current design projects include the regeneration of the historic walled gardens at Water Lane in Kent, the Winter Garden at RHS Rosemoor, The Glasshouse Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 and the planting strategy at Highgate Cemetery in London with Gustafson Porter + Bowman. Thompson is the recipient of four Gold and five Silver Gilt medals from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and People’s Choice at RHS Chatsworth Flower Show in 2017. She is a member of the RHS Gardens Committee and is Garden Advisor for RHS Rosemoor, as well as being a member of the RHS Show Gardens Selection Panel and an RHS Shows Judge. Author of The Gardener’s Palette and The New Romantic Garden, Thompson writes a weekly gardening newsletter, The Gardening Mind on Substack.