When Candy George decided it was time to sell her big detached house in a quiet, tucked away spot in Riccall for something smaller, she knew she was going to miss her home of six years, and, most of all her beautiful garden, which she had painstakingly and lovingly created during that time.

“I’m not a gardener, really,” Candy says. “But I have loved putting the garden together, watching how it has become more beautiful each year.”

And very beautiful it is, too, a riot of colour and fragrance, alive with lavender, hydrangea, salvios, petunias, mimulus, winter jasmine, roses and clematis and surrounded by mature laburnum, rowan and silver birch trees (and there is even a grape vine or two).

If only, Candy told her friend, Anne Bean, she could lift the garden up and take it with her.

Well, now she can… in a manner of speaking.

Because Anne, knowing how much her friend loved the garden has recreated it – as a beautiful watercolour painting. “I was so touched.” Candy says, “I was really honoured because I know that in the past Anne has only done paintings for family members.

“It’s a really beautiful painting, it’s caught the garden exactly and I will always have it with me as a reminder.” In a nice touch, Anne has inscribed the back of the art work, entitled Candy’s garden, with the words: “Painted for my dear friend, so she may always have the summer.”

Candy smiles at the date on the back of the painting. March 11, 2011. “Anne gave me the painting on that date – and that was my birthday and she didn’t know.”

The painting is certainly a fine reminder of what is a very fine garden. And Candy has created a lovely room to make the most of the garden. Once the garden started to bloom she had floor to ceiling windows placed either side of big French-style garden doors so that almost the whole length of the south-facing side of the living room is a window on the world (or that great garden at least).

This room, like the rest of the house, is simply lovely; light and bright and immaculately presented, with a feature fireplace and ceiling coving adding to the character. It’s not hard to see how lovely it must be to sit in this room and look out on that sun-drenched garden through the open French doors.

But, it should be said, this house is about more than the garden and a super living room. There is lots of space, lots of light and all presented in show-home style.

The breakfast kitchen, for instance, is another highlight of the house. It has an excellent range of base and wall units with wine rack, corner display shelving and a host of integrated appliances, including a fridge/freezer, washing machine and dishwasher.

And there’s more – with a smart dining room which has internal French doors opening on to the kitchen and creating a lovely flow to the ground floor.

There is also a good-sized study to the front of the house, with a range of smart fitted office furniture. Fitted furnishings feature on the first floor, too, especially in what turns out to be the second wow factor of Candy’s home, the master bedroom suite.

This is a brilliant space which runs from back to front of the house with the main bedroom area looking out over the garden and then flowing into a big dressing area which has fitted full length wardrobes and a separate dressing table.

This in turn opens into the en-suite bathroom with bath and walk-in corner shower. There is also a house shower room – and both bathrooms are contemporary and smartly fitted.

There are two further double bedrooms here – one of them, again, with fitted wardrobes – both a good size and once more beautifully presented.

“I haven’t decluttered to sell the house,” Candy says, “I just don’t like clutter!”

She doesn’t do dark, either, so the house, like the garden, is light and bright everywhere. Add in the fact that the property is tucked away in a small, private cul-de-sac development behind electrically-operated gates – and has a garage as well as good parking area – then you have a super package.

“I will be sorry to leave”, Candy says. “I have been very happy here. But, thanks to Anne, I will have a lovely memory to take with me.”


At a glance

Wordsworth House, Fountains Close, Riccall

Reception rooms: Three
Bedrooms: Three
Bathrooms: Two
Gardens: Hard-standing drive to front – and brilliant, colourful and pretty garden to the back Wow factor: The super living room created to make the most of that stunning garden
Price: £299,950
Contact: Red Move. Telephone: 01904 488444.