reviews of British gardens and nurseries, large and small.
"The best example of formal terraced gardens in Scotland" is a somewhat lofty claim. But honestly, when I arrived at dawn on a very cold and frosty morning last week I was in total agreement as I quite literally almost wept for joy at seeing the expansive gardens and topiary laid out before me, as... Continue Reading →
Gravetye Manor, on the Kent/Sussex border was built in 1598 and is a fine example of Elizabethan architecture. It was bought in 1885 by William Robinson, an early advocate of the naturalistic planting style that has since been copied in gardens across the world. During his time at Gravetye, Robinson created the sloping gardens to... Continue Reading →
Situated in the shadow of the Malvern Hills, the Old Court Nurseries and Picton Garden are a family-run treasure that have evolved over three generations. Established in 1906 by Ernest Ballard, an early breeder of Asters, the garden was taken over by Percy Picton in 1947 who managed the garden for nearly ten years before... Continue Reading →
Bridge Nursery in Napton, Warwickshire is one of those places that is frequently advertised as being open under the National Gardens Scheme and yet I never seem to have managed to visit! Until now, that is, and I am so glad that I finally made the trip. Napton is derived from the old English cnaepp meaning 'hilltop'... Continue Reading →
A mellow Cotswold stone house sitting handsomely in surrounding parkland is most likely to be high on many people's list of 'dream house & garden' combinations. Situated near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, the garden at Rockcliffe is open only once or twice a year and is well worth a visit. The grassy steps leading up to... Continue Reading →
If you happen to live in Northamptonshire or Oxfordshire you may possibly have heard of Wappenham, but I would like to bet that not many people know of this village's existence. It's a tiny village - sadly no pub or shop but what it does have is a number of jolly nice gardens. We were... Continue Reading →
Cottesbrooke Hall and Gardens are open on Wednesdays and Thursdays which is not much good if one works full time! Luckily the gardens are also open under the National Gardens Scheme once a year and we were lucky enough to be in the area at the right time this year. The Queen Anne house... Continue Reading →
The walled city of Taroudant lies in the Sous Valley in South West of Morocco. Overlooked by both the Atlas and Anti Atlas mountains, this ancient city is often compared to Marrakesh. We were in the area to take a look around some of the private gardens in Taroudant, many of them designed by French... Continue Reading →
Thousands of crocus tommasinianus are the main reason for a February garden visit to Little Court garden in the pretty village of Crawley near Winchester in Hampshire. Owner Patricia Elkington has been opening in aid of the National Garden Scheme since 1984 and this year she will be generously welcoming visitors from February to June.... Continue Reading →
Wollerton Old Hall near Shrewsbury, Shropshire is a 16th Century house, embellished with beams and oozing history and character. The gardens are approached via a tree-lined gravel drive which ends with a flourish in front of the Tudor house, where innumerable pots and containers are planted with exuberant colour. Wollerton Old Hall has been home... Continue Reading →
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