Garden Visits in 2009
April: Abbotswood and Mill Dene, Gloucestershire
A new venture for us was an early spring outing. Abbotswood’s beautifully maintained beds were full of early colour and the garden featured a very effective formal area and parterre. After lunch we visited a contrasting steep garden of small rooms, each with distinctive features and planting in the delightful village of Blockley.
May: Melplash Court and The Mill House, Dorset
Melplash was a stunning stone manor house surrounded by formal and informal gardens displaying softly coloured planting, woods and a meandering shady stream whose banks were full of brightly coloured water plants. In contrast The Mill House was a smaller garden, mainly created by the present owners, which still contained many of its original mill features, a wonderful walled secret garden, and a steeply banked area of hot borders in striking reds and softer pinks.
June: Chastleton Glebe and Upton Wold, Gloucestershire
Probably the highlight of the season for those attending was Prue Leith’s magical garden with the large lake set off by the red Chinese pagoda, the huge walled kitchen garden and grand hot borders filled with roses and peonies. The celebrity cook herself welcomed us with an introduction to the house and guided us around the garden. A delicious lunch prepared by her was then served under the fragrant pergola. The afternoon saw us at Upton Wold, whose initial scheme had been devised by Brenda Colvin. Blessed with a most breathtaking setting this was a truly magnificent garden featuring numerous stunning beds and borders, water features and vistas as well as the fascinating arboretum.
July: Corscombe House and Chideock Manor, Dorset
Two contrasting gardens showi ng the diversity of talent in the UK. Secluded Corscombe was a delightful series of small enclosed rooms each featuring different planting or landscaped elements, one of which featured an oriental theme. On a much grander scale was Chideock in its impressive landscaped setting. Here the owners had created lots of surprises – elegant walkways dripping with roses and clematis, a substantial bog garden, charming old garden buildings and a romantic formal area. Attached to the house was a fascinating Italianate church which we were also able visit followed by a substantial tea.
August: Kelmscott Manor, Inglesham Church and Radcot Garden, Oxfordshire
The day began with a visit to Inglesham Church where William Morris had been active in its restoration. This was followed by a tour of historic Kelmscott Manor and there was time to view the garden which featured a recent restoration of the original scheme and various garden buildings and implements used at the time of Morris’s residency. A most sociable lunch was enjoyed in the elegant conservatory at Radcot House, followed by a guided tour by the owner of this modern creation which featured unusual sculpture, a long striking canal, a dry garden and well thought out beds full of late summer colour.
September: Hillesley House and Kiftsgate, Gloucestershire
The first garden was a walk through a romantic secluded walled space with the enthusiastic and very knowledgeable head gardener. The beds were full of late autumn colour from asters and dahlias and there were many beautiful trees and some very quirky topiary. After lunch in Chipping Campden the highlight of the day was the beautiful garden at Kiftsgate, created by three generations of women gardeners. The stunning setting, contrasting ponds, sunken gardens and exceptional planting of unusual varieties, as well as the tempting plants on sale added up to a very satisfying day.
October: Philip Green Memorial Garden and Edmondsham House and Garden
The morning was devoted to seeing a garden originally designed by Gertrude Jekyll which is currently being lovingly restored. The hard landscaping was imposing and the replanting was following Jekyll’s original drawings, copies of which hang in the hall, as much as possible. The traditional lunch at the Fleur de Lys in Cranborne was exceptionally good. The afternoon visit to the 16th century Edmondsham House and Garden was fascinating as the owner showed us many articles belonging to her family through the centuries. The head gardener guided us around the large walled garden, explaining the history of the planting, his success with their most gigantic dahlias, and his plans for the future.
