HIDDEN GARDENS OF HEREFORDSHIRE
On 30th June ODGC welcomed back Alun and Jill Whitehead, proprietors of Aulden Farm, a three acre informal country garden planted with wildlife in mind.
Aided by a delightful slideshow Alun and Jill took us on a whistle stop tour of twenty seven of Herefordshire’s gardens, large and small, some well known, others less so.
In early Spring snowdrop displays can be found at Ivycroft, a small nursery specialising in unusual plants, the National Trust’s Weir garden and Lyndalls, a twenty three acre garden boasting a lake as well as one of the finest snowdrop collections in the county.
Later in the year The Old Rectory at Thruxton has a fine collection of irises, there are tulip and camassia meadows at Titley Mill followed by roses. Old roses drip romantically from the ruined walls of Wilton Castle with a pretty garden surrounding the adjoining manor house.
Interesting water features are found at Bryan’s Ground, a remodeled Arts and Crafts garden, with its serpentine edged canal and follies, The Court of Noke at Pembridge with its C17 garden and T-shaped canal and Lawless Hill, Sellack, a garden with a Japanese ambience and an infinity pool. The charming half timbered village of Eardisland has its own collection of gardens by the river Arrow, including Glan Arrow with a herringbone haha and white garden.
The houses are of great interest also, varying from cottages to Victorian and Arts and Crafts. Perrycroft, Malvern, is an Arts and Crafts house designed by CFA Voysey. Although not a garden designer Voysey’s houses were designed to blend seamlessly with their gardens. He designed the benches and gates at Perrycroft as well as the internal fittings.
These gardens are a taste of the hidden delights revealed by Alun and Jill. Click here for a link to the list.
Ghislaine Arundale
