Visit...‘StocktonBuryGardens,
Kimbolton,Leominster
(stocktonbury.co.uk).A four-acre
sitewhichincludesa kitchen
garden,watergardensand
inspirationalborders.’
Shop...‘RossGardenStore,just
outsideRoss-on-Wye
(rossgardenstore.com).It’shoused
ina charmingoldengineshed.’
Goforteaat...‘Trumpet
CornerTeaRoom,Parkhold
CottageinLedbury
(trumpetcorner.co.uk)for
delicioushomemadecakes
alongside work by local artists.’On Our dOOrstep...Asmallvegetablegarden
witha scarecrow
watchingoverrowsof
broadbeans,dahliasfor
cutting and salad crops.
adjoiningfield.‘Petesuggestedplantinga foxglovetreebythe
pond– it is vigorousandhaslargejungle-likeleavesthathide
unwantedviews,’shesays.Fast-growingbutcontrollableshrubs
suchasbuddlejahavealsobeenstrategicallyplaced.Thepath
windspastthewildlifepondthroughbedsthatpeakfrom
midsummerwithEryngiumtripartitum, coneflowers,salvias,
heleniums,Verbenabonariensis,Echinops,Veronicastrumand
fennel.Thereis alsohoneybush,smokebushandCerciscanadensis
‘ForestPansy’thatfiltersthelightbeautifullyinlatesummer.‘When
I firstgardened,I tendedtothinkonlyofflowers,thenrealisedhow
importantfoliageis,becauseflowerscanbesoveryfleeting.
Finally,thepathleadsthrougha whitebeamarchintoa smallpotagerwithstepoverapplecordons,raspberries,potsofherbs,
courgettesperchedatopwoodencrates,flowersforcutting,and
alongtunneltosupportrunnerbeans.Separatedfromthe
potagerbyespalieredappletreesis a tinycottagegarden
brimmingwithflowersinsoftshadesofpink,blueandpurple.
Thebedsareseparatedbynarrowpaths,restrictedfurtherby
waywardalchemillaandthecatmint,Nepeta‘Walker’sLow’.‘It’s
justa massoflavenderblueflowersthatthebeeslove,’shesays.
Suecannotimaginea lifewithoutplantstonurture,andstartseachdaybywalkingaroundhergarden.‘Thereis always
somethingnewtosee,andI neverfailtobeamazedathowa tiny
seedcanproducesomethingwonderfulinsucha shorttime.’
ChurchCottage,Hentland,Ross-on-Wye,Herefordshireopensinaidof
theNationalGardenScheme(ngs.org.uk)between 28 May and 14 August
on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons (2-5pm).>
HeRefoRdSHiRe GARdeN