Visit the gardens

What to see...

Our orchard hosts several productive apple and pear trees, underplanted with a perennial wildflower meadow, including ox-eye daises, clover and wild carrot. In spring, it is studded with tiny narcissus and fritillaries under the apple blossom. 

At the top of the garden wide borders and beds draw the eye with drifts of colour, from tulips in spring, through summer herbaceous to late season grasses. In the centre of the garden, gravel beds are host to sun loving Pulsatillas, Baptisias and Eryngiums. A bench by our wildlife pond is a favourite spot to sit and chat with a friend or watch sapphire damsel flies hover over the lily pads. 

Through the old cottage garden, a pergola leads through the bold colours of the exotic (ish) garden with its bananas, bamboos and palms to a brick arched gateway.

The walled garden is a recent highlight, built in 2022 entirely from reclaimed Cheshire brick. Home to a fine greenhouse, we grow most of our own veg and fruit in this part of the garden, including apricots and our beloved damsons. From the warmth of the walled garden, a spectacular moongate leads to a cool, shady woodland garden, home to a collection of shade-loving perennials.

The bluebell woods, accessed from the far end of the car park, are open during April and May. The bluebells usually flower from mid-April to mid-May - we'll post an update on the home page when they are in flower. Entry to the bluebell woods is free - we do ask that you keep dogs on a short lead and to stay on the path. Thank you :-).

Nature and wildlife

We consciously aim to make the garden look beautiful and to be a haven for wildlife too. We love knowing that other living creatures live here alongside us, and isn't it a joy to see bees and butterflies flitting through the borders? Birds especially are a delight here, we see over 50 different birds in a typical year. Surrounded by woods, water and fields, the garden acts as a natural buffet with a rich variety of berries, seeds and insects to feed on as well as hedges and trees to nest in.

Of course, we don't use any pesticides or chemical fertilisers on the nursery or gardens. When selecting new plants for the garden we think about colour and height, but also about their value to wildlife. Do they produce pollen or nectar? Do they produce seeds? How well do they stand in winter to provide shelter for invertebrates?  These are the questions that shape our choices when choosing plants, as well as colour and shape for us to enjoy.

We like having different areas in the garden to create the right zones for plants that need different habitats, and this also gives the widest range to wildlife. Short grass is perfect for blackbirds to find worms. Long grass gives stems for butterflies to lay eggs and pupate. Wide borders provide a range of nectar-rich plants and our two ponds provide the all important water supply for wildlife to drink, bathe and breed. Thrushes like to pick through the stones in our gravel garden while wrens enjoy the dense shrubs which surround the shade garden. Tall trees give a high perch for song thrushes to sing from while lower trees such as rowans provide berries for our winter visitors, redwings and fieldfares.

We love sharing our garden with human visitors and also with all the wildlife that lives here and visits us through the year. It's part of what makes it special.