Midsummer Gardens

An almost perfect combination of warm spells, occasional rain and lack of strong wind has brought forth a mass of garden colour - both blooms and blossom.

Longhope Gardens

In a small Gloucestershire village, sited in valley with wonderful views, 4 well planted gardens with different planting styles were open to the public:

Chessgrove Cottage a delightful garden with spectacular views and access to 12 acres of surrounding woodland.

3 Church Road was long garden divided into rooms with large collection of hardy geraniums.

 Springfield House, a large enclosed terraced garden with wide variety of shrubs and trees mingling with sweeping borders and a wildlife pond.

Woodbine Cottage was a tranquil garden with traditional planting. 

Hanley Swan Gardens

Just over the border, in Worcestershire, we found five assorted gardens in Hanley Swan. The village green was bedecked with bunting and covered in stalls celebrating someones 90^th birthday.

Blackmore Grange was by far the largest. A two acre informal garden packed with tradition, plants, shrubs and trees. A swimming pool has been transformed into the stable yard garden, with traditional cottage-style planting. There’s a woodland walk, wild area, orchard, kitchen garden and mixed borders.

Chasewood has lavender and old fashioned roses. A gravel garden with an Iris and Thyme walk, a collection of Bonsai and Coach Built Prams.

Meadow Bank is a modern interpretation of a cottage garden, with a hot border, Dahlias grown and collections of Iris and Auriculas.

The Paddocks is a wildlife garden with ponds, a tadpole nursery, mixed borders, and a collection of cacti and succulents.

19 Winnington Gardens, one of our favourites, is a garden of rooms. Mixed borders for all seasons enclosed with climbing roses, a small oriental garden, trained fruit trees, raised herb bed with a special standard gooseberry bush. Not to mention the venue for tea n cake J

Atcombe Court

Finishing back nearer home, at South Woodchester, we find Atcombe Court a 12-acre grounds around C17 house with later, yet imposing, Regency front with incredible views over the Stroud valley, also comprises lakes, mature trees and paddocks. There are terraced herbaceous borders, lawns, extensive shrubberies, cutting garden mostly annuals and a long peony border. Backing onto Atcombe there are woodland walks through Beechwood.