Brobury House, Bredwardine June 20 and May 22

[lugg]

So hooray gardens are starting to open up again in England after lockdown. Last Sunday I thought I would pop in for a quick visit to Brobury House gardens, which is very near to my favourite farm shop. Although I have passed it umpteen times, I have never visited it before. I planned to spend about an hour there which would allow me enough time to get to the farm shop before it closed. I thought it would be time enough as it is a fairly small garden.
It had been raining on and off all day and I think this had put many people off from visiting, but as I arrived the weather cleared. The car park was pretty empty so I felt quite relieved as I would not have to worry too much about the 2 meter distancing rules. (In fact there were only 3 other people there at the same time as me)
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From the car park it is a short walk to the house, passing some magnificent trees and some of the holiday cottages that are available to rent. (… Just in case any AP’s are ever thinking about staying in Herefordshire)
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I am not sure how this rhododendron ended up being hosted in this Pissordii tree but I guess it was happy being there
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Blue Cedar

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The gardens surround Brobury House – a Victorian turreted house built in in 1881 for a family from Manchester. Originally, the land formed part of a vegetable garden for the vicarage of St Andrews Church, Bredwardine which is just across the River Wye. The grounds total 8 acres, some is formally planted, much of it is less formal with many magnificent trees and water gardens and wild flower/ water meadows. The gardens are terraced as the grounds lead down to the banks of the River Wye. Entrance fees are a very reasonable £6 and were paid by contactless technology after I knocked on the door of the house. Such a warm welcome from the current owner, Pru Cartwright who I met again later on, just emphasised that I was visiting the gardens of a real home and family. She pointed out several places where I could escape the rain if necessary.
So I will show you the house itself first. Sometimes I find Victorian buildings to be quite grim but I think this house is pleasing to the eye. The house is a family home and is not open to the public at any time; it is not closed because of Covid.
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Ok – enough of the house, time to walk around the gardens.
I first passed by this lovely rhododendron and then walked through an archway to the lawns and various borders in front of the house. The smell of all the flowers was just so good.
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Time to wander on … more to come.

[mich64]

Absolutely lovely Lugg.

[bixaorellana]

This truly feels like "the next best thing to being there", Lugg, with your careful coverage and always excellent photography.

The grounds seems to be a real triumph in that they are formal enough to fit with the house, yet give the welcoming feeling of a family home. So much of the plantings give the impression of being there because of good old preference -- the mix of colors for instance -- rather than the over-perfection of a designer installation. I love all the exuberant spillage and fluffiness right there with the precision-cut hedges.

Your flower portraits are of course gorgeous -- that rhododendron and the white peony are wow. Those are Agapanthus in the last picture, right? They're really open and different than most -- like a row of sparklers.

I scrutinized the trees, all of which are impressive. But what strikes me is that some of them seem a good bit younger than the house. I wonder if this property was hit by the big storm in 1987.

Looking forward to more!

[kerouac2]

Lovely. Now I am wondering if any of their gardening benefits from a government subsidy since the grounds are open to the public. Of course when you own a house like that, you are generally so filthy rich than you can pay for your own gardening, but generally the wealthy are very clever about optimising any aid that they can get.

[bjd]

Lovely pictures, Lugg. I do wonder how many gardeners they have.

[lugg]

Thank you

Jun 19, 2020 2:35:00 GMT bixaorellana said:

Those are Agapanthus in the last picture, right? They're really open and different than most -- like a row of sparklers.

I think they are Alliums Bixa and passed their best but I do have some apaganthus in bud to show you later. Thank you for the id of the white peony - I have not seen one before and it was bugging me as to what it was - I knew I should know !

Jun 19, 2020 2:35:00 GMT bixaorellana said:

scrutinized the trees, all of which are impressive. But what strikes me is that some of them seem a good bit younger than the house. I wonder if this property was hit by the big storm in 1987.

Yes possibly =- I am not sure but I noticed that too.

Jun 19, 2020 5:01:13 GMT kerouac2 said:

Now I am wondering if any of their gardening benefits from a government subsidy since the grounds are open to the public.

Sorry K2 I am not sure. I am not even sure if the family are particularly wealthy - the current owners both worked for the NHS . But they may have family money maybe ? In Herefordshire we have many houses / land that is bought up by out of area people; moving froma 3 bed house in a good part of London will offer many opportunities here due to the price differentials.

Jun 19, 2020 6:08:48 GMT bjd said:

I do wonder how many gardeners they have.

A quick look at the website answers this question - they have a head gardener supported by a team of three. When I met the owner she was very quick to point out that my congratulations were all down to the team and that she really appreciates them.

[fumobici]

Beautiful photos, thank you! Opinions will vary but mid-late June may be the very best time for many gardens.

[bixaorellana]

Jun 19, 2020 17:10:02 GMT lugg said:

I think they are Alliums Bixa and passed their best but I do have some apaganthus in bud to show you later. Thank you for the id of the white peony - I have not seen one before and it was bugging me as to what it was - I knew I should know !

Yeah, I was kind of proud of myself for that! Yet more proof about a proud spirit going before a fall, as I'm quite embarrassed about not recognizing those Alliums.

[lugg]

Jun 20, 2020 16:22:25 GMT bixaorellana said:

Yeah, I was kind of proud of myself for that! Yet more proof about a proud spirit going before a fall, as I'm quite embarrassed about not recognizing those Alliums.

oops It is very rare though Bixa that you get your plant ID wrong - probably my pic

Jun 20, 2020 15:01:15 GMT fumobici said:

Opinions will vary but mid-late June may be the very best time for many gardens.

thank you - yes I agree certainly for my own it is so true

[lugg]

Hoping to post more tomorrow - just been a bit crazy last few days.

[bixaorellana]

Jun 22, 2020 19:33:47 GMT lugg said:

It is very rare though Bixa that you get your plant ID wrong - probably my pic

Did you ever stop to think that you might be pathologically polite? That is waaay too kind.

[lugg]

Jun 22, 2020 19:38:33 GMT bixaorellana said:

Did you ever stop to think that you might be pathologically polite? That is waaay too kind.

Ha maybe I am / maybe I'm not - just meet me on a bad day

[lugg]

I probably should have posted this earlier but wondered if this would help give a better feel of the gardens. It has tested my IT skills certainly but will help me to frame this thread better.
So far, looking at the map we have visited the areas marked 1 and are now heading to No 2 which has some more formal planting but also the kitchen garden.

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I wish that I had been here a few weeks earlier to see these, often huge, Alliums in full bloom; there were remnants of colour left in places, particularly on the eastern facing borders.

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Also the wisteria walk would have been fabulous I imagine a just a few weeks ago

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Looking down and away from the house you get a glimpse of a very different area,

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A closer look,

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And then up the steps to the kitchen garden.

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Russian Tarragon and Parsley

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Apricots and Peas

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The greenhouse was closed due to Covid – but I had a peak in (anyone know what this plant is – presume an herb?)

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I thought these stakes for the agapanthus were just fab

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A few other flowers in this area – Morning Glory – Star of Yalta, so delicate

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Moving back towards the house and looking back towards the kitchen garden, the lady of the house was collecting goodies for her dinner.

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Ok time to move on again to No 3.

[bjd]

We use those twirly stakes for tomato plants in France but using them for agapanthus is smart. Mine are mostly lying on the ground right now.

[kerouac2]

This all looks excellent to me and makes me think that I should make more of an effort to visit more official gardens around Paris, of which there must be a zillion.

[breeze]

Lugg, how nice to see a garden without crowds. I couldn't find out who originally designed the garden, but I'm sure the current designer deserves a lot of credit for what's there now.

I just read about a purple-podded pea and now you've shown me how really purple the pods are.

The plant you asked about it salvia sclarea, clary sage, which is worth its place even after its blooms are over because the bracts are eye-catching.

[lugg]

Bjd - Oh I can see how they may be used for tomatoes .K2 - yes please,. Thanks Breeze for the id of Clary Sage - I am now going to see if I can find a plant for my garden. I think because it is / has always been a family home the history of the garden designers has been lost. I do know that the current owners have enlisted a local person and he has designed some of the most recent additions . www.peterantonius.com/Landscaping.html

[lugg]

Ok time to move on again to No 3 and No 4 on the map.
At this point we are moving down towards the river and the planting and design adjusts accordingly. To set the scene; this is the Wye from the bridge which is just about on the boundary of Brobury house. It was the first brick built bridge over the River Wye. Brobury gardens and house are to the left of the pic. More about the house you can see in the centre later.

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The water meadows and water features play a huge role in this part if the garden and it makes the most of the magnificent views across the Wye and beyond. As ever one of the joys is the seating areas and the views ,

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There are some beautiful trees – some of which might fool you into thinking it is Autumn

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Does this make you want to become / continue to be a tree hugger?

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This area is also planted with rhododendrons

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Ok down the steps to the water meadows and the water features that have been created from the brook that runs down to the Wye

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There are some exceptional ferns planted here too,

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Further along the path towards No 4 I can get a better look at the house across the river I mentioned earlier at the start of this section. This is the rectory at Bredwardine and the church is St Andrews which once owned the grounds that Brobury house and its garden now occupies.

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And this is where a quite famous Victorian diarist, Robert Francis Kilvert and wannabe poet ended his days. Kilvert died aged 38 in 1879 and his diaries were not published for many reasons until the end of the 1930s. there is also a TV series about him and his work ..
For anyone who would like to know more , a good starting place

www.theguardian.com/books/2008/jan/19/fiction6
and
www.goodreads.com/book/show/1374190.Kilvert_s_Diary_1870_1879

…there was also a TV series in the late 70s that I remember enjoying … I need to find a link but I doubt it is available now .
Anyway onwards to No 4 – here the stream leading downb to the Wye has been excavated to form a series of ponds that attract wildlife.
On the way to them I past this stand of silver birch , a fairly recent addition I guess but a tree that I am particularly fond of , it looks quite magical I think

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So to the ponds and a few damsel flies both real and sculptured

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I headed back to more formal areas 5 and 6 to follow.

[bixaorellana]

Oh, Lugg! I only glanced at this yesterday, then immediately decided it needed full attention so set it aside until today.

I would like to respond intelligently, but my sincere gut response is just how much I adore it!

This is so much of what a great garden can be and a true, sterling example of English gardening. You know my actual experience of English gardens is limited, but I have a lifetime of wearing out my eyes gobbling up pictures of them. This one just has it all in the best possible way and you were the best possible person to document it.

I think lots of regular gardeners reflexively reject formal gardens because we don't have enough space in our regular-size gardens to incorporate more than one or two styles. But looking at the triumph of garden design you show here, it's obvious that the formal areas are an integral part of the overall artistry. You only have to look at the 3rd picture in #43 to understand how its exquisite peace and order enhance not only the design, but the enjoyment of the garden.

I'm in awe of how you framed and selected your photos to give us the illusion that we're traveling through the garden with you. And it's wonderful how you've included the borrowed landscape in order to show the overall picture.

As far as individual pictures or sequences ~ you've surpassed yourself again! That set of the agapanthus & supports is so wonderful, and the royal velvet dahlia is beyond lush. I love where you've peeked through foliage to frame a view and also the long views of landscapes. But then, when I thought it couldn't get any better, there are your trees! Just fabulously enjoyable, Lugg. Can't wait for more.

[fumobici]

I'm not sure which is better: this beyond wonderful garden, or your luscious photos of it. English gardens at their best like this are simply on another level from anyone else's.

[bjd]

What Bixa and Fumobici said. The best English gardens are indeed the best anywhere.

[mossie]

Yes, some super pictures. Thanks for this tour of a proper set of gardens.

[kerouac2]

And not a person in sight -- even better!

[lugg]

Thank you all - I am so glad that you like it as much as I do. Bixa as ever your detailed reply makes me look at it what I have posted again through new eyes so thank you so much . There were only 3 other people there at the same time as me and they left before me. One of them I know from a photography group I am in ... she has posted some amazing photos as have others . For anyone who has face book the link is below

www.facebook.com/pg/broburyhouseandgardens/posts/

Anyway back in the next day or so to complete this report.

[tod2]

Everything is so splendid. Words fail me Lugg. That blue dragonfly was National Geographic worthy!

[lugg]

Thank you Tod

[lugg]

Ok last section. Back to the more formal.
No 5 – I found the rose of my dreams and was taken aback by a tree that I don’t think I have seen before. Apologies in advance for any skew-whiff pics …... hopefully the 3rd image below explains/ shows why ,

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The pink rose is pretty but wow the red – I know now that it is Rosa Altissimo and here it is in all its glory.
Pink = Bantry Bay
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Rosa Altissimo
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I have to stop … 

Onwards and upwards ..

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…looking back from various viewpoints


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Another twist

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First glimpse of the Cornus Kousa – it might be common in some parts of the world but not so much in Herefordshire, so it certainly caught my eye

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And so to the end – No 6 – and a final water feature

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I absolutely loved Brobury and will definitely return to see it in a different season.

[cheerypeabrain]

Ooooh I want to visit! Stunning pictures Lugg, what a beautiful place. Definitely worth a visit.

[bixaorellana]

Whoooo, Lugg ~ you have left me panting and fanning myself!

A question first: are those fuchsias in the picture immediately after the sequence on the red climbing rose?

This report, well, homage to Brobury is a masterpiece and that last section is a truly worthy grand finale. I could definitely see your pictures set to music with perhaps an ephemeral master gardener playing the conductor: point the trowel just there on the brick archway for a burst of white roses, then a swoop to indicate a tad more of the same on the opposite side.

Thank you for so lovingly depicting the red climber which I am now also in love with. And whoever made the decision to have that delicate pink climber on the left to prepare the eye for the crescendo of the red was truly inspired.

Ditto for giving the dogwood its due. So grand!

Of all the many things I love in this report, I think the three vistas shown right after your heading "…looking back from various viewpoints" knock me out the most. Sheer perfection.

You have simultaneously re-whetted my appetite for visiting more English gardens and intimidated me, as you've set the bar for garden reporting so very high.

[bjd]

Lovely ending to this report, Lugg. I particularly like the white climbing rose on the stone bridge.

They do look like fuchsias, Bixa.