All gardens evolve but sometimes change is forced upon them. At Brockworth Court, the arrival of the box moth caterpillar has forced a rethink in some of the areas of this unusual and varied garden near Gloucester.
Some parterres and hedges have already been removed with others likely to go in the next few months. Yet, sad though this is, owner Tim Wiltshire, who has created the garden with his wife, Bridget, can see some positives in the changes. Removing a parterre in the south garden has allowed them to create a flower bed that is full of colour and which links to existing beds while he’s not sure they will replace box hedging that’s about to go in the rose garden.
“We might just not have hedges at all,” he tells me. “They do take up a lot of space and I’m not sure now I would put them in again.”
Likewise, removing box hedging along the drive will allow the grasses and shrubs behind to be seen more clearly and is not as much of a blow now the planting there is mature.
In some ways, removing these formal elements fits more closely with the garden’s style. It’s managed with a light touch and completely organically. With the couple looking after the one-and-a-half acres without outside help it does mean they are relaxed about the odd weed.
“We certainly don’t over-manicure and that’s part of the concept that it’s very, very naturalistic, so it’s not looking as though it’s untouched, but it’s not highly manicured where there’s not a weed in sight.”.
This naturalistic approach is most clearly seen around the pond, originally a stock pond when the house was the home of the Priors of Llanthony Secunda in Gloucester.
A quirky addition by Tim and Bridget is a Monet-style bridge and a replica of a Fijian house on an small island that they built. The pond, fringed with marginal planting, has newts, frogs and dragonflies.
It’s all part of the garden’s tapestry, much of which echoes the style of the different facades of the ancient building. To the north, parts of the house date back to the 13th century while above the old stonework are unusual curved timbers.
In front, the couple originally had a box parterre, which has now been replaced by a gravel garden, although a box knot garden still breaks up the gravel of the drive.
The rose garden is alongside a farmhouse-style facade, while the south aspect again reflects its history – Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn are among past visitors.
When the couple took on the garden 26 years ago, there was little there and they’ve been responsible for adding the structure with trees, shrubs and hedges. These are carefully ‘graded’ so that they link naturally to the landscape beyond – there are views of Cooper’s Hill, the site of Gloucestershire’s annual cheese rolling contest.
Indeed, this is a garden where foliage and form are the basis and the starting point, rather than flowers.
“We do accept that colour is important, but it’s so temporary that it’s not part of the what I would call the superstructure and the permanent garden that’s there all the time.”
Even so, on my visit, there was plenty of late summer colour with Japanese anemones, roses having their second flush of flowers, dahlias and hydrangeas with the promise of a fine display of Michaelmas daisies. Autumn is waiting in the wings though and some of the acers were beginning to take on fiery tints.
I’ve watched this garden evolve and mature over many years and it will be interesting to see how these forced changes shape its future.
Brockworth Court, Brockworth, Gloucester, is open for the National Garden Scheme on Wednesday September 27. Details on the website.
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