main feature in their gardens

North Cottage, Tisbury, Wiltshire A cottage garden and smallholding set in a quiet vale in a beautiful part of south Wiltshire 12 miles from Salisbury, which although small, has room for all to explore the divided areas, each different in style and feel, with an orchard, wild fl owers and coppice wood. This year there’s an exhibition of metal sculpture made from recycled tools by Amy Lancaster. See the ceramics and handicrafts made by Jacqueline and Robert Baker, the garden owners, many made from their own sheep’s wool. North Cottage, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6RZ Telephone: 01747 870019 Email: robert.baker@pearceseeds.co.uk Last opening for the NGS this season: Sunday 3rd July, 11.30am-5pm. Admission: £3, children free. Light refreshments, home-made light lunches and teas. Plants for sale. Dogs allowed. Visitors also welcome by arrangement June and July for groups of ten+, and this is a venue offering accommodation.

HOLLY HOUSE, CHELWOOD GATE, HAYWARDS HEATH, SUSSEX

There’s an exhibition of paintings and cards by the owner Mrs Deirdre Birchell at this garden seven miles from Haywards Heath, an acre with views and cameos of plants and trees round every corner with many different areas giving constant interest. There’s a fi sh pond and a wildlife pond beside a grassy area with many shrubs and fl ower beds. Among the trees and winding paths there is a cottage garden which is a profusion of colour and peace. Holly House, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, Sussex RH17 7LF Telephone: 01825 740484 Email: db@hollyhousebnb.demon. co.uk Next openings for the NGS: Saturday 9th July, Sunday 10th July, Saturday 20th August, Sunday 21st August, 2pm5pm. Admission: £3.50, children free. Home-made teas. Garden accessible by wheelchair in good weather, but it is not easy. Dogs allowed on short leads. Visitors also welcome by arrangement May to September. This is a venue offering accommodation. www.hollyhousebnb.demon.co.uk

West Silchester Hall, Silchester, Hampshire

The two-acre garden owned by the artist Mrs Jenny Jowett in a village near a Roman site has fascinating colour combinations with many spectacular herbaceous borders fi lled with rare and unusual plants fl owering over a long period, many pots fi lled with half hardies, a wild garden surrounding a natural pond, banks of rhododendron, and a kitchen garden with lovely views across a fi eld of grazing cattle. A large studio exhibits Jenny Jowett’s botanical, landscape and portrait paintings, cards and prints. West Silchester Hall, Silchester, Hampshire RG7 2LX. Telephone: 01189 700278 Next openings for the NGS: Sunday 3rd July, Sunday 7th August, 2pm5.30pm. Admission: £4, children free. Home-made teas, plants for sale. Wheelchair access to large part of the garden, gravel drive. Dogs allowed on short leads. Visitors also welcome by arrangement May to September for groups of 10+. www.jennyjowett.com

SUTTON HOSEY MANOR, LONG SUTTON, SOMERSET Music by the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra accompanies you as you wander through the threeacre gardens of Sutton Hosey Manor, two of which are walled. A lily canal through pleached limes leads to an amelanchier walk past duck pond, rose and juniper walk from the Italian Terrace, to the judas tree avenue and the ptelea walk. There’s an ornamental potager and a drive-side shrubbery. Sutton Hosey Manor, Somerset TA10 9NA. Telephone: 0207 3906700 Email: rbramble@bdbltd.co.uk Open for the NGS: Sunday 24th July, 2.30pm-6pm. Admission: £4, child £2. Home-made teas, plants for sale. Visitors also welcome by arrangement with owner Roger Bramble in August and September.

Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington, Dorchester, Dorset Described as a modern arcadia, this modern garden follows the traditions of the landscape movement, but for the 21st century. Where sculpture has been placed, the planting palette has been kept simple, but dramatic, so that the work remains the star. Home to Monique and her husband the sculptor Simon Gudgeon the sculpture park features more than 30 of his works including Isis, which is also in London’s Hyde Park, and a dedicated gallery where some of his smaller pieces can be seen and purchased. Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington Lakes, Pallington, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 8QU. Next opening for the NGS: Wednesday 6th July, 11am-5pm. Admission £7.50. Teas. Disabled access limited though possible to go round paths on mobility scooter or electric wheelchair if care taken. For other opening times and information, please Telephone: 07720 637808, Email: sbtl@me.com or visit www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk MARCHAMLEY HOUSE GARDEN, MARCHAMLEY, HODNET, SHROPSHIRE There’s an exhibition and sale of pictures by botanical artist Mary Morton at this two-acre garden six miles from Market Drayton, owned by Mr and Mrs A Davies, with stunning views of the Shropshire countryside. Enjoy walking round the mixed perennial borders, the lily pond and herb garden, fruit trees and vegetable garden. A sloping lawn leads to mature trees, ponds and stumpery and beyond is a meadow walk. Marchamley House Garden, Marchamley, Hodnet, Shropshire SY4 5LE. Open for the NGS: Sunday 3rd July, 12.30pm-5pm. Admission: £4, children free. Home-made teas, plants for sale. Dogs allowed on short leads.

Hiraeth, Droitwich, Worcestershire

Sue and John Fletcher’s garden just a mile from Droitwich has a wonderful mix of features with unusual plants including herbaceous, hostas, ferns, a 300 year-old olive tree, arches, pool, waterfall, a stile that’s 200 years old, oak sculptures, metal animals, birds and even giraffes and an elephant. Hiraeth, 30 Showell Road, Droitwich, Worcestershire WR9 8UY Telephone: 07752 717243/01905 778390 Email: jfl etcher@inductotherm. co.uk Next openings for the NGS: Sunday 19th June, Sunday 24th July, 2pm-5.30pm. Admission: £3, children free. Home-made teas, plants for sale. Partial wheelchair access. Visitors also welcome by arrangement June to August for groups of 10-30.

CAMERS, OLD SODBURY, SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE Camers is an Elizabethan farmhouse (not open) set on a west-sloping site of four acres of constantly developing garden and woodland with spectacular views over the Severn Vale. There is an extensive collection of statuary, many of the statues placed to accentuate the vistas which abound in the garden owned by Mr and Mrs A G Denman. It’s full of surprises, with formal and informal areas planted with a wide range of species to provide year-round interest, a parterre, topiary, Japanese garden, bog and prairie areas, waterfalls, white and hot gardens, and woodland walks. Camers, Old Sodbury, South Glos BS37 6RG Telephone: 01454 322430. Email: dorothydenman@camers.org Open for the NGS: Sunday 31st July, 2pm-5pm. Admission: £5 children free. Home-made teas, plants for sale. Dogs allowed on short leads. Also open by arrangement February – September for groups of 20+ (not for NGS). www.camers.org

The Folly, Charlton, Chichester, West Sussex Joan Burnett and David Ward’s colourful cottage garden surrounds a 16th century house (not open), in the pretty downland village of Charlton close to Levin Down Nature Reserve and seven miles north of Chichester. There are well stocked herbaceous borders by the lawns, a variety of perennials, grasses, annuals and shrubs, an old well and quaint paths, busy bees and chickens. The Folly, Charlton, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0HU. Telephone: 07711 080851. Email: jkburnett@hotmail.co.uk Open for the NGS: Sunday 3rd July, Sunday 14th August, 2pm-5.30pm. Admission: £4, children free. Home-made teas, plants for sale. Visitors also welcome by arrangement June to September for groups of 10-30, for afternoon or evening visits. Partial wheelchair access. Steps from patio to lawn. A venue that offers accommodation. www.thefollycharlton.com

Awkward Hill Cottage, Bibury, Gloucestershire

Journalist Victoria Summerley, author of Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds and Great Gardens of London, is opening her garden for the NGS for the fi rst time. The garden is a work in progress; it was a second home for 40 years, but since 2012 has been redesigned to refl ect the local landscape and encourage wildlife. Planting is both formal and informal for year round interest, with a pond, waterfall, a wonderful view over the neighbouring meadow and woodland, two sunny terraces and plenty of places to sit and relax. Awkward Hill Cottage, Bibury, Gloucestershire GL7 5NH. Telephone: 01285 740289. Email: v.summerley@hotmail.com Open for the NGS: Sunday 3rd July, 2pm-6pm. Admission; £3, children free. Home-made teas. Evening opening: Sunday 28 August 6pm-8.30pm. Admission: £4.50, children free. Wine. Dogs allowed on short leads. Visitors also welcome by arrangement June to October. Parking limited - advice is to park in the village. www.awkwardhill.co.uk

Topsham Gardens, Topsham near Exeter, Devon

Stroll through Topsham visiting three unique, beautiful gardens:19 Victoria Road, a small tropical style walled garden with a wide variety of plants including bamboo, tree ferns, bananas, palms and yuccas, ponds and a conservatory with exotic plants; Wixels riverside garden, an artist’s creation with sculptures, large greenhouse and semi-tropical plants to the long views up and down the River Exe; Anchor House, surrounded on three sides by the river, with a garden designed and sympathetically planted, with views down the estuary towards Exmouth. Topsham Gardens, Topsham near Exeter, Devon EX3 0EU. Open for the NGS: Friday 15th July, Sunday 17th July, 11am-5pm. Combined admission: £5, children free. Home-made teas at Wixels. Limited wheelchair access at 19 Victoria Road and not suitable for wheelchairs at Wixels. Dogs allowed on short leads.

PARK COTTAGE, WRINGTON, BRISTOL

Take a colourful journey through one and a quarter acres in an established, herbaceous perennial garden owned by Mr and Mrs J Shepherd. The potager, jungle, rainbow border, white garden and 90ft double herbaceous borders are some of the compartments in this ‘Alice in Wonderland’ garden divided by high hedges. A large Victorianstyle greenhouse displays tender plants. There’s plenty of seating and views of the surrounding countryside. Park Cottage, Wrington Hill, Wrington, Bristol BS40 5PL. Open for the NGS: Wednesday 13th July, Saturday 23rd July, 11am-5pm. Admission: £4, children free. Home-made teas provided by Wrington Pop-Up Vintage Cafe, proceeds to Weston Hospicecare. Mostly good wheelchair access, some narrow bark chip paths. Narrow fl agstone bridge with steps.

GARDEN EVENTS AROUND THE COTSWOLDS compiled by Kate Lewis

Here’s a selection of gardening events to look out for during the next few weeks throughout the Cotswolds. Send us details of your event at least ten weeks before publication and we will publicise it free of charge. Make sure you let us know where the event is being held, the date and include a contact telephone number. We are keen to support garden club events and we will be glad to publicise talks and shows held during the year where clubs want to attract a wider audience, but we do not have space for club outings or parties. We suggest that garden clubs send us their diary for the year for events to be included in the relevant issue of the magazine. Please send to Country Gardener Magazines, Mount House, Halse, Taunton TA4 3AD or by email to timeoff@countrygardener.co.uk and copy to vivienne@countrygardener.co.uk. We take great care to ensure that details are correct at the time of going to press but we advise readers to check wherever possible before starting out on a journey as circumstances can force last minute changes. All NGS open gardens can be found on www.ngs.org.uk or in the local NGS booklet available at many outlets. JULY DIARY

2nd Taynton Traditional Garden Fête

Taynton’s bi-annual traditional fête is held in the garden of Taynton House. Set in an idyllic Cotswold garden there will be fun and games for the family. Proceeds in aid of the Restoration of Taynton Church Bells and Taynton Church. Enjoy an entertaining summer’s afternoon. 2pm to 5pm. Entrance £2 and children under 12 free. funny, moving and fast-paced production by an all-male cast with Elizabethan costume, music and dance. 1pm and 7pm To book tickets, call 01386 701441. www.batsarb.co.uk

9th Winchcomb, Methodist Church Hall, High Street

01242 609590

Annual fl ower show

Annual fl ower show organised by Winchcombe Gardening Club which was founded in 1992 and has various classes for members to exhibit. The show is open to the public to view the entries and purchase from a popular plant stall. 10.30am to 12.30pm.

10th Stroud, Gloucestershire,

Stratford Park Museum in the

Park 01453 763394

12th June-10th July Burford, Oxfordshire, Asthall Manor

The only sculpture exhibition dedicated entirely to works in stone returns to its exquisite Cotswold setting this summer in the magnifi cent gardens and spectacular ballroom of Asthall Manor near Burford, featuring more than 200 works by 30 sculptors. This is the eighth biennial exhibition. Wednesday to Sunday 12pm-6pm (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays) £7.50 www.onformsculpture.co.uk/ asthall-manor

16th-29th Yanworth near Cheltenham, Chedworth Roman Villa NT

01242 890256

7th Moreton-in-Marsh, Oxfordshire, Batsford Arboretum

‘Much Ado About Nothing’

In the year that marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men Batsford Arboretum perform the sparkling, battle-of-thesexes comedy. Bring a chair and a picnic and watch this

Stroud Festival of Nature: Courtyard Art

Stroud Festival of Nature is back in Stratford Park with a host of happenings exploring the wonders of the natural world and celebrating the wildlife around us. Come along to the courtyard for nature-inspired art activities today. Hands-on fun for all ages and abilities. 11am - 4pm Free admission. www.stroudnature.co.uk

Festival of Archaeology

Celebrate the British festival of archaeology. Enjoy specialist talks and hands on activities. In the fi rst week, discover more about the villa’s history and ongoing archaeological discoveries. The second week will be more family centred with lots of fun chats and children’s activities. National Trust members free. Standard Admission prices apply. 10.30am-4.30pm daily.