TV and radio gardening expert and Somerset Life columnist TOBY BUCKLAND picks his favourite local gardens to visit in summer time.
GREENCOMBE GARDENS
Nestled in woodland between the wilds of Exmoor and the choppy Bristol Channel, Greencombe Gardens is a gem. Acidic soil along with the protective canopy of deciduous trees makes it the perfect place for rhododendrons, azaleas and woodland flowers to thrive. At ground level there’s plenty for gardeners to enjoy with robust clumps of rare trilliums and dogs tooth violets happily growing in the moist mulch filled borders. It’s a garden worth getting to know just for its peaceful atmosphere and at any time of year offers an oasis of calm. greencombe.wordpress.com
COTHAY MANOR
This 15th century house is so beautifully arranged it’s like walking through a scene in the Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. There’s whimsy and charm aplenty and the garden is romantic to its core with wisteria dripping from the old stone walls and a meadow studded with wildflowers and tulips. The style is like that of Sissinghurst (but without the crowds) and blends cottage garden flowers with clipped lime, yew and box. There’s always something to see. cothaymanor.co.uk
EAST LAMBROOK MANOR
Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av Somerset Life.
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Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av Somerset Life.
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Up on the Down
Try this easy-to-follow Exmoor walk with SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE
Shop until you drop
It’s Somerset’s county town, it’s the place to go for the big shops, but Taunton is also home to a thriving independent scene, discovers CATHERINE COURTENAY
Creatures of the night
Have you ever had something swoop past your ear, almost unseen? You may have had a brief encounter with a bat, says BERNARD BALE
Bowled over
Now that we can return to skittle and bowling alleys - albeit with new rules BERNARD BALE reveals that the sport of bowling has many Somerset links
Trackway through time
In the Somerset Levels SIMONE STANBROOK-BYRNE discovers a place where our Neolithic heritage rubs shoulders with the present day
SAVING THE SPLENDOUR OF EXMOOR
The splendour of Exmoor National Park may appear timeless and untroubled, but a new book reveals the long and often bitter struggle conservationists faced to save the landscape from the twin threats of afforestation and the plough
Decorative art
Not simply functional, treat your walls like an extension of your personality
Charity starts at home
How do we teach our children the importance of giving back?
Blooming brilliant
Will and Lauren Holley purchased a four-acre field in Somerset, converted it into a nursery, opened during lockdown and now their perennial plants are flying off the shelves. JULIE HARDING meets the go-getting couple
Age-old advice
Just become a grandparent for the first time? Perhaps you need a little guidance, so here are some top tips about how to embrace your new family role
