***************************************************************** * Gardens-Guide.com * 250,000 UNIQUE VISITORS in 2011 * 2,000 garden pages viewed per day from March to September 2011 * 1,000+ Page Views! - One-Quarter of all gardens listed on Gardens-Guide.com * were EACH viewed more than 1,000 times in 2011. * 500+ Page Views! - HALF of all gardens listed on Gardens-Guide.com were * EACH viewed more than 500 times in 2011. * ***************************************************************** *** UPDATE FORM *** Brook Cottage 1) Please COPY the entire FORM BELOW 2) Make any changes in BRIGHT RED -OR- mark changed Sections with: *** 3) email the ENTIRE FORM UPDATED back to us: wd (at) armchair-travel (dot) com **************************************************************** **************************************************************** **************************************************************** *** SEARCH ENGINE BOOSTING for both YOU and Gardens-Guide.com *** Please use the following format and info on your own site to link to your page in Gardens-Guide.com: at Gardens-Guide.com http://www.gardens-guide.com The premiere directory of open gardens in the UK and Ireland today **************************************************************** **************************************************************** **************************************************************** Garden Name: Brook Cottage Last Modified (we set this): 11-01-2012 Garden ID (we set this): 0071 pic (we set this): 0071_brookcottage.jpg NOTE: If this says "missing", then please send us a picture for your page which is at least 1000 x 1000 pixels in size. Thanks! Garden Owner: Mrs D Hodges Address: Well Lane Alkerton Banbury Postcode: OX15 6NL County: Oxford Country: tel: 01295 670303 fax: 01295 730362 website: www.brookcottagegarden.co.uk email: oldworkshops //at// btinternet.com group master website: English Heritage Grade: Opening Times: Easter Monday - end October; Monday - Friday incl BHs.; 9am - 6pm. Evening / Weekends by appointment. Best Times of Year to Visit: June - Sept ...To see: Shrubs, roses, herbaceous borders, bog plants, clematis National Collection: National Garden Scheme days: Yes NGS Comments (days and times): Mons 25 Apr; 29 Aug (9-6) Parties / Coaches: Yes Comments: Viewing by Appointment: Yes Appointment Comments: House Open for Viewing: No House Comments: Admission Prices: Adult £5; Child free; Over 60s £4; Season tickets available Parking: Yes Lavatories: Yes Disabled Access: No Shop: Yes Plants for Sale: Yes Lunches: Yes Teas: Yes Refreshments: Yes Picnics: Yes Dogs allowed: Yes Only on Lead: Yes Events: No Other Facilities or Comments: Food & refreshments for groups booked in advance. DIY tea/coffee and biscuits for individual visitors. Cream teas on Bank Holiday Mondays. Features and other comments: All the wooden garden furniture is specially designed and hand-made - several of the pieces were commissioned to celebrate special anniversaries. Garden Designer: Description of Garden: The four acre garden has been formed by an architect and a plantswoman almost entirely since 1964 on the west facing slope of a valley. Apart from a small area above the 17th century house, the whole site consisted of rough pasture. The landscaping has been designed to link level areas of lawn and terrace with the natural slopes and to create enclosures with yew and copper beech hedges. Groups of now mature trees and shrubs growing in grass, merge the garden into the surrounding countryside. A wide variety of plants is grown, some rarely seen, including bulbs, perennials, over 200 shrub and climbing roses, flowering and foliage shrubs, water and bog plants, and a gravel garden. A number of the borders are colour-coordinated: soft shades of pink and blue in one, 'hot' colours in another. The White Border is seen against the yew hedge, while the Yellow Border is backed by a hedge of copper beech.There is something of interest to be seen throughout the season. The water garden with primulas, iris, astilbes, day-lillies and many other bog plants is at its best from early June. The extensively planted 'hanging garden' of species, old-fashioned and modern roses for which the garden is renowned is at its peak from late June to the end of July. Over 60 varieties of clematis scramble over walls and shrubs and around the tennis court, many flowering from July onwards when the herbaceous perennials are at their best. A tea room in the old barn looks out onto a lawn bordered by blue and white agapanthus interspersed with kniphofias in shades of lemon and lime. The season ends with hips, berries and autumn colour. The diversity of planting is supplemented by tender perennials displayed in numerous ornamental containers. Garden History: Designed and planted by the owners over a period of some years, mainly because during the week they both lived in London where Mr David Hodges practised as an architect. Local Inns (name, town): The Bell, Shenington Moody Cow at the Wykham Arms, Sibford Gower Accommodation (name, town): Restaurants (name, town): Moody Cow at the Wykham Arms, Sibford Gower Village/Town/Sightseeing: Tiny early Norman church in village.