May in the wet garden.
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May in the wet garden. |
Our 2 acre garden is situated on the South facing Holbrook Hill just
outside Sampford Peverell, the soil is heavy clay. Early interest
includes wildflower meadow plantings with cowslips and fritillaries and
the woodland garden.
The two acres have many innovative plantings which take inspiration
from natural plant communities. Vibrant mediterranean colours are used.
The garden slowly builds through the season from rhododendrons and
snakeshead fritillaries to a crescendo of bright reds, yellows,
oranges, and strong blues and purples in August and September - a time
when many gardens are way past their best!
Holbrook through the year |
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A late summer tapestry inspired by Hermanshoff but using Rudbeckia subtomentosa, Ratabida pinnata, Verbena bonariensis, Salvia uliginosa and Pennisetum macrorum. photo 27 August 2005. |
The garden continually evolves and there are many experimental
plantings - a wet garden with primulae and iris followed by heleniums,
big grasses and echinaceas; a stone garden with a butterfly rich
planting of verbena bonariensis, salvia uliginosa and ratibida pinnata
together with many pokers and agapanthus; and a developing damp summer
meadow with asters, helenium species, lobelia species, purple
loosestrifes and persicarias.
In 2003/4 we planted a pink garden of experimental mixed planting of campanulae, achillea, astrantias, sanguisorbas and filipendulas. These are all planted as an intermixed population - in much the way that one might expect to find such plants in a natural plant community - in shadier areas certain plants might dominate, in wet ones others, in sunny parts yet different plants. More recently in winter 2004/5 and extended again in winter 2010 a total of 48 tonnes of pebbles and stone have been added to the stone garden to create an area suited to hot climate plants - tulips, iris and onions in early spring followed by artemesia, grasses, rock roses. Latest developments are an area of Pinus and Abies planted 2010-11.
Perfumes, songbirds and nests are everywhere, we have large displays of
crocosmia and pulmonarias and the national collection of the genus
helenium. The garden, by its nature, is not sutable for wheelchairs but there are seats and picnics benches around.
And the garden writers say . . .
"One of the best examples of ‘New
Perennial’ planting in Britain" Noel Kingsbury
(website)
"All in all, you might drift through 20 or so different
microcosms at Holbrook. But who’s counting? Certainly not the
owners of this staggeringly diverse garden, still gathering the best
plants the temperate world has to offer into their piece of Devon
hillside." Anna Pavord, The Garden, Sept 2007
"A combination of a garden full of interesting plants, a
nursery and experimental planting is rare. Holbrook has them all"
Noel Kingsbury, Gardens Illustrated, August 2007
"this innovative garden takes its inspiration from natural plant communities and feels wonderfully at ease with itself as a result."
Sorrel Everton, Gardens Illustrated Blog, October 2010
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Here are some recent comments from the visitors book
. . .
"Great garden" June Western, Leeds, 1 September 2011
"Delightful feast of colour" Peter and Angela Elliott, Devon, 4 August 2011
"We came here on recommendation of Noel Kingsbury. How right he was. Lovely garden" Jane Schul and Jorgen Nordquist, Denmark, 15 June 2011
"What a lovely natural way to garden" Mike and Maggie Gardner, Bussage Gloucestershire, 18 May 2011
"Soooo much to see. Must keep you very busy" Carole and Howard, Essex, 13 May 2011
"A pioneering garden, so much to see too, very peaceful" Sue Catchpole, Cheshire, 13 May 2011
"A really good garden" T and J Miller, Norwich, 11 May 2011
"2nd visit, love its wildness, peace and wildlife" Maria and Simon, Rochester, Kent, 21 September 2010
"Wonderful garden, inspiring place" Marisha and Loenen, Aberdeen, 3 September 2010
"Good adventure garden, cool ducks" Bethany, Malmsbury, 27 August 2010
"Beautiful garden" Wim and Ailien, Netherlands, 13 August 2010
"Spotted some baby frogs" Ryan Lennon, 5 August 2010
"This is our type of garden, fabulous" 2 Aussies, 7 July 2010
"Loving the wildness. Thanks for sharing and thank God there's no cream teas!!" Sarah Entwistle, 1 July 2010
"My 6th visit. Wonderful!James and Pauline Coles, 15 June 2010
"A garden to loose oneself in and brings a new meaning to cottage gardens" Norah Newcroft, North Cadbury, 8 June 2010
"Wonderful gardem, acuiel adorable du proprietare" Liliane Page, Brest, France, 4 June 2010
"Thanks for a wonderful visit at your wonderful garden" SLU Alnarp, Sweden, 22 May 2010
"What a delight" Ian and Margaret, Budleigh Salterton, 30 April 2010
"What a wonderful garden! Great late summer show, full of insect variety: bees, hoverflies, butterflies" Steve and Mary Woolhams, Oxford, 11 Sept 2009
"Inspirational for anyone choosing plants to attract bees and butterflies" J & S Le Breton, Torquay 5 Sept 2009
"It's wild!! shame no cream teas" Louie and Lorraine, Devon, 18 August 2009
"I liked the pond and the banana plant" and "Wonderful garden very exciting for the children and great planting for us. Thank you." Jack, Tom, Cally and Ben, N Yorkshire, 14 August 2009
"Really enjoyed walk around garden. My daughter enjoyed the 'jungle'. " Steve Kilmes and Lisa, Dartford, Kent, 30 July 2009
"Really enjoyed the wild planting, felt tropical today!" J & G Moysey, Chudleigh, Devon, 24 July 2009
"Fantastic, wonderful plants in great combinations" Di and Scan, Cambridge, 15 July 2009
"Wow!" Butler/Willows, Middlesex, 1July 2009
"Wonderful, Thank you for showing it to us" Monica & Ingernat Dreghammar, Sweden , 17 June 2009
"Fab, Wish my garden was as casual" V & A Bagg, Exeter, 13 June 2009
"Thanks for a great experience" A Mulvin, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, 28 May 2009
"Wonderful, rustic, no stiff borders" A Neale, Essex, 16 April 2009
"Inspiring and imaginative. Brilliant colour" Susi Vague, Lostwithiel, Cornwall 25 Oct 2008
"Fantastic late summer colour, very inspirational, thank you" Jan and Brian Benny, Ashby de la Zouch, 12 Sept 2008
"Wonderful experience, thanks" John and Ray, Newlyn, 12 Sept 2008
"I absolutely adore its wilderness but very clever planting." Simon and Maria, Rochester, 12 Sept 2008
"Superb and bountiful" Jane Lee and Rosie Diggins, Devon and Glos, 30 August 2008
"Fantastic garden. Such colour" Norma and Steven, Barnstaple, 28 August 2008
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The experimental summer meadow with Lythrum, wild carrot and Lobelia syphilitica. |
Holbrook, our garden at Sampford Shrubs, is named after the hill on which we garden.
Much of the grassed area is carefully managed to allow natives
to seed and multiply. In spring you can see naturalised and expanding
stands of cowslips, meadow buttercups and fritillaries. The ponds are
host to frogs and newts which breed every year. Finally we have an
organic vegetable garden and tunnel where compost, mulching and natural
predation are used to good effect.
But the way we grow our garden also has major benefits for us as
gardeners. Working with nature by using thick mulches of shredded
material or pebbles together and the careful placing of appropriate
plants - using natural plant communities as an inspiration - means that
our work is minimised - weeds are not eliminated but they are radically
reduced. The garden is on a human scale - it is something that busy
people can re-create for themselves. We have no hoardes of full time
gardeners nor areas of labour intensive bedding and bare earth to keep
weed free - 6-8 hours of work a week is a realistic total for the 2
acres. We hope you can come and share our enjoyment.
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Cercis Forest Pansy and Cercidiphyllum japonicum in late October |
Holbrook through the year |
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Download an A4 Holbrook
Garden poster with 2011 opening times as a PDF (Acrobat
5 and later) file
If you don't know where we are then please see the map.
Wildlife
and birdsong in the garden
Gardener's World
filming here in September 2003
More garden
pictures - pre 2003
Watch our wet
garden grow - time lapse pictures