NGS Garden at Greenacres

Greenacres - an NGS Garden

	Heather Garden The main focus in this area on both sides of the drive is for late winter/early spring colour. Backed by mature cornus and winter flowering viburnums as well as maturing flowering cherry and birch trees, the winter flowering Erica carneas carpet the ground in shades of white, pink and purple. A variety of bulbs, with snowdrops starting the display, together with hellebores maintain interest well into late Spring. Conifers provide structure and lilies of the valley are spreading in conditions that they like. Lavender in summer gives an injection of colour as well as rich pickings for bees.
Prairie Border This is a wide long bed bordering the drive and was created in 2012 by removing an excess of tarmac and reshaping the drive. The prairie style of planting of herbaceous perennials and grasses provides good colour from late Spring through summer. A backbone of shrubs provides year round structure with Prunus Autumnalis and Amelanchier trees mirroring the shape of the drive. There is a focus on brightly coloured tulips throughout the middle of the bed against the backdrop of delicate fresh green leaves on the large mature lime trees bordering the perimeter of the garden.
	Front Lawn Border Created in 2006 following removal of a very large Cuppressus leylandii hedge, this is a long perimeter border that is home to several beautiful trees that provide a variety of shape and form. Large architectural shrubs, evergreen and deciduous, provide texture and colour and the border is underplanted with a variety of bulbs and some herbaceous perennials.
Pump Garden The centrepiece of the Pump Garden is an old cast iron hand pump that trickles water into a small circular pond, which is itself within a circular gravelled area that also contains a well placed stone seat. This is then surrounded with an array of shrubs and perennials giving all year round colour. Stars of the show here are the arum lilies and delphiniums as well as the rose arch, which is covered, in early summer with the abundant white flowers of rose Rambling Rector.
	Greenhouse Trellis Border The borders on each side of the trellis have a different focus. On the lawn side hardy fuchsias provide late summer/Autumn colour following the spring show from primroses and sweetly scented narcissus. On the other side bordering the path this border provides year round interest with bulbs and primroses, then perennials and star performer Stipa gigantium . The trellis is covered in sweetly scented honeysuckles and Clematis jackmanii.
Courtyard Garden This is an area for pots, large containers, water conservation butts, seats and an outside cooking and dining space. The bird table situated below a mature Mahonia provides shelter and protection for the birds. Here the focus is on summer interest and colour with the herbs providing culinary flavour. This is the place to grow favourite lime hating shrubs in large pots such as Camellias as well as tender Cordylines which need shelter from a Cotswold winter.
	Pipe Garden This area was created using old drainpipes, which were excavated from the roadside verge when draining work was undertaken. We initially used them to make the raised bed at the back of this garden then in Spring 2014 we added the 'circles' which have been planted up with alpines. One of the 'circles' incorporates a water feature.
Coach House Garden This garden was constructed during the winter of 2013/14 and provides a private garden for our visitors to the Coach House. Containers, including an old BBQ and hot water cylinder plus some more conventional pots and troughs, have been planted with climbers, bulbs and perennials to soften the wood fencing and the gravel and stone surfaces.
	Woodland Walk The walk runs through the mature conifer and poplar trees at the rear of the garden. Within the walk are piles of logs to attract wildlife, a very large bug hotel constructed from pallets and the "Woodery". This latter feature is constructed from slices of a large popular that was felled and includes an old galvanized water trough which is now a water feature. The soil spaces between the logs have been planted with ferns.

The Rear Garden This large area of grass was divided with an L shaped diamond trellis, which enabled the corner to be gravelled and paved to provide a summer seating/dining area. The border, which curves around the trellis, is being extended and will be planted with a late summer “hot” focus. Honeysuckle and clematis are planted so that there is still a view through to the orchard/wildflower garden beyond. There is also a Gazebo covered with sweetly scented jasmine and honeysuckle within a gravel/paved figure of eight shape. This is a shady place to sit on a hot day. The large shrub border, which forms the perimeter to the rear garden, is full of a variety of mature deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees under planted with sedums for autumn colour. Star performers here are peonies, arum lilies and aconitum. An attractive arch covered with clematis leads through to the Heather garden and stepping stones lead to the rear of the border where there is a secluded seating area.

	Orchard/Wild Garden The Orchard contains apple, plum, pear, greengage and walnut trees. This is also the wildflower garden and in spring is a mass of cowslips followed by a succession of wild flowers through to late July when the area is mown after the seeds have dispersed.
Greenhouses, Polytunnel and Fruit Cage The garden includes a fruit cage stocked with raspberries, black and red currants and gooseberries. The polytunnel provides shelter from Cotswold winds to grow early broad beans, potatoes, strawberries, carrots, lettuce, courgettes and radish. In summer it is used for cucumbers, chillies and peppers and in winter for sheltering plants in pots from the wet and cold. There are also 2 greenhouses used in winter and spring to raise bedding plants and propagate cuttings and in summer for tomatoes.
	Vegetable Garden The vegetable garden is divided from the long grass path leading to the orchard by an informal variegated evergreen hedge. There are 12 deep beds with bark paths around them and these are planted with a range of salad/summer and winter vegetables and asparagus.Rhubarb, strawberries, runner beans, courgettes and other vegetables requiring more space are planted in the remaining open ground in the vegetable area.