Briarfield

About Briarfield

Briarfield garden had an unpromising start. In 1963 two scientists in their mid twenties bought a bungalow riddled with dry rot and woodworm surrounded by a wilderness of mixed saplings with a ground cover of brambles. The cash went into the house, the unskilled labour into the clearance. A literature survey gave hints of what to plant, while lack of funds honed propagation skills. The inevitable happened and we ended up with more plants than space! In 1976 two paddocks in the lane came up for sale, so we were off again, with a playground for the children and unlimited opportunities to indulge our increasing passion for plants.
The garden(s) are on a south-facing slope, the soil varies from very sandy with underlying sandstone at the top of the hill to reasonable loam towards the bottom. Burton Wood NT provides shelter from the north. Soil pH is around 5.8. Briarfield provides a sheltered environment for many specialist plants. The main garden, three distinct areas in 1.5 acres, has maturing trees and shrubs, herbaceous borders plus a vegetable garden and soft fruit area. Novel water features throughout the site encourage wildlife and provide added interest for visitors. The home garden, a short walk along the lane, is more formal with terraces, hidden fernery with pond and a woodland glade. Alpine gravel beds are a feature at both sites.
Plants for sale (70% for ngs) each Friday, February to October, from the house drive and on ngs open days.

SEASONAL HIGHLIGHTS
February/March – remarkably colourful with drifts of snowdrops, aconites, cyclamen coum, camellias, magnolias and early rhododendrons.
April/May – carpets of spring flowers, including erythroniums, uvularia and trilliums beneath flowering trees and shrubs. Alpine beds are at their peak. Podophyllum and arisaema are starting to emerge in the woodlands.
June/July – herbaceous flowers complement lilies and roses. This is a riotous time in the garden with bold colours and evocative perfumes. The vegetables and soft fruit are in full production.
August/September – eucryphia, massed sedum, drifts of colchicum and cyclamen hederifolium blend into the colours of autumn. Apples and figs are ripening quickly. Butterflies and bees abound.
October – late flowering shrubs combine with michaelmas daises and other spectacular late herbaceous plants to give a last splash to the season.
November – camellia sasanqua give cheer throughout the winter.