Westbrooke House: a virtually perfect Victorian gem
Bryan and Joanne Drew bought Westbrooke House in October 2013 and started restoring and planting the garden in the early spring of 2014. With a heady mix of hard work and artistry their inspiration to bring the Victorian walled gardens back to something like their former glory has been more than achieved. There’s a productive kitchen garden with a beautiful Victorian style greenhouse and a flower garden ablaze with the brilliance of tulips, apple blossom and brilliant euphorbia. Join Joanne and garden companion, Amber, for a dazzling glimpse of this virtually perfect Victorian gem.
A closer look…
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- The Victorian style greenhouse in the kitchen garden
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- Beautiful blossoms underplanted with box and tulips
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- Sid the stag guarding the walk to the wild meadow
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- A tranquil resting spot
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- The stunning flower garden from above
Westbrooke House in Leicestershire is a late Victorian property built in 1887 with six acres of gardens approached via a tree lined driveway of mature limes and giant redwoods. There are many delights to enchant the visitor but the walled flower garden with its 9,000 tulips stands out in spring. A walled kitchen garden, lower garden, pond area, spring garden, lawns, woodland paths and a meadow with a wild flower area, ha-ha and hornbeam avenue offer one delight after another. Perennial borders, a summerhouse and a commissioned slate water feature and rill add elegance and form.
The garden’s wilder side is guarded by ‘Sid the stag’ who makes his home in the spring garden, while bluebell woods and a river, flanked by weeping willows skirt the front of the house.
“The rewards of the garden are many,” agree Bryan and Joanne. “But creating a lovely external environment for us and our family and sharing with others for charitable causes would be the first things which spring to mind,”
The gardens at Westbrooke House are due to open again in July. Be sure to keep an eye on the website and book a date with this enchanting garden – for more information click here
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