Events

Bridge End Cottage garden visit

6th July 2023, 14:30 - 16:30

 

Bridge End Cottage garden visit 

Ockham

Thursday 6 July 2023

2.30pm – 4.30pm

 

 

We are delighted to offer you a private visit to a garden with a difference from the usual more formal gardens that we have visited in the past.

Bridge End Cottage is a 2 acre country garden with many areas of interest in perennial borders, mature trees, small herb parterre, fruit trees and vegetables, a pond and stream together with an established wildflower meadow.

After a lifetime in medicine the owner, Clare Bevan, took early retirement and spent several years at Merrist Wood studying for the RHS qualifications and was awarded their diploma.in horticulture.

Bridge End Cottage (which is not open to the public) is an attractive period cottage the middle part of which dates from the 18th century with Victorian and later additions. The house is surrounded by a large gravel area which contains a beautiful ancient yellow tulip tree splendid with autumn colour which is thought to date from the time when the house was first built.

The garden is divided into sections with some notable features in each such as the 7 copper-beech column, planted in the border opposite the house and underplanted with blue and white flowers, and perennial grasses. Beyond is a small orchard with apple, quinces and some young cherry trees.

In the back lawn are 2 converging streams and a pond in the centre with duck house more often occupied by moorhens than by ducks. Old maps show that the pond was probably created by digging for clay for bricks and flint for building.

The Greenhouse is the engine room of the garden with 2 sections, one designed to protect overwintering plants and in which aubergines, cucumbers and climbing squashes are placed in the summer, the other being planted with tomatoes. A vegetable patch contains asparagus and a large variety of pumpkins that can be used for decorating the local church at harvest time and then eaten..

An adjacent 2 acre field was sown with perennial wildflower seed in May 2013 and has flowered each summer having been left derelict for many years by a previous tenant. A huge amount of work was needed to clear the weeds, thistles and docks as well as drainage being put in. This will be of particular interest to anyone establishing a wildflower garden.

Interested gardeners are welcome and can have a full tour with our hostess, Clare, with time for discussion of gardening problems, gardening tips and Latin names if requested!

The cost to include tea and home-made cakes will be £12 for members and £15 for non-members

We will give you more precise joining instructions nearer the time.

The event is not suitable for dogs.

Deadline for booking 30 June 2023
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Any enquiries please contact us at info@surreyhillssociety.org

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