Brailes Gardening Club – July 2026
Thirty years ago, an ordinary working married couple bought a nearly derelict barn with half an acre of land in Cookhill, near Alcester, and set about creating a new home. Making the barn habitable was the first priority, but their minds also turned to the piece of land, because they could see the potential to create something special. Soon afterwards, a further two and a half acre plot became available which they also purchased. This was the start of an all consuming project which involved employing heavy machinery to transform the landscape into the spectacular garden which it is today.
We were greeted at the garden entrance by the owners (and their dogs!) to be told the story of how the garden was created and the layout of the land, after which we were left to roam free.
The first courtyard garden contained a beautiful collection of Japanese acers and miniature pines, with two Oriental granite sculptures. Around the corner was a spectacular corridor of pleached hawthorn trees offset by neat lavender planting at low level, with a wave effect rill down the middle.
An avenue of trees heralded a spectacular open view to distant horizons with an ornamental lake in the foreground. A wide lawned verge surrounded the lake, with more ornamental shrubs bordering the grass. All around the garden was an eclectic collection of modern sculptures, some metal, some stone, all blending into the garden design.
Some lovely homemade cakes and tea were served back at the house, before we made our way home having enjoyed another memorable garden on a sunny day.
Our next meeting will be on Thursday 16th July when Lucy Hartley will return to us, this time to give a talk with the title “Not just my garden”.
A gardener looks after their patch and enjoys the beauty, feeling of well-being and sometimes the produce it delivers. It is easy to forget that the patch is being shared by a whole host of other living organisms too and is, by definition, an ecosystem or collection of ecosystems in itself. Lucy explores garden friendly wildflowers, some of the less visible life in the garden, how it interacts and the way a gardener can nurture their patch to support this biodiversity through the way they garden and the choices they make.
The membership fee for 2026 is £15 for the year; visitors are always welcome to each meeting for a fee of £5 (all meetings in Brailes Village Hall, starting at 7.30pm).
Vic Lee