The garden is open by appointment only for groups of visitors all year

Glencoe Farm Garden has an area of 4.5acres (2hectares). It lies in a picturesque valley to the west of May Hill 10 miles from Gloucester and is surrounded by farmland. The soil is neutral, moisture retentive fertile clay with good structure. Until 1996 the garden was the half acre by the house. Since 1996 about a further acre has been developed as a new garden and the rest of the land is now restored orchard. The garden is particularly attractive in spring with expanses of snowdrops, daffodils and spring woodland plants.

1. Old Garden

The Victorian Farm House Garden lies to the south of the property with a 6ft stone wall to the east running along the lane and farmland to the west. The old apples trees and some 1950’s concrete paths remain along with a large vegetable plot with an asparagus bed. Here also is a row of Zantedeschia aethiopica ‘Glencoe’. This garden has specimen shrubs, interesting herbaceous borders, a simple parterre, pear cordon and a small paved area by borders of dwarf plants with interest throughout the year. The notable plants in this garden include herbaceous Paeonies, Oriental Poppies, Dierama and varieties of Clematis. There are some half dozen specimen conifers including 20ft specimens of true Juniperis communis ‘Hibernica’ raised from cuttings collected in Western Ireland 50 years ago.

2. New Garden

This has been developed to grow large herbaceous perennials, trees, shrubs and especially woodland plants in a informal environment.

The west side is bounded by a deep cut stream running under alders, oaks and hazels its eastern bank has been cleared and the sloping side landscaped and planted with moisture loving plants including Astilbe, Ligularia, Rodgersia, Iris and Ferns. This area of the garden contains large collections of Snowdrops, Trillium, Erythronium Helleborus and Veratrum as well as unusual plants.

There is a second vegetable area, fruit cage and frame yard sheltered by an L shaped 6ft yew hedge some 100ft long. There is a small paved formal rose garden.

A glade is surrounded by 5 island borders with mixed herbaceous perennials and shrubs. The grassed areas are planted with specimen trees and large shrubs including fine mature species Birches, two varieties of Liquidambar, many Berberis, a Tulip Tree(Liriodendron), a Dove tree(Davidia), a variety of Dogwoods(Cornus), a Persian Ironwood (Parrotia) and a grove of 20ft tall Judas Trees (Cercis) and many other choice specimens.

3. The Orchard

Here is a newly planted collection of apples and plums grown to provide fruit over a long season as well as a quince and a mulberry. We usually store some apples until May. There are 12 very large Perry Pears in three varieties dating back to at least early in the last century and specimens of the local Blaisdon plum interspersed with 6 large unnamed cider apples.

More ornamental trees have been planted to the west of the fruit trees including two species of Pterocarya, a Catalpa,a Paulownia, and a Turkish Hazel all of which we expect to become large trees.

Sheep graze in the orchard and there is ample car parking for groups of visitors.