Gardening
Established and developing gardens enable guests to truly relax in this holiday accommodation. Garden skills courses will be available in 2008, if you have a group of 6-8 interested gardeners please ring us to discuss and we will do our best to put on a great course. Alternatively holiday and learn and stay in the well equipped self-catering cottages.
The garden is constantly developing into a series of garden rooms. The main dining room overlooks a yew parterre planted in 2000. Filled with angelicas, echinaceas, pulmonarias, heucharas, hebes and a mass of spring bulbs. At the moment the echinaceas are doing really well - given by herbfarmacy - local organic herb farm specialising in wonderful ointments.
Unusual shrubs are gathered in flowerbeds bordering the arable fields linked with epimediums, majorums and thymes. Interesting young tree specimens and a hornbeam pleach along the drive are add structure to the bottom end of the garden which has developed around a safe haven for the “farm” hedgehog who lives in a tree felled in the gales of 2005. As of August 2006 "Tiggy" has a new, chipped apple tree path surrounding his area. The path was a addition for a wedding reception held at Upper Newton and enhanced the early morning calming walks for the bride's father whilst he stayed in the "adopted home" self-catering cottage.
One of the grand sequoia giganteiums underplanted with masses of spring green tulips and queen of the night – long before Gardeners world challenged their viewers to grow these gorgeous tulips! The blue hues in this bed move quietly into the hot yellow rudbekia, heleniums and echiums and the grasses bed with stately echinops and irises leading down to the busy pond area. Winter 2007 saw utilis betula jackmondii being planted .
Plans are afoot this Spring to further plant - maybe in Piet Oudolf style. Buzzing with wildlife and heaving with yellow flag irises this is a perfect spot to enjoy the welsh mountains with cornuses and bamboos masking the farm buildings to the right. Pearl is on a great gardening course at Pershore college and although seems to be tied up with assignments the dreams and creative moments still focus on the B&B garden.Recently in the gales we lost a fairly ordinary Pinus near the house so another restoration and rejeuvenation project awaits!
In addition the herb garden has become a little too well established - code word for overgrown - so major rethink happening there. Pearl is thinking of advertising as a health farm spa in Herefordshire, real fresh air and productive exercise followed by powerwashing and freshly squeezed juices are on offer - any takers?
Locally Sourced Plants for this Herefordshire B&B are important.
Like the farmhouse food, plants are sourced locally wherever possible and are “slow”, pleasure is taken in seeing development and “wow” colour moments. Although like all gardeners Pearl has a habit of saying if only you had been here last week … there is never a time or an area which is not worthy of photographing or painting. Current interests are collecting Ornamental Trees - from the Nursery of the same name. Also adding to the range of Summer colour with interesting bulbs. It is important when staying in a farm B&B to have a lovely area to take tea, to see unusual hardy plants and then to be able to source them from the fabulous Herefordshire Nurseries. Check out Ivington gardens - particularly Aulden Farm, our favourite for irises and inspiration.
Other courses available, geological walks by special arrangement with Robert Williams, local expert on Robert Murcheson. We are really close to super cookery courses at Canon Pyon House," cooking with class" with Victoria O'Neillif gardening or geology are not your first choice!
Hedgehog family in Upper Newton Garden August 2006 , photo by Jay
Photos updated April 2008
Aulden Farm, Ivington - fabulous iris collection, check opening days.
Many others, we have lists and will enthuse when you stay with us.
Hellebore and Galanthus weekend this weekend at Ullingswick. Also Ivy Croft is open for National Garden scheme and by appointment. Superb choice of snowdrops to buy in the green.
We are just 6 miles from Wiggly Wigglers, award-winning suppliers of lovely green products, yes some of them move but for webcams and great mixes and lots of lovely bits for creatures in your garden why not give them a visit, stay over with us - storage for wormeries no problem - in fact we can probably equip you with some lovely worms as a special gift when you leave Upper Newton B&B! wiggly@wigglywigglers.co.uk
http://www.gardenvisit.com/h/hotels.htm
Local Garden Information:- all within 30 minutes or less from Apple Blossom Self-catering cottage and Upper Newton B&B.
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Brobury House Gardens, Brobury, Bredwardine, Herefordshire, |
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Burford House Gardens, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, WR15 8HQ |
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Hampton Court Gardens, Nr Hope-under-Dinmore, Leominster, |
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Hergest Croft, Kington, Herefordshire, HR5 3EG |
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Ivy Croft, Ivington Green, Leominster, HR6 0JN Open by appointment plus a great website. Just 15 minutes from here. |
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Lawton Hall Herbs, Eardisland, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 9AX |
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Ornamental Tree Nurseries Ltd, Broomy Hill Gardens, Cobnash, Kingsland, Leominster, HR6 9OZ |
| Stocktonbury Gardens, Stocktonbury, Kimbolton, Nr Leominster, HR6 0HB One of Pearl's favourites, lots of garden rooms Tel:01568 613432 Sheltered 4 acre garden with a long growing season and an extensive collection of plants set amongst medieval buildings with quirky features. |
| The Walled Garden, Knill, Nr Presteigne, Powys, LD8 2PR Tel: 01544 267411 or 260331 4 acres containing a walled garden, a river, bog garden, primulas adding to a beautiful Spring garden and one hundred varieties of shrubs and climbing roses. Open by appointment any day 10 - 6pm. Telephone in advance. |
| Weir Garden, NT Swainshill, Nr Hereford, Herefordshire, HR4 8BS Set high above the River Wye this woodland garden is particularly noted for its riot of spring flowers, wonderful riverside walk. |
| Westonbury Mill Water Gardens, Westonbury Mill, Pembridge, HR6 9HZ Tel: 01544 388650 2½ acres of bog and moisture loving plants around a tangle of streams and ponds, together with a natural bog garden in the area of the old mill pond. Please let Pearl know what this is like as she has yet to visit! |
| Whimble Nursery, Kinnerton , Presteigne, Powys, LD8 2PD. Tel: 01547 560413. Unusual herbaceous perennials cottage garden plants and climbers, wonderfully grown. Many plants in Upper Newton Gardens are from here - they always survive, having been grown is such an inclement setting. |
Try Woodstock Terracotta (actually loads of terazzo too and gorgeous glazed pots and a super, really great condition plant nursery AND super little coffee shop - all on the suggested Ludlow day out from Upper Newton B&B.