A True Summer Garden, Barrington Court

Barrington Court, The Lily Pond Garden

We almost didn't visit here.
We had a long, intense morning of not-quite-got-it-right places to visit and we'd almost given up the idea of finding anywhere else to go visit for the afternoon... long night camping, tired people, lack of tea etc etc!
However, after passing a few signs for Barrington Court on our morning travels, through the beautiful South Somerset countryside, I remembered visiting here a few years ago.
When I studied at Pershore College/Worcester Uni, my dissertation was based on the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and how heavily & successfully she influenced people inside and outside of the horticultural industry for her time.... (during this time, it was very unusual for women to be as influential as Miss Jekyll was in her specialist subjects, anyway I digress!)

One of the many, many gardens Miss Jekyll had designed was Barrington Court, now fully owned and run by the National Trust.
When I last visited, I have to say as much as the gardens were lovely, it did not have that 'wow' factor I was expecting from a Jekyll-designed garden.

However, this time round, on a last minute decision to visit, after a nice but miss-fit morning of other little visits here and there, I have to say I was very much 'WOW'd'!

Barrington Court, Wildflower Beds

From the moment we walked into the walled kitchen garden, and on into the different garden 'rooms' I couldn't help but smile at the beauty, and the difference a few years has made.

The Kitchen Garden

Oh gosh, so... heaven!

Barrington Court, Kitchen Garden Front

Walking in through a small section of cutting flower beds, either-side of a red brick gateway, framing a happy glimpse of the abundant veggies!
The colours blooming so brightly within these flower beds are such cheer and a truly warm welcome. They also serve a very important role, not only would these beds historically provided cut flowers for the main house, they encourage pollinators into the garden. Pollinators are essential to gain success from a working kitchen garden.

Barrington Court, Walk into Kitchen Garden

As we walked through the gateway, the big, long & wide beds opened up into full view. Filled with leafy green veg, my favourite was the huge chard plants with their neon multi-coloured stems (just image this steamed gently & lay under a sweet & succulent breast of chicken, a rainbow veg base for any good piece of meat!)
The cabbages were huge, kale deeply green & fabulously curly... tall artichoke plants with their globes bursting over head add height & texture to the kitchen garden. The nets prevent white cabbage moth/butterfly from laying eggs onto the brassica (cabbages & kale) hungry caterpillars would have a field day here otherwise!

Barrington Court, Beautiful Brassica 

Barrington Court, Climbing Courgettes & Black Quinoa

Barrington Court, Lovely Leeks

Fully fruiting mature apple trees, espaliered beautifully up the rustic, red bricks of the walls surrounding the garden.
Pollen-rich & pollinator friendly flowers have been cleverly used to the max here, plenty of bees buzzing around us doing their job well and clearly working over time to cope with the amount of flowers there are to land on! Quite a few butterflies were flitting around in the Kitchen Garden too.

Barrington Court, Aromatic Wild Garlic, Not So Wild!

Barrington Court, Pollinator & Fruit Borders

Barrington Court, Sweet Peas for cutting.. Smell So Sweet!

Rose & Iris, Lilly and White Garden

After the initial excitement of the Kitchen Garden, we head out into the next area.

A very relaxed, informal, cottage garden vibe going on here, one of my fav kind of planting schemes.
Once again, and very much in Gertrude Jekyll's style, this part of the garden was full of so much colour, different shades of pinks, purples, maroons, lime greens up to whites & blues with a dash of orange. A striking effect that's for sure.

Barrington Court, Traditional Cottage Style Planting

Barrington Court, Aromatic Catmint Spilling Over Path

Barrington Court, Old Calf Pens

Then walking up an aromatic lavender-lined pathway, all the way until a break in the wall was found, showing off a sneaky peak of white flowers just as we approached the entrance through to the white garden.

Barrington Court, Pink, Mauve & Blue Cottage Border

Barrington Court, Gorgeous Bi-Colour Malva

This garden has a circular feel about it, created by the curved, cut-out borders that 'ripple' out from a central copper statue, into two broken rings.
Such a tranquil and elegant planting scheme, the curved nature really adds to this effect again making the garden feel very relaxed and although the layout is quite a formal cut out, the curves and the planting scheme have a contrasting informality about the garden.

Barrington Court, White Garden

Barrington Court, Double Click White Cosmos

Barrington Court, White Garden

Coming back out, turning left & brushing past the sweet & pretty scent of the Lavender-clad path border as we go, we head into the Lily garden.

Barrington Court, Gateway into Lily Pond Garden

Barrington Court, Gateway Close Up

Barrington Court, The Lily Pond Garden

I have to say this really reminded me of RHS Wisley Gardens with the central Lily pond and the stately building sitting proudly towering over this water garden.

The main star of the show within this next section (aside from the Lily pond) is the bright, saucy, raunchy & vibrant red of the Dahlias. Planted symmetrically & parallel to each other at each end of the Lily garden they add a hit of intense romantic, passionate colour!

Barrington Court, Famous Red Dahlia Border

Barrington Court, Striking Dahlia

Around the edge of the garden, again a fabulous, proper red brick walled garden, firey oranges, yellows, reds & burning ember colours are in full bloom. Another area of the garden where butterflies were immensely enjoying the sweet nectar being provided on tap by many of the vibrant varieties in the fire planting schemes.

Barrington Court, Butterflies Loving The Plant Nectar 

Barrington Court, Sunshine Yellow Planting

Barrington Court, Vibrant Orange Calendula

After taking in all the colour heat, we strolled through another open gateway, revealing a neat, large lawn with open vistas showing clear views of the local countryside. Just beautiful.
As we turn around to face our entrance into the large open space, we are faced with stunning, flower filled mixed deep borders. The plant varieties here have been given plenty of space to really push their growing boundaries, leaving full, deep & lush mountains of interesting foliages and gorgeous flowers.

Barrington Court, Entering the Back Lawn Space

Barrington Court, Wonderful Lush Borders

Barrington Court, Deep Borders Full of Large Perennials

Miss Jekyll's signature style really rings true within all the planting schemes and different areas of Barrington court's gardens. So much thought has gone into colour & the tone each area will set or the theme each garden is trying to portray.
In Jekyll's true style, we have encountered an elegant white garden, planted in an informal yet classy style, deep borders filled by mixing shrubs, perennials, herbs & annuals that all have differing textures, scents, tones of colour.
The hot borders surrounding the lily pond again match this style of planting, but focusing on intense reds, deep & firey oranges with an array of sunshine & lemon tones of yellow.

Barrington Court, Hot Borders Surrounding Lily Pond

Barrington Court, Glorious Lace Cap Hydrangea

Not only is colour an important element throughout the designs of the gardens here, but wildlife is very much high on the agenda too.
Now, in Jekyll's time this would have had more focus on the fact that by encouraging more pollinators into the garden, the better blooms, produce & reproduction would be.
However in this day we focus more on the wildlife we can attract, which in turn gives the same outcome in the garden...
Either way, both old time and new time 'agendas' are hit here, butterflies fluttering from flower to flower and garden to garden. Bees, wasps & other insects are happily buzzing about, their back legs filled with pollen and their 'tummies' filled with nectar. Insects bobbing in and out of the soil, birds flitting, feeding and sheltering throughout the garden. Not forgetting about all the wildlife that is thriving in, on & by the beautiful lily pond.
A true wildlife & pollinator heaven.

Barrington Court, Pollinators Enjoying the Buzz of the Garden

I highly recommend visiting Barrington Court in the summer, not only ideal for gardening geeks & plant people but a great day out for the family too.

In addition to the garden there is a lovely restaurant, crafted gifts units and a second hand bookshop (some fantastic finds here!) along with, of course, the National Trust Shop too.

Hope you enjoyed walking through the gardens of Barrington Court with me.

Happy Gardening!

Lottie x