A creative meeting of minds has produced a dramatic spring garden of contrasts, with water at its heart. Words Hannah Gardner, photographs Jason Ingram <\/p>
Babbling brooks are a part of life in the prosperous Cotswold village of Blockley. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Blockley was at the heart of the English silk industry, and the Blockley Brook, which powered the mills, runs through the village and through the surprising garden of Colebrook House. Enter by its discreet gate, and a smaller body of water<\/a>, the Cole Brook, draws you in, enticing you to follow its fern<\/a>-lined course, crossing and re-crossing it via a series of small Georgian bridges, until it disappears beneath a grand lawn. Here, in front of the Georgian home of George and Melissa Apsion, you get a first glimpse of the garden\u2019s magical appeal.<\/p> You may also like<\/strong><\/p> A gloriously high, undulating yew hedge<\/a> adds to the dramatic angles and strong structure of the parterre created by designer Todd Longstaffe-Gowan in the new walled garden. The cut-flower<\/a> borders near the house provide a dazzling display throughout spring and summer with a succession of bulbs<\/a>, including tulips<\/a>, and annuals<\/a>. The pretty Claverton cloches<\/a> create a strong link to the beautiful Georgian orangery beyond.<\/p> Watch a tour of Colebrook house and brook<\/strong><\/p>