Mill Dene Garden, Blockley

A stream runs through the middle of the Mill Dene property on its way to the Severn, and in days gone by a mill stood beside the stream. The mill is gone now, but in its place is a this delightful 2 1/2 acre garden built upon a number of shallow terraces.

The old mill pond has been incorporated into the design of the garden, which has been open to the public only since the early 1990s. The garden offers a wide variety of plantings, with a special winter garden near the house, which boasts roses, daphnes and mahonias.

Fragrance plays a big role in the garden design, with Lavender, artemisia, viburnum, philandelphus, jasmine and honeysuckle mingling in aromatic profusion with the scent of a special chamomile lawn. Across the stream is a wild garden area given over to native plants. The scene is embellished by tantalising glimpses of the nearby parish church as you walk up the path through the terraces.

When owners Wendy and Barry Dare bought the Mill Dene property the space now occupied by the garden was covered so thickly in brambles that it took slashing with a machete to reach the stream. No such exertions are needed now, for the owners have gradually cleared, planted and improved the garden for over 30 years, to the point where it is one of the most admired gardens in the Cotswolds. Mill Dene Garden has been honoured with recognition in the Good Garden Guide.

Mill Dene is not the only garden worthy of a visit in Blockley. The village joined the National Garden Scheme in the late 1970s, and the number of gardens open to the public on the first Sunday in May has risen to over ten, with a fewer number open again in mid summer.