A wonderful cottage garden in Brittany....

Our farmhouse is set in approximately 1.5 acres of land - consisting of a cottage-style garden with a mix of smaller trees, native hedging, shrubs, roses, spring bulbs and an abundance of perennial plants.  To the side of the house is a nicely sheltered vegetable garden (surrounded by native hedging) with mature fruit bushes & rhubarb, raspberries & strawberries and established compost areas and in addition, some well dug beds for growing.  Beyond the main garden is an area of mixed woodland - mainly oak and hazel - this area has been developed a great deal since we arrived and provides all the wood needed for the wood-burning stoves in the house.  At the bottom of the woodland area we have a stream which runs the full length of the boundary.

The garden is an absolute haven for wildlife and birds; it is surrounded by open farmland and woodland and is an amazingly peaceful spot!  Ten years ago when we originally bought the property, the garden had been left to do it's own thing for quite a number of years and many plants were hidden beneath brambles and undergrowth and gradually we've discovered many of these,which are now thriving. In early spring there are loads of Lily of the Valley which appear in hidden corners followed by an amazing collection of Aqualegia which have self seeded over the years giving many interesting varieties. Very very little has been used on the garden in the form of weedkillers or chemical pest control as the garden, having been left for the years before we arrived has developed it's own eco system and tends to look after itself.  The birds, hedgehogs, toads and sloe worms seem to do a good job in keeping many of the garden pests at bay.  One animal that I've never seen here once is a rabbit which may well be good news for anyone who's a keen gardener!


There are some good mature fruit trees here - a wonderful walnut tree which always gives a good crop, a Victoria Plum, Greengage, various Apples, a number of Cherries and a couple of small Pear Trees.

There are a number of lovely walks around here that you can do straight from the house without having to get into the car and for those who enjoy cycling there is an amazing collection of tracks around here which are ideal for exploring the area on a bike.