Inside secret ornamental Union Jack garden with over 300 plants at Grade I listed 1241 West Midlands home
Visitors are invited to explore the ten-acre grounds of the Grade I listed manor house on Sunday afternoon (June 8).
A secret ornamental garden designed in the shape of the Union Jack flag is blooming as the owners prepare to open to the public for one day only.
Rosalie and Nigel Dawes, who own Birtsmorton Court in Worcestershire, grew the unique display to celebrate the millennium.
It now blooms each spring and summer when the couple open the grounds to the public for one day (June 8 this year) as part of the National Garden Scheme.
At the heart of the intricate series of gardens lies the centrepiece 'White Garden', filled with peonies and lined with yew hedge topiary.
Its stone paved diagonal paths and perfectly trimmed grass walkways create the perfect Union Jack flag when looking from above.
More than 300 plants are planted in the patriotic garden each season, the bulk of which are peonies.
Head gardener Mike Gogerty spends two days mowing the numerous lawns and says maintenance and pruning takes up to 65 hours a week.
Despite their stunning appearance, Mike admits the unusually hot spring has taken its toll on the plants and grasses.
He said: "The dry spell has started to affect the lawns, it's making planting out hard as the ground is so hard. Plants like sweet peas are affected as they need a lot of water. We have hardly had to cut the grass this year, due to the lack of rain.
"This is unusual as in spring the grass normally grows quicker than we can cut it. The way the grass has grown this spring has been more like mid-summer.
"We spend roughly around 65 hours a week on maintenance, but it increases in peak season, the lawns take about two days to cut.
"The white garden was designed for the millennium by the owner. Along with the perennials, I grow around 300 plants for each season, that's just for the white garden."
Sharing his biggest tip for beating the dry bouts of weather, Mike said: "Mulch as much as you can in the winter, target water newly-planted plants."
Gardening at Birtsmorton Court is a historic tradition dating back to when the house was built in 1241.
The lake, called Westminster Pool, which supplies the moat, was laid in Henry VII’s reign to mark the consecration of the nave at Westminster Abbey.
It also boasts an ancient yew tree which Cardinal Wolsey reputedly slept under in the 19th century legend of the Shadow of the Ragged Stone.
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