About the garden
Owned by
Helen & Ross Barbour
The Picton Garden is a charming garden nestled at the foot of the Malvern Hills and was established in the early 1980s on part of the Old Court Nurseries site – the nursery itself having been established in 1906.
Although best known for the extensive collection of autumn flowering asters, which create a blaze of colour in late September and early October, the garden is, in fact, a paradise for plantspeople throughout the year.
Many unusual tree and shrub specimens form the backbone of the garden with the woodland underplanting having been extensively revitalised during the last decade. Of special interest is the ever-expanding collection of more than 300 snowdrops and 70 different ferns. February, March and April are the months for the smaller details in the garden with snowdrops, Epimediums, bulbs and flowering shrubs playing an important role.
The centre stage in May is taken by the paeonias, including a magnificent specimen of Paeonia rockii. June sees the herbaceous plants beginning to come into its own, helped by swates of alliums, with the colour truly building through July. The hot colours of crocosmias and heleniums light up the August borders to be replaced by a truly glorious riot of colour and texture from mid-September.
This garden, although small, is a treasure trove of different plants, the love and dedication of the family team responsible for its creation and ongoing expansion shining through.
