This year, the summer garden visit was to English Heritage’s Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.  A great day out, Wrest Park’s Grade I listed country house and formal gardens are spread over 92 acres and date from the early eighteenth century. They were modified between 1758 and 1760 by Lancelot “Capability” Brown who ringed the central formal area with a canal and woodland and created a series of lakes giving the impression of one flowing river.

Everyone had the chance to discover gardens showcasing French, Dutch, Italian and English styles side by side. Fancy French curves and bold Italian geometry provide contrast in dynamic bedding displays. Wrest Park is home to a number of hidden gems that await discovery, including an ornate marble fountain, the eighteenth-century Bowling Green House, a Chinese Temple and Bridge and over 40 statues dotted around the grounds.