Impressive 2.73 acre cottage style English garden in Chorley opens to public for charity

An impressive 2.73 acre cottage style English garden in Chorley, unfolding into a series of beautifully designed spaces, is set to open to the public this weekend.

The garden, at Jack Green Cottage in Brindle, has been lovingly restored by Aurelia McCann and her husband Peter over the last 15 years, and features a mix of Japanese inspired landscaping, fragrant herb gardens, flourishing orchards, soft fruit beds and vegetable plots.

Now the Chorley garden will be open to the public on Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 5, as part of the National Open Garden Scheme, which gives visitors access to over 3,000 private gardens in England, Wales and Northern Ireland while raising money for nursing and health charities.

Speaking about the garden, Ellie said: "We've been here 16 years. We tried to make the most of every little space and every little nook and cranny."

"The garden has evolved, things that didn't work have been pulled out and redone. It is hard work, sometimes everything needs doing at the same time. It's been challenging at times but we've managed to do it. My husband Peter helps, he is very good at mowing the lawn!"

"It is an absolute joy to be here, just sitting listening to the bird song."

The couple have welcome over 700 people to their garden since they first opened it to the public in 2017 as part of the scheme.

Ellie continued: "National Open Garden Scheme is a big charity and it appeals to us because both myself and my husband are medics and National Garden Scheme supports a lot of cancer charities, Hospice UK, Macmillan, Marie Curie, Parkinson's and a lot of nursing charities, as well as gardening charities and that's why we raise money by opening the garden."

"Proceeds from plant sales will go to Bolton Hospice, a charity very close to my heart as I've been working there for the last nine years."

"Visitors can expect a lot of little rooms, little special garden areas, all are very different. Some of them will be in full sun, with a more gravelly, kind of desert feel, and some of them will be in shade, with a lot of plants that are moisture loving, so plenty of areas to see."

"Usually people do two rounds because there's too much to see if you just go around once due to the diversity of the spaces that we've manage to put together."

"We have a vegetable plot, a wet garden, a kind of bog garden style, where we grow plant that absolutely love water. There's a Victorian style greenhouse, that's where I do all my growing, splitting and propagating."

Aurelia McCann and husband Peter will welcome visitors to Jack Green Cottage, Mill House Lane, Brindle, Chorley on Saturday July 4 and Sunday July 5 between 11am to 4pm. Admission is £5 adults and free for children.