Swindon House Farm: Touring Penny Brook’s Incredible 30 Year Garden Transformation

Penny Brook is the owner of Swindon House Farm and has spent 30 years completely transforming the barren landscape into a flowering paradise.

There are now over 3,500 different native trees and mixed hedgerows planted in the garden, attracting a range of wildlife and pollinators.

Join Penny as she takes us on a tour of these beautiful private gardens.

Where It All Began

“There wasn’t anything here when I moved here, so every tree, hedge and plant has been put in by me,” Penny starts.

“It’s a difficult site as we’re on heavy clay. It’s also a really exposed site with a lot of wind and frost, so it’s been a steep learning curve in regards to what will grow.

“I just started digging! I knew I needed to plant trees and hedges to create a windbreak, so that was the first thing.

“Then the rest of it just followed on, really.”

Exploring The Garden

“It’s a big garden, it’s 3.5 acres, and I’d say I’m only just growing into it,” Penny says.

“In the field, I’ve started to cultivate that into wildflower areas, as it’s nice to make something pretty out of the wilder space out there.

“The main large borders are usually covered in bees, which is a highlight for me. I just let plants come in.

“In there were have the campions, foxgloves and vabascums, which have all sort of self-seeded.

“The philadelphus is looking nice and it smells spectacular. We call it the bubblegum bush because of its unique scent.

“Next to that, there’s a lilac that my brother gave to me. It was so small and has grown up and matured over the years, which has been great to witness.”

Penny’s Favourite Garden Corner

“I created one bed as an entrance for the barn that we run as an Airbnb, but I think it’s become one of my favourite parts of the garden,” Penny shares.

“It’s a mixture of cultivated and wild plantings, so we’ve got the corncockle and the nepeta, which is a nice combination.

“Then there’s the campanula and delphiniums. It’s got a cottage garden feel to it.

“This section is also home to my favourite rose in the garden, which is ‘Desdemona’.

“That was given to me by a guest and it’s doing well. It was only put in a couple of years ago, but it obviously likes it here because it’s a sunny and sheltered spot.”

Visiting Swindon House Farm

“A garden doesn’t have to be perfect,” says Penny.

“This garden is not perfect – it is far from it – but it’s still a lovely garden. I think it’s really special.”

To find out more about visiting Swindon House Farm, head over to the National Garden Scheme’s website.