I am not much of a gardener, just the household chauffeur and
Internet person, but please bear with me.

My wife has a college project to study naturalistic garden style.

We realise that "naturalistic" is open to broad interpretation
and a garden may lean towards it by trying to be a wildlife
garden, for example.

For the purpose of the project, she is not looking at historic
landscape gardens in the Capability Brown/Humphrey Repton mould,
but a more recent view of the idea. "No time to stand and stare"
at Chelsea 2003 would be one example of what she's interested in,
though not limited to that particular take on it.

She has to visit example gardens. Our problem is finding suitable
places, mainly because few publicly accessible gardens (as far as
we can tell) are, or promote themselves as being, in this style.
Also, gardens tend to close in October and this project has to be
completed before they reopen next year. We therefore need to
blitz some worthwhile places this week.

We're looking for suggestions within the scope of a day trip from
the Bristol area, preferably within a 100 mile radius, or a bit
more if it's outstanding.

To elaborate on what might be acceptable:

- It doesn't have to be a whole garden; a section of a larger one
will be fine (but one that's substantial enough to be worth the
trip and provide food for thought).
- Even if it doesn't say so in the promotional blurb, as long as
it's clear on the ground that natural style is a strong influence
on the design it will be legitimate to look at.
- A naturalistic style of design, whatever label has been
applied - woodland, wildlife, wildflower, wild...
- Doesn't have to be limited to native/wild plants. It's a design
goal/look/style/influence we're after, not necessarily a literal
and narrow definition.
- Gardens that obviously try for this look but don't come off
well could be instructive

Any ideas? I know it's a bad time of year and a loosely defined
subject, but we had no control over that and have to make the
best of it.

Thanks in advance.

W.

PS: Just in case somebody gets the wrong idea, the nom-de-plume
comes from my carpentry "talents"