Before we visited Victoria Summerley’s garden in Bibury, England, last month, we stopped along the way at Burford Garden Company, a nursery, home decor, clothing, furniture, kitchenware, and gift shop. Oh, and did I mention they have a restaurant too? The place is huge, with a diversity of goods that’s more like a department store than a garden shop.

In the nursery yard, a lovely assortment of roses, yews, and boxwood mingle with unique garden art pieces, like these tall, rusty metal alliums.

A rose tunnel spangled with pale pink roses drew me in. One could get married under here. Rose petals are already strewn along the aisle.

I didn’t get its name, but I enjoyed the sweet fragrance.

‘Ghislaine de Féligonde’, an apricot-yellow rose, takes over halfway through the tunnel.

I can’t walk past a rose without smelling it, and a tunnel trellis puts them at just the right height.

Inside, a display of carnivorous pitcher plants in glass terrariums caught my eye.

Houseplants seemed to be riding in an old-timey carriage pulled by a wire horse.

Among the kitchen goods were green bottles of Italicus, “a sip of Italy” with notes of citrus and lavender.

Dozens of tables at the restaurant — this is just one side of it — offer plenty of seats for diners.

We placed our order at the counter with two very nice ladies who giggled when I asked what “soldiers” are in an English breakfast. “That’s toast sliced into strips,” they explained. The strips of toast look like a company of soldiers, you see. My toast, however, was cut into triangles and accompanied eggs, bacon, sausage, black pudding, mushrooms, and a cooked tomato. Very hearty!

After our tasty breakfast, we were off to see Victoria and the sights of the Cotswolds.

Coming up next: Afternoon tea in Rosemary Verey’s garden at Barnsley House. For a look back at our tour of Victoria Summerley’s garden and Bibury, click here.

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