The Gardens

The Double Borders.

These are over 250feet long and feature a wide selection of perennials backed by a series of flowering shrubs.

The Lawned Garden

Three individual lawns are surrounded by wide herbaceous borders, including a Moist Border which is reserved for plants requiring above average moisture -  in periods of drought they can be singled out for a little pampering without wasting water on more drought tolerant plants.

Rogue’s Gallery 

Planters both on the surface and buried in the ground contain the roots of invasive plants such as Persicaria.  Visitors
are asked to show understanding for these specimens which although of generally excellent character have an unfortunate reputation for molesting their neighbours. They have all been served with an ASBO (astonishingly strict boundary observance).

 Cottage Garden

This is a garden without a cottage! It is however laid out in the style of a traditional cottage garden with a large assortment of plants intermingling together throughout the summer.

 Raised Bed Garden

A series of raised beds with a central cedar gazebo has been built to display those plants needing good drainage. In May and June our large collections of bearded Irises and Oriental Poppies will be to  the fore, followed from mid-summer onwards with Alstroemerias and Agapanthus plus many more.

 Fragrant Rose Garden

Here we feature roses selected primarily for their strong fragrance,with some 140 different varieties planted in all, surrounded by a series of later flowering shrubs which will be in flower at the same time as the roses.

 Peony and Daylily Garden

This is one of our most recent additions, having been planted up in spring 2008. It is based on 26 geometrically laid out beds surrounding a large weather vane set in a large lawned square of plane trees and has approx 60 different varieties of peony as the main feature in May and June, followed by a similar number of different daylily varieties in July and August amongst an underplanting of many other perennials. The photo shows the area last year as it starts to look a little  more mature.

 Breezy Bench Garden

Another new section in 2008, this large lawned area has being planted up with tall growing perennials such as helianthus (perennial sunflowers) and grasses, which will make wonderful solitary plants when set within the lawn.

 Shrub Garden

Again, a new addition to the gardens, with a large variety of rare shrubs surrounding a  lawn. Having been largely planted out during the winter of 2007/8 it will begin to look more mature over the next few years.

 New Projects

Our latest batch of projects completed last year include a shade garden under a row of mature oak trees, a pond, a spring garden designed to be at its peak as the garden opens at Spring Bank Holiday and an annual meadow of over 2 acres. Also this year our new conifer and grass garden will be open for the first time. The photo shows the pond garden shortly after planting last spring.