About the Garden

 
History

In 1996, we bought a derelict barn with the roof collapsing. My architect husband, Peter Clegg, made it into a light and airy house with a wall of Streptocarpus instead of curtains. We would not want any more between us and the fantastic view.

We are on a steep hill at the top of an idyllic valley, but the house was surrounded by muddy fields. I was busy moving the nursery and had no time to make a garden. Peter had never made a garden before, but he designed and built a garden here on several levels with graceful flowing curves. I planted it with my favourite things.

We have heavy clay soil. Most plants thrive, but I love Mediterranean plants and I knew they would hate it, so the first thing I did was make a gravel garden. The plants loved it and so did I, so we made a second gravel garden.

We have springs so there are ponds with trickling water between and a bog garden.

In 1999 I did an exhibit at Chelsea, called "What's Black and White and Red Only Occasionally?"   When I came back I planted a new black and white border (perhaps purple and silver would be more accurate).

Some years later Peter planted the 'Empty Quarter' - a circle of beech trees around plain gravel, then a vegetable garden and an orchard with a Miscanthus hedge between lawn and field, grass dividing grass from grass.

We made a woodland walk  through the scrubby woods down one side of the garden with a magic carpet bridge that ripples up and over a tiny stream.  We lost several trees this winter so it may be less of a woodland this summer.  Nothing stays the same

Peter's Shapes in the Landscape, sculpted hedging, a mystery to me when he started, is the crowning glory of the garden.  But he cannot stop.  Now he is sculpting the surrounding fields with the help of our friendly digger driver

Over time the garden has grown and bloomed beyond our wildest expectations.

Pictures of the Garden Directions

 

The garden will be open from 10:30-5:00 every Tuesday from 11 April through 24 October 2024.

No booking necessary.  £5 on the day, or £25 for a season ticket.

 

National Garden Scheme Garden Open Days 2024 -

Third Thursdays:  20 June, 18 July, 15 August, 19 September and 17 October.  

Special Tuesdays 2024

Extra garden open days with a short practical talk on what's happening in the garden week by week.  You can watch the garden changing through the year or just come once for a subject you are interested in.  Follow Derry walking round the garden as she talks about the plants she loves, about how she copes with specific problems, and what jobs she is doing at each time of year.  Be inspired to go home and make the most of your garden.

Talks are at 11am.
No need to book unless group of 6 or more.  
Free talk included with garden entrance    
    (£5, or £25 for a season ticket).

  •    9 April   Spring Pruning
  •  16 April   Staking Perennials
  •  23 April   Seedy Tuesday 
  • 30 April    Tulip Mania
  •    7 May   Plants for Dry Shade
  •  14 May   Gravel Gardening
  •  21 May   The Chelsea Chop
  •  28 May   Generous Self-Sowing Plants
  •   4 June   Umbels
  • 11 June   Poppies
  • 18 June   Sow Next Year's Flowers Now 
  • 25 June   Midsummer Madness
  •    2 July   Summer Colour in Shade
  •    9 July    Big Bold and Beautiful
  •  16 July   Slash and Burn 
  •  23 July   Grasses
  •  30 July   Salvia Extravaganza
  •    6 Aug   Taking Cuttings  
  •  13 Aug   Don’t be Afraid of Orange
  •  20 Aug   Daisy Day
  •  27 Aug   Late Summer Colour
  •   3 Sept   Special Trees
  • 10 Sept   Collect Your Own Seed
  • 17 Sept   Prairie Perennials
  • 24 Sept   Ferns and Friends
  • 24 Sept   Autumn Sowing
  •     1 Oct   Autumn Sowing
  •     8 Oct   Planting Up Winter Pots
  •   15 Oct   Divide and Conquer
  •   22 Oct   Grand Autumn Plant Sale

 

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