I popped along to the Beth Chatto gardens and nursery yesterday for a
day out.

While I had seen snippets on the telly they don't prepare you for the
real thing. I found the gardens were delightful - especially the water
and woodland ones. The gravel garden is also interesting and was doing
very well with tulips still coming into bloom!

In an interview I watched Beth Chatto said she works on the basis of
combining colour and structure and I'd say she had certainly mastered
the art. The plant and colour combinations were really excellent and
everywhere you looked there was something that delighted the eye. There
is also a small alpine garden area adjacent to the house which was also
doing very well indeed.

For those in the area as residents, day trippers or holiday makers I
would definitely recommend a visit if you like plants or just want to
walk round a garden that is very restful and relaxing. No wonder the
place is closed on Sundays so that Beth Chatto can enjoy her gardens in
peace - I would want a day to enjoy something as beautiful as that.

The nursery was excellent too - the best one I've been too. Thankfully I
went by public transport so was limited in what I could carry otherwise
I would have spent far too much money. Unfortunately for my wallet I
think I am already planning my next visit :-(

--
Paul C

Paul Corfield wrote:
I popped along to the Beth Chatto gardens and nursery yesterday for a
day out.

While I had seen snippets on the telly they don't prepare you for the
real thing. I found the gardens were delightful - especially the water
and woodland ones. The gravel garden is also interesting and was doing
very well with tulips still coming into bloom!

In an interview I watched Beth Chatto said she works on the basis of
combining colour and structure and I'd say she had certainly mastered
the art. The plant and colour combinations were really excellent and
everywhere you looked there was something that delighted the eye. There
is also a small alpine garden area adjacent to the house which was also
doing very well indeed.

For those in the area as residents, day trippers or holiday makers I
would definitely recommend a visit if you like plants or just want to
walk round a garden that is very restful and relaxing. No wonder the
place is closed on Sundays so that Beth Chatto can enjoy her gardens in
peace - I would want a day to enjoy something as beautiful as that.

The nursery was excellent too - the best one I've been too. Thankfully I
went by public transport so was limited in what I could carry otherwise
I would have spent far too much money. Unfortunately for my wallet I
think I am already planning my next visit :-(

--
Paul C

The nursery offers an excellent mail order service in spring and
autumn. I've ordered from them 2 years running, and the plants have
always been healthy, good-sized specimens and very carefully packed.