BETH CHATTO’S GARDEN (ELMSTEAD MARKET, UK)
Beth Chatto OBE (1923 – 2018) was an award-winning plants woman, author and lecturer, who won 10 gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, in the 70s and 80s. For her own gardens she transformed desolate wasteland that was deemed unfit for fruit farming. The landscape varied dramatically so that each garden within the garden has become an example for ecological and sustainable gardening by working with nature to find the right plants for the right place.
Among the different gardens, the Gravel Garden is the most famous one. Despite being situated in one of the driest parts of the country, not being irrigated, and having poor, free-draining soil, it has become renowned for its spectacular display of drought-tolerant plants. The Scree Garden displays an ample collection of alpines typically found growing naturally on stony, mountainous slopes. The Water Garden includes a series of ponds and moisture loving plants. The Woodland Garden is full of shade-loving bulbs, perennials and shrubs planted underneath a dense canopy of tall oaks, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. The Reservoir Garden is an open area, redesigned recently in the Beth Chatto style.
The Nursery offers over 2,000 varieties of plants, grouped into conditions, making it easier to find the plants that will suit specific gardens. The Beth Chatto Education Trust has developed an inclusive range of courses, workshops and events and is approved by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Photo: Beth Chatto’s Plants & Gardens