Given our recent heatwave and drought, a timely visit to the garden of dry gardening doyenne, the late Beth Chatto.

World renowned garden and extensive plant nursery created by award-winning plants woman Beth Chatto OBE, near Colchester, Essex. Over several decades Beth transformed 7.5 acres of overgrown wasteland into a series of beautiful, informal gardens with distinctively different conditions. The garden has been planted based on the principle of using the right plant for the right place; selecting plants best suited for the specific conditions in each area. Ecological and sustainable practices have always been at the heart of Beth Chatto’s Plants and Gardens.

Ahead of her time, the Gravel Garden was inspired by a dried-out riverbed and sits atop a five-metre-deep layer of naturally occurring sand and gravel. It is never watered, apart from when planting, despite being situated in one of the driest parts of the country. Grasses, bulbs and perennials intermingle with mounds of lavender, cistus and santolina, underplanted with creeping carpets of thyme and lamb’s ear. This drought-resistant planting scheme offers plenty of interest throughout the year, proving that it’s possible to have a beautiful garden which doesn’t require irrigation,

In a boggy hollow lies the Water Garden where a spring-fed ditch feeds a series of ponds, surrounded by borders filled with moisture loving plants. Beyond, the Reservoir Garden sits on a south-facing slope, showcasing a variety of prairie-style plants and ornamental grasses. Finally, areas of peace and tranquillity are found along shady walks beneath mature oaks and in the Woodland Garden.

The nursery offers a wide range of perennials with the majority of plants propagated from those grown in the gardens, all grown in peat-free soil and sold according to the planting conditions that suit them best, in keeping with the Beth Chatto ethos of the ‘right plant in the right place’.

Admission (prebooked) is £14.95. After our visit to the garden, we can have lunch in the onsite café or feel free to bring your own (designated picnic area next to car park).  Sorry no dogs (other than assistance dogs).

For details of prices and public transport, please see: https://www.bethchatto.co.uk/garden-nursery/planning-a-visit.htm

Full wheelchair and pushchair access to all areas of the Gardens