About the gardens
The house is set in gardens laid out in 1895,
and some of the original planting is still there. The garden is
open to the public under the National Garden Scheme, and by
appointment.
The garden was planned and started several years before the
house was built in 1895, reflecting the Green family’s interest in
plants and plant-collecting. The main garden area is as it was
originally laid out, but the alpine hothouses, tennis courts,
stables and fruit garden have given way to buildings and
car-parking. There is now only limited access to the sunken paths
and quarry/rock garden as safety maintenance only takes place in
these areas.
In 2005/06 a three-year replanting scheme began. This was
designed to encourage wildlife, along with other features like
bat-boxes. The new planting has been chosen to fit tough 21st
century standards: low maintenance, drought-tolerance and
rabbit-resistance, but this still leaves room for some interesting
choices. While we can’t restore the garden as it originally was, we
have tried hard to respect and build on the intentions of its
creators, keeping it growing as a living project.