LIFESTYLE & TRAVEL
Gardener’s world
Beth Chatto’s Plants & Gardens is an inspirational venue comprising 7.5 acres of gardens harnessing ecological planting. Created by the late award-winning gardener, author and lecturer Beth Chatto OBE, her incredible work at the gardens began in 1960. She took an overgrown wasteland of brambles, parched gravel and boggy ditches and transformed it into an inspirational, informal garden using plants that thrive in different conditions: the right plant for the right place.
Water Garden The Water Garden includes a series of ponds and moisture-loving plants. It’s a fantastically serene area and deserving of a visit on a hot day as the temperature by the water is several degrees cooler than the rest of the gardens. Woodland Garden The Woodland Garden is full of shadeloving bulbs, perennials and shrubs planted underneath a dense canopy of tall oaks, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. Reservoir Garden An open sunny area, redesigned recently in Beth Chatto’s riverbed style.
Beth oversaw the development of the site into her 90s and today the gardens remain a family-run business, managed by her granddaughter Julia Boulton.
Scree Garden For those who have problem areas in their garden, the Scree Garden provides the solution for many – a large collection of easy alpines emulating the growing conditions of stony, mountainous slopes.
There are five main areas of the garden – all dealing with challenging soils and aspects and showing what becomes possible when you work with nature rather than against it.
A special area has also been created to remember lost loved ones - the Reflection Garden offers a tranquil place where visitors can sit and reflect on their memories.
Gravel Garden Once a car park, the world-renowned Gravel Garden featuring drought-tolerant plants was originally established by Beth and her team as an experiment. Now, it is famous for the fact that it is never irrigated despite being situated in one of the driest parts of the country and with poor, free-draining soil.
Info
ESSEX
Adults: £9.95 Children: £2 each Booking is essential – please visit website for the latest opening hours and information. Beth Chatto’s Plants & Gardens Elmstead Market, Clacton Rd, Elmstead Colchester CO7 7DB 01206 822 007 bethchatto.co.uk
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