Beth Chatto’s Garden at Elmstead Market is a remarkable achievement! And her gardening philosophy is so simple – grow plants in an environment to which they are adapted. I came across her ideas at the Chelsea Flower Show when she first started exhibiting in 1975 and even have some of the original catalogues. Yesterday I visited her garden for the first time in many years and it is beautiful – do go! Sadly I shot some my worst photographs for a long time – I apologise.
The Dry Garden is the first part of the garden and you can enjoy it from the café, which I did over excellent scones and tea. Gardening under drought conditions was the subject of her first book, published in 1978.
Her website provides useful information about plants which will survive, even thrive, in dry conditions. There were some lovely plant combinations which I particularly enjoyed: Stipa Tenuissima & Agapanthus, and Calamagrostis & Gaura appealed to me.
And I loved these plants: Verbena ‘Bampton’, Pennisetum ‘Villosum’ (I think), and Libertia ‘Peregrinans’.
Somehow I hadn’t really noticed the dark-leaved sedums before. Three plants came home with me! They are easily propagated and I know I will have several more next year and a large spread the year after.
More posts to come!
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Beth Chatto’s Garden
Oh that dark sedum is gorgeous! what a beautiful garden.
It is beautiful – I am thinking of pairing it with Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and perhaps Pennisetum ‘Hamelm’ – what do you think? Thank you for visiting!
Oh the Pennisetum would be lovely stark contrast!