England

Parks & Picnics:
Great Gardens of Essex

Two great gardens in one weekend! On this tour you visit two of the finest gardens in Essex, starting with the Beth Chatto Gardens which began in 1960 when the site was an overgrown wasteland between two farms. Faced with all kinds of difficult conditions Beth and Andrew Chatto set out to find homes for many of the plants they wished to grow. With dry and damp soil in both sun and shade, they were able put into practice the underlying principles of what is now referred to as "Ecological gardening". The result is a mix of four types of garden, gravel, scree, wood & water!

On Sunday you visit the second of the gardens, RHS Hyde Hall, located in one of the driest areas of the British Isles. The aim is to develop and maintain a garden of beauty and diversity, whilst demonstrating horticultural techniques that are appropriate for the region and low rainfall areas in general. Constructed on a sloping site using large gabbro boulders and stone mulch to give the impression of a natural rocky outcrop, the plants have also been carefully selected to combine the essential characteristics required for tolerance to drought, exposure and high light levels. The garden's south-facing aspect means that the plants get plenty of sun, and individual rocks help to create microclimates for more tender plants.