Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens

Beth Chatto's garden is one of the most useful places in Britain for anyone wondering what will grow in a difficult spot. It was made on land that farmers had left alone because it was too dry in some places and too wet in others, and Beth Chatto turned those problems into a series of gardens, each planted with species suited to the conditions. Her principle of right plant, right place runs through the whole visit.

The Gravel Garden is the one most people come to see. It is planted with drought-tolerant plants that cope with dry, sun-baked ground, and it is a practical model for low-water gardening. The Water Garden shows the opposite, with marginal and moisture-loving planting around ponds. The Woodland Garden and the Long Shady Walk deal with shade and heavy soil, while the Scree Garden suits alpine plants. The Reservoir Garden was redesigned by the head gardener, Åsa Gregers-Warg, and the director, David Ward, with Beth Chatto's input. Ancient boundary oaks, the only plants left from before the garden began, frame the whole site.

The nursery is the other half of the visit. It has more than 2,000 varieties, most grown on site in peat-free compost, and plants are sorted by the conditions they like: dry, shade, general or damp. Raised benches show plants grouped together, which helps with ideas for your own borders. A typical visit takes three to four hours, and Chatto's Tearoom is on site. Dogs are allowed in the nursery, shop and outside tearoom area, but not in the gardens apart from assistance dogs.