Monday 20 October 2014

Great Dixter: a riot of colour


The wonderfully bold, lush gardens at Great Dixter look beautiful at any time of the year, but perhaps especially so at this time of this year, towards the end of an elongated summer with the air still full of warmth and the plants at full maturity. I was lucky enough to be visit on a gorgeous fine day last week.


A view of the oast house (sadly long out of use) from a corner of the sunken garden.


One of my favourite views, through the blue garden into the wall garden. I defy anyone to resist squeezing through the gap and exploring up the steps.

The impressively espaliered pear tree against the wall of the house in the blue garden (just visible in the top right in the previous picture). The Gunnera manicata in front of it is growing happily in a giant pot.



The seasonally-changing pot display in the wall garden is dominated by deep reds and brilliant yellows at present.

This is how to grow pumpkins on a compost heap - it helps if your heap is around 10 feet high.


A sneaky peek into the sunken garden from the meadow in front of the main entrance to the house. Great Dixter has many of these tantalising glimpses into its many gardens.


There are a couple of disused wells in the grounds, which now form stunning planters.


The main entrance to the house, which dates back to the mid-15th century, flanked by a mass of containers of lush flowers and those reds and yellows again.

Since the death of Christopher Lloyd, the owner of the Great Dixter estate, in 2005, the house and gardens have become a charitable trust, with the gardens  still overseen by Fergus Garrett, who devised the innovative and influential planting schemes alongside Lloyd.

The nursery, which sells many of the varieties grown in the gardens, is open all the year round. The house and gardens will reopen from March 28th 2015.

Further info from www.greatdixter.co.uk/