Durmast House

About Durmast House

Durmast House was originally built in 1840 and eventually acquired by Miss Nelly Baring, who engaged her cousin, Gertrude Jekyll, to redesign the Victorian garden in 1907. The present owners, Mr & Mrs Daubeney have obtained copies of the original Gertrude Jekyll plans from the University of California, Berkeley USA and they are now in the process of restoring the garden according to the original scheme. The formal rose garden has been planted with old roses such as Comte de Chambord (1860), Rose de Meaux (1829) and the beds edged with lavender. Herbaceous borders have been planted following Miss Jekyll’s plans. The Azalea border has rare old Ghent Azaleas, Princeps, Gloria Mundi and Fama as well as Narcissiflora and Ponticum. Adjoining borders have been planted near the Lutyens designed summer house with yellow tree lupins, Echinops Ritro, white broom, Cistus Cyprius and Lusitanicus, edged in Munstead lavenders, santolina and white dianthus. Rose bowers with rare French roses, Eleanor Berkeley, Psyche and Euphrosyne. The Jekyll designed Aster border has been replanted. A woodland walk leads to a Victorian wooden coach house. Group openings include a talk on the history and planting in the garden, a conducted tour and excellent home-made scones and cream teas and a plant sale. Featured on Gardeners’ World and Radio Solent interview.

Features inc rose bowers with rare French roses; Eleanor Berkeley, Psyche and Reine Olga de Wurtemberg. Many old trees inc cedar and Douglas firs.