Long House Plants

About Long House Plants

A nursery stock plant area can be just blocks of plants to propagate from, but here it has been thoughtfully designed so that the collections of plants look good together, showing the differences between varieties, linking shapes, textures and colours across the planting schemes with plenty of seats, carefully placed to enjoy the plants.

Entered through a secret gate in the plant sales area. The path leads through a tunnel of Camellia and Trachelospermum past a slate water feature and mirror pool planted with Ophiopogon and hart’s tongue ferns and slate dry stone walls. Nearby is a hidden small bed of hardy gingers for late summer colour. A wide path leads you between stock beds of Hemerocallis complimented with specimen Phormiums. Opposite is a bed of Arundo donax, Darmera,larger white variegated Miscanthus, Filipendula, Rodgersia, Eupatorium and Iris sibirica. The journey continues through a planting of bamboo leading to a new planting of Abutilon, Anisidontea, Cautleya, Cestrum, Hedychium, Hemerocallis, Musa and shrubby Salvia.

Rounding the corner a large Gunnera dominates the picture in a border of heavy wet clay soil planted with varieties of Astilbe, Bamboo, Crinum, Hesperanthera, Hosta, Louisiana Iris, Iris ensata, Lythrum salicarica, Watsonia and Zantedeschia with a collection of larger growing yellow variegated and banded miscanthus behind.

A large bed backed by screening shrubs and edged with Hesperanthera is in the process of being re-developed. This area ends in a planting of Camellia sasanqua varieties which hides a path into a new woodland garden housing collections of Bergenia, Camellia, Fuchsia, Geranium nodosum varieties, Gillenia, Hosta, Hydrangea, Iris sibirica, Lobelia and Phlox. This area has been extended with new plantings of Aucuba, Fatsia, Mahonia, Nandina and Tetrapanax underplanted with Polypodium ferns. The path leads across a short bridge over a ditch with the banks planted with Iris ensata and large leaved Hosta leading to a rain shelter. Walking across grass through a planting of Betula utilis var jacquemontii underplanted with Anemone nemerosa varieties and Galanthus you rejoin the grass garden.

Passing through a short avenue of Luma apiculata and plantings of Camellia and Pittosporum, the space opens up with views over farmland. The wide, gently curving paths lead you through the winter garden collections of Cornus, underplanted with varieties of Vinca minor, Bergenia, Carex and Epimedium. A large selection of grasses including Deschampsia, Briza, Molinia, Pennisetum Schizachryium and Stipa are planted with Dierama, Helenium, Persicaria, Sanguisorba, Sedum, Trifolium, Veronica and Veronicastrum. The grasses start flowering in late June and peak in September.

A large gravel bed has a collection of Geranium sanguineum, Erigeron glaucus, Salvia nemerosa and S. x sylvestris for early Summer colour with Coreopsis, Osteospermum, Geranium x riverslianum and Oenothera for late Summer colour with self sown Dierama. There is also background planting of Persicaria amplexicaulis varieties that start flowering in June and go on into Autumn. A small sunken seating area is partially enclosed by Jasminum fruiticans, Daphne and shrubby salvias with surrounding planting of Berkehya, Eryngium and Geranium or you can rest a while in a nearby covered area. There is a large bed of Agapanthus, Crocosmia and Kniphofia divided by a cambered cobbled path which peaks in August backed by new black fence with a seating area near a yellow catalpa and scent coming from a small group of Rosa ‘Well Being’.

A hidden path takes you into a large circular fire pit area with banks planted with Alstroemeria, Buddleia, Carex, Cytisus, Grevillea, Penstemon and Philadelphus. The path leads through the autumn border which houses the collection of hardy Chrysanthemums, Helianthus, Rudbeckia Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, with shorter Miscanthus and Panicum grasses which provide colour in September.

Plants are labelled or records of planting positions kept to ensure accurate propagation. Tim uses the garden to help customers with designing their own borders, he can demonstrate his ideas and show what grows well in the local clay soil. Some borders are newly planted and there are areas still to be developed – roses are being grown for a perfumed garden and work has started on a woodland garden.
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