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The Plant Library

The Plant Library is a collection of mainly herbaceous plants that are laid out as a filing system in an acre of old orchard. Each group has a QR code making it possible to identify over 1800 herbaceous plants and bulbs. With the new Apple House barn, it is the heart of the Serge Hill Project for Gardening Creativity and Health, a not-for-profit, set up by Sue and Tom Stuart-Smith in 2023.

Owner Info

  • Tom & Sue Stuart-Smith
The Plant Library
The Plant Library
The Plant Library
The Plant Library
The Plant Library
The Plant Library
The Plant Library
The Plant Library

About The Plant Library

The Plant Library is an exciting ongoing experiment. This is a unique and extensive educational resource for anyone interested in plants and planting design: whether they be visiting students of horticulture, gardeners, garden designers, community groups or school children. The first plants were planted in autumn 2020 and spring 2021. The collection is constantly edited and curated, creating a stage on which to trial and experiment with more unusual plants. Each grid square is numbered, and all the plants are identifiable through scanning the QR code on each bed.

The Apple House building at the heart of the orchard site is home to the Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity and Health, a Community Interest Company which launched in June 2024. It is used to host talks, workshops and events and through its community facing programme, works to foster inclusion through gardening and other forms of creativity. The Apple House has been designed by architect Ben Stuart-Smith and uses almost exclusively natural materials above ground level, including hempcrete walls, oak cladding and an unfired clay floor.

The Orchard Nursery, a small propagation unit for growing plants from the collection has been built and is run on the site by Sunnyside Rural Trust and there are also vegetable plots and therapeutic gardening beds, used by the Project.

Website:

https://www.sergehillproject.co.uk

The Plant Library features

Location details

The Plant Library,
Sergehill Lane,
Abbots Langley,
Hertfordshire,
WD5 0RZ

The Plant Library openings

A group opening is when a number of gardens open together on the same day.

Refreshments Home-made teas. Refreshments in aid of NGS & Serge Hill Project for Gardening and Health.
Admission Adult: £18.00
Child: £0.00
Opening times 13:00-17:00

Accessibility

  • No information available at this time, please get in touch with the owners for details.
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FAQs

Payment is by cash only. Please get in touch with the owners for more details.

Sorry, there is no available parking for coaches at The Plant Library at this time.

Sorry, no dogs are allowed in the garden at this time.

Yes, there are various plants offerred for sale at The Plant Library, please enquire with the owners for more details.

Sorry, The Plant Library does not yet accommodate wheelchair users.

Yes. The Plant Library seeks to offer a sustainable refuge for nearby fauna and wildlife. These sanctuaries host diverse habitats supporting indigenous flora and fauna and nurturing local biodiversity.