In 1960 Beth Chatto set about transforming a wasteland on the edges of her husband’s family fruit farm near Elmstead Market, Essex.It is now a world renown garden.
Her skill was not to fight nature but use species that suited the terrain and soil conditions, creating the intersecting lakes, bog and dry gardens. It seems obvious now but at that time gardeners were still making a garden look like they wanted without regard to the time and effort and expense it needed to have something grow where it didn’t want to.
One of her mottos was how could a plant thrive under difficult conditions.
She is nearly 94 and apparently still zips around on her mobility scooter as she lives within the garden.
These pictures are just of the largest lake. This weeks later blogs will also focus on her dry garden. and planting in the beds.
