On a sunny day in early April I was lucky to take time out from my normal life to visit one of my favourite gardens with a dear friend. The Beth Chatto Gardens in Colchester are a destination place for garden lovers worldwide. This is a garden for all seasons with a stunning gravel garden and a beautiful woodland. Sadly we had missed the opening act of snowdrops, hellebores and narcissi, but there were plenty of other beauties emerging in the early spring sunshine.
There was a time when I had no idea who Beth Chatto was or that her beautiful garden was so close. When we moved to our first house with a large garden in 2003 I was determined to learn how to grow fruit and vegetables in the already well developed kitchen garden. Prior to that I had been a suburban gardener with a very small patch in London – just shrubs, grass and a few roses.
The gardening bug bit when we first moved to Suffolk. Looking for suitable books to give me guidance I came across one called ‘Gardener Cook’ by Christopher Llloyd, who I had also never heard of before. From there I was introduced to his garden at Great Dixter and his learnt of his friendship with Beth Chatto and of her beautiful plot in Colchester. My reading lead me through ‘Dear Friend & Gardener’, a series of letters between the two and then on to Beth Chatto’s own books about her garden. All these books played their part in fuelling my passion for my new garden.
I have not yet visited Great Dixter, but I have been to Beth Chatto’s garden a few times, although never in the spring so I was keen to see how the garden would look so early in the season.
On a previous visit I had bought a copy of the book ‘A Year In The Life Of Beth Chatto’s Gardens‘ and I love the opening comment from Beth Chatto:
“I often say a garden is not a picture confined to a frame left hanging on a wall, it is something that changes constantly with the movement of light and the passing of time”.
This is what makes gardens so fascinating to photograph – the same shot will produce a miriad of results depending on the season, weather and time of day. I had my camera at the ready on this trip and hope you do not mind looking at quite a number of photos – it was very hard to whittle the day down to a handful!
From the viewpoint of my new garden (we moved again in 2009) I find great reassurance when I visit Beth Chatto’s garden. This too was a blank canvas, ‘a wilderness, entirely overgrown with blackthorn, brambles and willows underneath an over-storey of ancient oaks’. Beth Chatto has been developing her site for over 50 years now – I cannot hope to have so long here, but her achievements give me encouragement that I will make a difference.
A series of small interconnecting lakes form the centre of the garden with paths around all sides. The water provides beautiful reflections which add to the atmosphere of this peaceful oasis. Along the edges of the lakes were many white skunk cabbages (Lysichiton camtschatcensis).
Overhead many of the ancient oaks still stand and they protect and enclose the garden with a shady canvas later in the year.
Looking over the lake you can see a magnificent Prunus Tai Haku – the Great White Cherry in full blossom. I hope that my little specimen will grow to look like that one day.
Throughout the garden there were large clumps of Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’, the summer snowflake. I have one clump of these, which is ready for splitting this year.
Moving away from the water, along paths that lead to the extensive woodland, I came across this breathtaking camellia ‘Donation’. I have never seen such a large camellia with so many flowers. As they are very particular regarding conditions and, like rhododendrons and azaleas, need an acid soil I know that I will never be able to have such a large beauty in my garden.
Close by I saw this stunning flowering evergreen – again I have never seen anything like this and would love to identify it. I will have to review my books about the garden to see if there are any references to it.
Down in the woodland there were quite a number of pheasants lurking about – I wonder if it was the many flowering snake’s head fritillary that were attracting them?
If so there were still quite a few left to enjoy – above is Fritillaria meleagris.
There were a few beautiful clumps of Trillium chloropetalum – this is something I have never grown, but hope to add to my small woodland one day.
I also fell in love with this peony – Paeonia mlokosewitschii thrives in a woodland setting. I brought one of these home with me from the nursery, so hope to have my own flowers soon.
As we walked back to the centre of the garden I came across this beautiful magnolia x soulangeana. Again I can only dream about the day that my tiny specimen might look something like this!
Another shrub that I struggled to identify was this beautiful pink blossom on very upright stems – any ideas?
As we headed up towards the Gravel garden there was time for a last lingering view of this beautiful setting.
I hope you have enjoyed this very brief look at a truly inspiring garden. There are regular courses and events at the garden that are worth looking into if you live anywhere near – I am hoping to return in early June for a Creative Writing Workshop.
I hope you are looking forward to the long Easter weekend – I am off with my camera in search of lambs tomorrow!
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What a breathtaking place to visit – I can hardly even imagine it. Thank you so much for the tour and for sharing your amazing photography.
Welcome Barb – I have been following your blog for a while now and love your photography – I am glad you enjoyed my visit to Beth Chatto’s garden!
What a treat to live conveniently close to this lovely garden.
Yes Susie – I do feel very lucky to be able to visit this beautiful place regularly.
This is a garden I have never visited but would really like too, a lovely and inspiring review. Happy Easter.
Thank you Julie – a happy easter to you too!
Funny: I was just….looking at her “Garden Notebook” book on Amazon the other day. These are such beautiful images of a wonderful garden; and lucky you to be able to visit! The lake with the cherry in full bloom is just lovely!
How did you come across her book Libby – is Beth Chatto known in America?
i just bought the new edition of the letters with Christo.
It is one of my favourite reads Judy. Christo and Beth are such different gardening characters yet their affection for each others gardening and personal styles shines through in these letters. I hope that you enjoy it.
It really does look wonderful there Julie. Thanks so much for sharing! I can’t help identify anything, but that flowering evergreen seems familiar. Looks like a larger version of the winter heathers with pieris type flowers! Hope you find out what it is. Have a lovely weekend too!
Thank you Cathy – my questions have been answered in the other comments – I love the way that blogging allows me to tap into such a wealth of horticultural knowledge! I hope you have enjoyed your weekend.
You certainly had a wonderful visit from your photos. When our daughter was living in Essex we always made a point of visiting, but sadly never in the spring. Beth Chattos book The Green Tapestry was the first gardening book I bought and it has proved invaluable for when I started planting here. I have most of her books as I can relate to her woodland, boggy areas, shade etc.
The photo of what looks like heather is a form of an Erica arborea a Tree Heath, which grows to about 20 feet. We have one here and I keep it to about 5ft tall, there is a variety called Erica veitchii Exeter and I like to think that this is ours which came with the house, we live near Exeter and at one time the Veitch family had a nursery near here.
The pretty pink flower is a form of Prunus I think maybe some form of an almond, I also have this one, planted by me this time, but I have lost the name!
Thank you so much for identifying the Erica arborea Pauline – you are very lucky to have one in your garden! Its funny but one of my sons friends at school is called Veitch – I have always thought it an unusual name. It would be nice to think your tree is connected with the nursery.
Lovely lovely gardens and do ask any members of staff about specimen queries you have – they are always very knowledgeable and keen to help. My daughter is nursery manager there and so lucky to work in those surroundings.
Thank you so much for stopping by to comment Lesley. Your daughter is lucky to spend her days there!
I love going to Beth Chatto’s garden whatever the season. I wrote a post about it in November when most gardens were looking desolate, it still looked marvellous.
The white flowered shrub is Erica arborea the tree heather and I think the pink blossom is the double flowered form of Prunus tenella.
I thought you would have visited Chloris! I have tried to find your post but cannot see an archive selection – would you mind posting the link so that we can all have a look? I have never been in November but am sure it would still be beautiful.
Just had another look at the Prunus, maybe it is not tenella, maybe it it is Prunus triloba?
Here is the link for the visit to Beth Chatto’s garden in Autumn.
http://thebloominggarden.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/a-late-autumn-visit-to-beth-chattos-garden/
I hope that is right, I’m not very good at doing links.
Isn’t it lovely knowing that other bloggers can help identify things we have seen – they rarely fail us! What a lovely garden to visit – this has been a perfect week for garden visiting, hasn’t it? I am visiting Elder Daughter next week and we hope to go to Wisley but I think it may be a wet visit if we do… 🙁
Thank you Cathy – I love being able to ask a question knowing that someone will probably have the answer! I hope that you have a lovely visit with your daughter and look forward to seeing some pictures of Wisley if you make it.
I think the flowering evergreen is a tree heather and the pink shrub could be prunus triloba. Thank you for your blogs. You have inspired me to think that I could cut flowers from my tiny garden when I see the containers you’ve used and how you have arranged them. As for Beth Chatto I have been an admirer of her style ever since I saw her at Chelsea in what I think was her last year of exhibiting. To me she is the Delia Smith of gardening, in other words if she says something works you have confidence that she has tried it for herself first.
Welcome Maureen – you are so lucky to have seen Beth Chatto at Chelsea. I think she had stopped exhibiting by the time I started going. You are right about Beth – I can read her advice and know that it is right. I am very pleased that I am inspiring you to think about cutting your flowers – bringing flowers into the house where you can admire them close up is such a treat!
I have just recently discovered your blog & am enjoying reading thru your posts. I’m extremely envious of your greenhouse ~ having one is on my “bucket list!” LOVE your photos too. Each one such a vision. Living where you do, I can only imagine how many incredible gardens surround you. Here, not as many to view. I also wanted to chime in on the pink blooming shrub ~ you’ve probably got it all figured out by now ~ but I have one in my garden so knew immediately. Double pink flowering almond.
Thank you for your lovely comment Kathleen – I am so pleased that you are enjoying some of my old posts! I had managed to identify the almond tree, but had forgotten about it. Thank you for reminding me to look out for one to add to my garden.