The Garden

Enter this unique garden through its imposing, full-size Torii gate, a Japanese concept linked to the Shinto religion. The gate is a wooden structure, painted in sacred red, and here it acts a spiritual and physical portal into the garden. It encourages reflection and introspection on the part of visitors, compelling the eyes and spirit to move through into the garden itself.

This is a highly unusual two acre garden, divided into two levels. The upper level has a bamboo walk, formed by alternating box shrubs and bamboo, which gives added height, and is guarded by serene, stone Buddhas at either end. There is also a small Fruit Orchard and a Croquet Lawn, surrounded by a living library of over 800 European species of herbs and cultivars, all clearly labelled with their botanical and common names and medicinal and scientific properties. To the west a woodland joins a willow coppice, ode to the world’s more widely used drug aspirin and to an area under development dedicated to plant medicine used through history and across the globe, from monastic herbs to Japanese Kampo medicine. Alongside this, a sun mandala opens to a meadow space with a labyrinth, spirit henge, tranquillity pool and sculptures such as a red phoenix that represent the birth of a new type of physic garden. At a lower level, through the yew arch, are ornamental and Sage Gardens guarded by a topiarised yew chakra angel.

There is nothing demure about this physic garden, the plants are exuberant both in habit and colour. Elaine, the garden’s curator, retains a relaxed attitude towards the plants calling them ‘gypsy plants’ because of their tendency to move freely round the garden and self seed, this method increases their medicinal property. Plumes of fennel sway in the breeze and the green globes of angelica flowers shimmer. Majestic spires of stately verbascums stand sentinel over bushes of deep purple sage and glowing golden thyme.