RHS Beth Chatto's Plants And Gardens
The Beth Chatto Gardens was established in 1960. From an overgrown wasteland with poor gravel soil and boggy hollows, it has been transformed into an informal garden harmonising with the surrounding East Anglian countryside. The gardens are an inspiration to anyone who visits them – the art of planting at its best. The world-famous drought-resistant Gravel Garden began in 1992 as an experiment to replace sun-scorched grass with a living garden of drought-tolerant plants, without resorting to artificial irrigation, coupled with the lowest rainfall in the UK and free-draining gravel soil.
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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.
Activities at RHS Beth Chatto's Plants And Gardens include:
- Gardens
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Facilities
Activities available in this location
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Contact
Colchester
Essex
CO7 7DB
Gallery
Gardens
Age Appropriate
- Children
- Teenagers
- Adults
Location
- Outdoor
A short walk down onto the cool, emerald-green grass surrounding the Water Garden is like walking into another climate. The planting here is a complete contrast to the hot, arid Gravel Garden, with a wide selection of lush, moisture-loving plants. The Woodland Garden was created after the great storm of 1987. The trees that remained – mostly 100-year-old oaks – were underplanted with shade-loving plants from around the temperate world to create a natural effect and furnish the area throughout the year. More recently, the former reservoir garden, sitting on an area of heavier, clay-based soil, has been redeveloped into an exciting new planting of perennials, accessible by winding pathways, allowing the plant enthusiast to get in and up close, building on the garden's inspiring collection of unusual plants.