Compare and contrast

Large, exotic trees bring maturity and a sense of wonder towering above co age garden borders

is all strange behaviour! It’s unusual for a monkey puzzle to grow so quickly, and to produce both male and female flowers, so it was a bit of a freak. But we now have lots of little baby monkey puzzle trees, and a friend who does wood turning was pleased to have the wood,” she finishes, philosophically.

The garden has undergone a transformation in the 28 years since Linda and Chris arrived, but changes continue, albeit at a slightly slower pace. It’s been a godsend for the couple during lockdown, and having opened for the NGS for 22 years, they’re considering their options.

“Opening for the public is a lot of hard work, but we like doing it. People enjoy wandering around and having tea and cake, and it’s an incentive to get the garden in good shape,” says Linda. “If we don’t open, or even if we do, we might make a vegetable area.

“Edible plants can look lovely, but also get tatty easily so I originally felt that visitors would prefer to enjoy shrubs and exotics. But things have changed because of coronavirus and I think people are now more interested than before. We have runner beans in pots and tomatoes in the greenhouse, but now we might well grow other veg, too!”