The Grounds
A Year in the Walled Garden
The head gardener on roses planted in 1860, the one-mile lime avenue, and what blooms when.
By Thomas Reed · 5 min read
Spring — the first colour
By April the walled garden wakes in order: hellebores, then tulips, then the first shy roses against the south wall. Couples marrying in late spring inherit a garden mid-sentence — full of promise, not yet at its peak.
High summer — the peak
June and July are the garden's crescendo. The 1860 roses are at full voice, the lime avenue heavy and green, the terrace warm into the evening. It is the most photographed month for a reason.
The turn of the year
Autumn brings a different palette — copper, amber, the low gold light the photographers love. The garden never closes; it only changes costume.
