The Rococo Garden’s planting style is best described as a mix between densely packed flower gardens, contrived wilderness shrubbery's and the begins of a landscape garden style. 

From the outset of the restoration it was decided to use only plants which would have been available up until 1745 to really capture the spirit of the the gardens unique planting style.  For those garden visitors expecting a diversely planted herbaceous rich garden similar to those of the 20th Century this can sometimes lead to a feeling that the garden is in someway under planted but it is worth remembering that many plants we now take for granted have only been with us since the early 1800s.

That said the garden has, and continues to build a rich and diverse collection of plants which would have been met with excitement and intrigue when seen for the first time in the mid 1700’s. This includes now quite unusual species forms of garden worthy plants including Camellia japonica first brought back to England in 1739 and the highly unusual Hamamelis virginiana, introduced 1736.

Keen eyed visitors will notice a number of familiar yet strange plants such as the north American Ceaothus americanus, first brought to England in 1713 and used extensively as a Tea substitute during the American Civil War.

More recently the Trust have begun to develop a piece of land outside of the original garden as a woodland garden which will contain one of the largest collection of naturally occurring, species, Ilex in the country.







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