In early October Ru and I took a short trip to Norfolk and visited Beth Chatto’s garden on the way home. In 1960 Beth Chatto and her husband moved onto a plot of land, Beth described it as, ‘a wasteland, a wilderness’, comprehending the challenge of transforming this landscape into a garden, they approached the challenge with curiosity. To cope with the conditions, they decided to embrace what the landscape presented them with. Creating three distinct gardens, the dry Gravel garden, the Water garden and the Woodland garden.

Choosing plants that thrive in these conditions, all these years later the garden is a beautiful, meandering and many layered place to explore. We loved the deep borders and exciting range of plants, as we visited late in the season the garden was quiet and a handful of plants were in their peak, making these the stars of the show.

I really love the way Beth thought about composing a garden, allowing other influences and artistic threads to influence her choices in planting schemes:

‘We may have a wider approach to garden design if we have been helped to appreciate other forms of art: to be aware of basic principles – balance, repetition, harmony and simplicity – which apply to all forms of creativity. To look for these ideas in painting and architecture, or hear them in music, has certainly influenced me as much as knowing whether to put a plant in the shade, or in full sun.” Beth Chatto, quote from The Garden Museum, London.

In the gardens over October we have been working hard to clear beds, we have been continuing to cut hedges, reduce, fell and prune trees and as leaves begin to fall in earnest we have been clearing these too. The chippings and wood waste that was not wanted has been stacked and will be used as mulch or fire wood. We have taken and processed your bulb orders and will be collecting these shortly. We can’t wait to see the results of the bulbs in your gardens next Spring.

I have created a series of illustrations sharing what garden work we will be carrying on with over the Winter months. The winter months are essential for keeping your gardens healthy and beautiful.

What we will be working on over November:

Planting out new gardens and beds, mulching as it greatly improves the structure and composition of your soil and allows your plants to thrive, let us know if this is something you would like. Clearing leaves for an instant tidy and fresh feel to the garden, planting bulbs, pruning, continuing to weed and to clear your beds so you can enjoy your garden while the gorgeous Autumn colours are on display.

The Dahlias and chocolate Cosmos are still going strong in our garden, its lovely to have late flowering plants continuing into the Autumn.

Photos taken by me at Beth Chattos garden, early October 2025