Beth Chatto Gardens

The Beth Chatto Gardens are an informal collection of ecological gardens created by plantswoman Beth Chatto in 1960 from the gravel soil and bogs of the disused fruit farm belonging to her husband Andrew Chatto. The gardens are located at White Barn House in the village of Elmstead Market, 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Colchester in Essex, England.

The Water Garden

Open to the public

Fothergilla gardenii - flowers and foliage

The gardens are open to the public all year round, excluding some days over Christmas. Chatto still lived in the house she shared with her husband Andrew, and was often seen about the gardens. Up until her death in May 2018 at the age of 94, she used a mobility scooter. While her ability to physically garden waned, she was still very much involved with the ever-changing development of the landscape.

Sources

• Buchan, Ursula. Gravel allure. The Spectator, 18 November 2000 (retrieved 14 May 2008)
• Clayton, Phil, and Hepworth, Neil. "Beth Chatto Gardens" in The Garden. RHS, September 2015, pp. 46–52
• Stocken, Nicola. "By way of an introduction" in The Garden. RHS, September 2015, pp. 54–55

External links

• Official site