sussex prairie garden, west sussex

3 september 2020

Sussex Prairie Gardens is Britain’s largest ‘prairie’ or ‘naturalistic’ garden with 8 acres of interlocking arcs of large planted borders consisting of over 30,000 plants of 600 different varieties.  

Owner Pauline McBride gave an entertaining introduction about the creation of these gardens in 2007. Pauline and her husband Paul propogated some 36,000 plants and enticed 60 of their friends and family members to help them plant the gardens from scratch. The gardens were inspired by their time working with Piet Oudolf in gardens in Luxembourg. Approximately 30% of the borders are grasses and for them seed heads are as essential an element as the texture, colour and shape of the plants in flower. Most of us were amazed by the fact that they burn all the borders down late winter/early spring as part of their annual renewal process.

The borders are planted in a shape of a spiralling nautilus shell and combine the beauty of perennials and grasses to provide an extraordinary long season of interest.  In addition to the borders, there are two naturalistic pools that are a magnet for wildlife.  We enjoyed seeing the new cutting garden and small vegetable plot.  The entire garden benefits from its rural setting, is surrounded by mature oak trees and has tremendous views of Chanctonbury Ring and the South Downs.  

borde hill garden, west sussex

3 september 2020

In the afternoon, the head gardener and another member of his team guided our group through the landscape at Borde Hill Gardens, a Grade II* registered. He regaled us with tales of how the garden was created by Col Stephenson R Clarke with the seeds collected by plant hunter and friend, Ernest Wilson (amongst others) and plants purchased from Veitch’s nursery. Clarke sponsored some of these expeditions from 1893 to 1937 and many of the plants collected were grown at Borde Hill.  The garden has since been developed by four generations of the Stephenson Clarke family.  

Borde Hill is home to 75 Champion trees and enjoys incredible views out to the wider landscape. This 35-acre garden and woodland is set within over 200 acres of traditional parkland and provides a spectacular backdrop to Borde Hill House, an Elizabethan mansion built in 1598.  The formal garden is laid out in a series of linked ‘garden rooms’, each with a distinctive style.  Over the last 100 years the garden has continued to evolve with seasonal colour and interest complementing the original plantings of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias.  Highlights of our tour included the Rose Garden with over 750 David Austin English roses, the Round Dell consisting of exotic plants, the Italian Garden with its formal lily pool and the Garden of Allah with its champion trees, magnolias and camellias.  This year Borde Hill celebrated its 55th year of being open to the public as a registered charity.