The garden slopes to the west and gently climbs towards the house. Once a traditional Victorian walled garden—where Tennyson grew flowering plants alongside vegetables and fruit trees—it was later altered when holiday bungalows were built within the walls. As part of the wider restoration of the house and gardens, these bungalows were removed and the walled garden was reinstated. Following the restoration of flower beds and paths, the first new planting took place in May 2017.
Inspiration for the planting came from Emily Tennyson’s diaries, paintings by Helen Allingham, and Tennyson’s poetry. As you walk through the garden, you will see these influences in mixed borders of herbaceous perennials, old-fashioned moss roses, and annuals grown from seed on site. Each year, we grow a wonderful display of sweet peas, while the allotment area produces a wide range of vegetables, including brassicas, squashes, gourds, and beans. It also includes a cut-flower bed, with flowers displayed in two plant theatres in the garden. These are refreshed several times a week, beginning in spring and early summer with auriculas (primulas), then moving on to sweet peas and other blooms throughout the season.
Throughout the garden, you will find arches and plant supports handmade from hazel cut on the estate. The Victorian-style greenhouse houses a fan-trained fig, along with plants and seedlings cultivated for the garden. Just above the greenhouse stands the restored terracotta Arts & Crafts sundial, made for Tennyson by the celebrated potter Mary Seton Watts. At the top of the garden, visitors can rest in an arbour—a replica of one built by Tennyson for Emily, so she could sit in shelter and enjoy the view down the garden. Slate pieces with quotations from poems such as The Blackbird, The Flower, and The Progress of Spring are dotted throughout, linking the garden to its literary surroundings.
Many visitors return several times during the year to experience the seasonal changes—from the soft, billowing planting of spring, to the bold colours of summer, and the rich oranges and reds of autumn. Come and explore the gardens for yourself.