Two Gardens in Autumn: The Plant Library & The Barn Garden & ( 6 October 2026)

Join us for the final garden opening of the year, to explore two large country gardens within a short walk of each other: The Plant Library of over 2,000 species of perennials and bulbs and Tom and Sue Stuart-Smith’s Barn Garden.

The Plant Library is a living catalogue of perennials and bulbs and this final, autumn opening will showcase many of the 2000 species in their peak mid-season splendour including Aconitum, Amsonia, Symphotrichum, Anaphalis, Tricyrtis, Strobilanthes, Hesperantha, Agastache, Salvias, Persicaria, Ligularia, Caryopteris, Ceratostigma, a vast range of ornamental grasses including Miscanthus, Stipa, Pennisetum, Acantherum, Oloptum, Calamagrostis, Anthropogon, Sorghastrum, Pancium, Molinia and many, many more.

The Barn Garden includes an enclosed courtyard with corten water tanks, the west garden with large areas of herbaceous planting in a formal frame of yew and hornbeam hedges, the vegetable garden, meadow, wildlife pond and prairie. In autumn the prairie hits its peak and is bursting with colour. A wide range of plants including Symphyotrichum, Silphium, Euphorbia corollata, Rudbeckia, Pycnanthemum, Solidago and Coreopsis. Various shrubs such as Cotinus and Aronia start to colour and in the rest of the garden grasses, Actaea, Asters and Sedums are especially apparent.

The Plant Library and The Barn Garden will be open to visit between 10.00am–1.00pm.

All profits from ticket ales goes directly to support the work of our not-for-profit, The Serge Hill Project for Gardening Creativity and Health, which provides therapeutic and educational programmes to local schools, charities and community groups most in need.

Tickets are limited to only 50 per garden visit, meaning you can enjoy the tranquility of the gardens with only a small number of other visitors.