Garden of the Year 2016
BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2015/16: Our Garden of the Year shortlist.
Our Garden of the Year shortlist, compiled by editor Lucy Hall of BBC Gardener’s World Magazine.
A magnet for rhododendron-fanciers the world over, this woodland garden is a little piece of the Himalayas reimagined in the glens by three generations of the plant- hunting and plant-breeding Cox family, who combine the eye-catching garden with a thriving café. www.glendoick.com
A quirky garden created by self-confessed ‘Bad-Tempered Gardener’ Anne Wareham. The sculptural hedges alone are worth a visit, while there is much to learn about the use of plants in this Monmouthshire garden. Artful, fun and inspiring. www.veddw.com
The seven-acre restoration of what may be Europe’s largest walled garden at Croome Court has been a triumph for Karen and Chris Cronin, who poured 15 years and several millions of pounds into its revival, unveiled earlier this year. A labour of love that deserves to be celebrated. www.croomewalledgardens.com
HOLKER HALL CUMBRIA
Sitting easily alongside the Elizabethan- Gothic Hall’s 18th-century landscape park and formal gardens is the ground-breaking ‘Pagan Grove’ amphitheatre, which opened this year, the latest work of leading designer Kim Wilkie. And don’t miss their award- winning loos! www.holker.co.uk
BETH CHATTO GARDENS ESSEX
Over 55 years, influential plantswoman Beth has turned this garden from an overgrown wasteland into an inspirational haven. By observing how plants respond in the wild, she has solved many of the biggest problems in our own gardens, including how to cope with shade, dry and damp soils. www.bethchatto.co.uk
