Great Dixter's long border and meadows

What it is

Great Dixter is a timber-framed medieval house at Northiam, near Rye, with a garden laid out around it in the early twentieth century. Christopher Lloyd, who was born here and wrote about gardening for decades, made it a place of experiment. He mixed shrubs, perennials, annuals and bulbs in one border, put pink beside orange, and replaced a formal rose garden with bananas, cannas and dahlias. Since his death in 2006 the head gardener Fergus Garrett has kept that spirit. The lawns are left as meadow, full of orchids, daffodils and camassias in spring. It is also a teaching garden for young gardeners.

Before you go

• Late June for the long border, September and October for the exotic garden.
• Paths are tight and plants spill across them. Leave big bags in the car.
• The nursery sells plants propagated from the garden itself.

The flowers you will see

DahliaA bushy perennial with tuberous roots and bright, star-shaped bloomsTulipSpring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many coloursCamassiaA North American wildflower with star-shaped blue to white blooms and edible bulbsPoppyA group of colourful wild and garden flowers with capsule fruits and many seeds

Also part of it, and being written: Canna.

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