Discover us

Historic
Gardens

Discover us

Historic
Gardens

Living
Archives

Hundreds of kilometers from the nearest nursery, Elsie Reford faced challenges that are hard to conceive of today.

Little by little, she turned a spruce forest into a garden that would become one of the largest plant collections of its time. To get there, she dug, built stone walls, moved trees, and had stones transported from neighbouring fields. The fine compost required for exotic plants is composed of leaves bartered from local farmers. Where experienced specialists had failed, she succeeded in transplanting rare species such as azaleas and Tibetan Blue Poppies. Determined, Elsie enlists the help of locals like farmers and fishing guides to bring her amazing project to life. Over three decades, they’ve built magnificent gardens together.

Linear Garden

Entrance Garden

Stream Garden

Blue Poppy Glade

Azalea Walk

Vegetable Garden

Blue Poppy Trial Beds

Garden Tool Museum

The Long Walk

Estevan Lodge

House Gardens

Arboretum

Floral Terrace

Belvedere

Crabapple Gardens

Gentian Walk

Alpin Garden

Primula Glade

Meadow

Bird Garden

Pond

Woodland Walk

Contemporary Sculpture Walk