Planted out in 2002, the paddock walk gives a light woodland feel and provides interest through the seasons. Flowers of Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum) and red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), together with the showy laburnum tunnel, provide some good colour in spring and early summer. Fruits produced by the ornamental crab apple trees dotted through the planting offer a range of warm tones throughout autumn and early winter. A selection of Salix and Cornus cultivars, complemented by outstanding Betula albosinensis var. septentrionalis and other Betula spp. achieve a striking display of winter stems during the coldest months.
The large central grassed area known as “Fatty’s Paddock” was repurposed from a horse paddock into a wild flower meadow to provide summer colour to the area. It was sown with a mix of annual and perennial wildflower species. Don’t miss the ‘dinosaur’ Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis), a tree only known through fossil records until discovered growing in Wollemi National Park, New South Wales in 1994. This particular specimen was planted by Tony Kirkham in 2006, featuring in his television documentary series ‘The Trees that made Britain’.
Within the paddock walk area there is the tea lawn where garden tickets are purchased and refreshments and lunches are served.
