Holme for Gardens has been developed from a dairy farm which was later converted to a fruit farm which shut in 2017. The 15-acre site stands on soil which is acid clay, sand and gravel. The inspiration for the garden came from books, magazines and visits to other gardens.
Work on the garden started well before the fruit farm closed with the tearooms including an outside pondside area opening in 2008. The cloister gardens were built in 2010 and 2011 with beech hedges forming arches looking onto orange and peach coloured roses. A pear walk was planted in 2012 with 30 varieties of pear and the frames were added in 2017 once the pears were established. Next came the wedding borders with white and pastel plus hot borders of orange, red and yellow. In 2017/18 a grass amphitheatre was established and this is used for outdoor theatre productions in the summer. Over the same period borders of assorted grasses were completed along with a wild flower meadow consisting of native and non-native plants.
An area known as Holme Henge was formed using a Purbeck stone circle and plants inspired by local heathland such as sedums, heathers and conifers, with shrubs added later. There are many other sections to the gardens including an arboretum, lavender avenue, apple orchard, formal garden, butterfly valley and ponds. There is also a farm shop and garden centre on site and solar panels have been installed to power those.
Holme for Gardens has been developed from a dairy farm which was later converted to a fruit farm which shut in 2017. The 15-acre site stands on soil which is acid clay, sand and gravel. The inspiration for the garden came from books, magazines and visits to other gardens.
Work on the garden started well before the fruit farm closed with the tearooms including an outside pondside area opening in 2008. The cloister gardens were built in 2010 and 2011 with beech hedges forming arches looking onto orange and peach coloured roses. A pear walk was planted in 2012 with 30 varieties of pear and the frames were added in 2017 once the pears were established. Next came the wedding borders with white and pastel plus hot borders of orange, red and yellow. In 2017/18 a grass amphitheatre was established and this is used for outdoor theatre productions in the summer. Over the same period borders of assorted grasses were completed along with a wild flower meadow consisting of native and non-native plants.
An area known as Holme Henge was formed using a Purbeck stone circle and plants inspired by local heathland such as sedums, heathers and conifers, with shrubs added later. There are many other sections to the gardens including an arboretum, lavender avenue, apple orchard, formal garden, butterfly valley and ponds. There is also a farm shop and garden centre on site and solar panels have been installed to power those.
The garden holds the national collection of Hypericum and has large collections of Magnolias , Cherries, Viburnum and Hydrangeas. Holme for Gardens is also an RHS Partner Garden.
