'Surely this is one of the most influential gardens of the 20th century, the inspiration of which transcends generations.'
Chris Beardshaw
A garden of rooms
© NTPL / Stephen Robson
In 1907, Hidcote Manor was a house surrounded by farmland, when Lawrence Johnson and his mother Gertrude Winthrop bought the house.
Johnson, who was a follower of the Arts & Crafts movement, soon set about transforming the landscape around the manor house. He created a series of 'outdoor rooms' separated by a wall or hedge, and each room had a different character, often filled with flamboyant colour, textures and fragrances. Many boast rare shrubs and unusual plants.
The garden was in its heyday in the 1930's, when it was recognised as a special garden. It was the subject of an admiring article in Country Life magazine in 1933, and has been constantly featured in magazines and on television ever since. Most recently, it is the inspiration for a garden at the 2007 Chelsea Flower Show, designed by top gardener, Chris Beardshaw.
Hidcote and the National Trust
© NTPL / Stephen Robson
The garden was given to the National Trust in 1948, and since then many visitors have had the opportunity to appreciate the beauty and contrast of the gardens.
Sadly, due to a lack of funding, the National Trust has not been able to keep the garden true to Johnson's original vision. The garden is in need of some major investment to restore it to it's 1930s glory. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, we have been able to get the ball rolling on this project - but we need your help.
‘This place is a jungle of beauty. I cannot hope to describe it in words... I express only the hope that gardeners and garden lovers will visit Hidcote in their thousands.’
Vita Sackville West
Donate today
© NTPL / Stephen Robson
We need to raise in the region of £1.6 million, which will help us to:
- Restore Hidcote in the spirit of Johnston's original garden style. Creating a beautiful place to uplift the spirits of its hundreds of thousands of visitors.
- Reintroduce the species collected by Johnston and the techniques he used to nurture his rare and tender plants.
- Create a centre of skills and knowledge where the next generation of gardeners can come to learn and be inspired by Johnston.
Some of the areas that we want to restore include the tennis courts, the bathing pool, the Alpine Rock Bank, and of course bring back the full array of fascinating plants that used to grow here (more that 15,000 different species).
With your support, we hope to have the garden and it's 28 rooms restored as soon as possible, so that visitors can once again witness the splendor of this important garden.
Please make a gift to help us make Hidcote Manor Gardens' 100th year one to remember.
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