Lyme is the second highest garden in the National Trust, so spring bulbs often flower later than other properties. April is a great time for a stroll through the formal beds, as well as the rhododendron walk where a multi-coloured wave of blooms will be starting to appear.
From May, the gardening team will be embarking on a big project in the Italian garden, to replace the current planting with perennial plants. This will provide a longer lasting display through the year, make the garden more sustainable for the future, and contain more plants attractive to bees and other insects.
Summer
In summer the garden is at its brightest, with flowering plants throughout. Particular highlights are the rose garden, which remains faithful to its original Edwardian design, the herbaceous border, and the Italian garden.
On sunny days, join in with traditional sports around the garden. Try your skills at badminton, croquet or giant skittles!
Autumn and Winter
September sees the start of another big project, to renovate the herbaceous border over the next four years. This will restore the border back to the design created by Graham Stuart Thomas for the garden in the 1960s, not long after Lyme came into the National Trust’s care. Graham Stuart Thomas was an advisor to the National Trust for many years and his influence can be seen in gardens across the country.
Once winter sets in, the gardening team will be hard at work with path repairs and other conservation works. With frosty mornings and a windswept moorland backdrop, the views of Lyme from the garden terrace are dramatic and ever changing during the colder months.
