Elsewhere in the garden, take a stroll on the Croquet Lawn and see ranks of two-meter high delphiniums with colourful spikes varying from vibrant aquamarine to a deep navy. Later in the summer they’ll give way to a display of impossibly tall hollyhocks that must surely outdo those in any other garden.
High summer
On the Top Terrace, the tropical showpiece border with Chusan palms, outsized foliage of bananas and the fat suckering stems of the rice-paper tree goes from strength to strength as tender warmth-loving plants put on a display of vibrant colour.
Either side of the Orangery run long pairs of parallel herbaceous borders. In the ‘cool border’ on east, perennials bloom in tranquil blues, lilacs, pinks and whites. In the ‘hot border’ on the west you’ll discover rich reds, vivid yellows and hot pinks.