Tucked away outside the village of Northiam, half an hour's drive to the north of us, is the late Christopher Lloyd's house and garden. It has taken us three years to go there, and I am now wondering how I could have left it so long.
The house itself is a stunning Wealden Hall farmhouse, expanded into a small Lutyens mansion. But the real miracle is the garden, extending on all sides in a series of enclosures. Visiting it at the end of June is to be confronted with a blaze of colour. Not a weed in sight, the soil enriched, and as if there weren't enough plants in the beds there's a wealth of other ones in pots. If I have a criticism it's the sheer density of the planting, particularly in the section to the east of the house, where you walk between towering plants that seem to extend several metres in depth. The view from the first floor of the house must be spectacular.
As if all of that weren't enough, they have an excellent series of plants for sale. Not only are they varieties you won't find in your average garden centre, but they are considerably cheaper. Having discovered this treasure, I shall be beetling along at regular intervals.
Antony Mair
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