Plantaholic heaven

KEEN plantsmen and women will know this garden as the setting for its specialist plant sales, which are held in the Green Garden, a verdant and calm enclosure that separates the main lawn, with its busy herbaceous borders, from the elegant Rill Garden. High yew hedges, a double row of eight golden Irish yews and a lime alleé create a lovely balance between solidity and openness that seems perfectly designed to be the backdrop for the bustle of trestle tables and plant displays.

In fact, this area was made many years before Mel Tanner took on the running of the plant fairs 11 years ago. The 1½ acre of garden has been created over time, with new areas added gradually since Mel and her husband, Nicholas,