REDHALL GARDEN 

We are happy to have individuals or small groups visit the garden provided we have at least a month's notice.
See the visits page for more details.

Redhall aerial photo 1

An aerial view of Redhall in early Autumn 1996.

As well as the conservatory and garage, the greenhouse to the north of the house has been built. Prior to this there was a polytunnel in that area.


An aerial view of Redhall on May 26th, 2009.

Thirteen years of growth have made quite a difference, as has the work done at the front of the house.

Redhall aerial photo 2

Court-yard 1

Redhall was finished in 1990 but work on the garden only started in 1992 .


We have just under an acre of which about half is rabbit fenced. However, in recent years rabbits have been the least of our worries.

Most of the damage we get is done by sheep with a fair amount from our local, neighbourhood roe deer who eat the everygreens in Winter, (understandable), but also anything purple all the year round! When they started on the Hostas, we decided to put up an electric fence which was done in 2009.

However, the Pea fowl have now decided that they like Hosta leaves and so, with great regret, we are giving away our collection.

Court yard

Alpine troughs

We try to encourage wildlife as much as possible, as they were here first, and several aspects of the garden reflect this.


We had three ponds: one for Koi, one for wild life and a third was built for the geese which we had. However, as we're unable to find replacements for the Chinese Geese, the latter pond has been allowed to go dry.

Our aim was that, by the time we retired, we would have a limited maintenance garden for us to dottle around in in our old age.

Koi pool

Pergola

Ah, the best laid schemes, etc.

I retired in 1998 and major areas are still under under construction!


One of my major interest is in the Rowan group of the Sorbus family. We have about 70 taxa which have berries of all available colours; scarlet, magenta, yellow, pink and white and the most varied and delightful Autumn colours. They range in ultimate height from the minimal Sorbus poteriifolia at 6cm through the low Sorbus reducta at 60cm and bushy, white berried, Sorbus frutescens, to the 20' trees of the native Scots Rowan and Sorbus commixta, psuedohupehensis, glabriuscula, etc.

Whilst there are National Collections of Sorbus in various parts of the country, The largest collection is at Liverpool University's, Ness Botanic Gardens and the guru of the Rowans is Ness' former Deputy Director, Dr Hugh McAllister, author of "The Genus Sorbus: Mountain Ashes & other Rowan", Kew Publishing, 2005, ISBN 1 84246 088 9.

We were granted National Collection® status for our Rowans in March, 2014, (Sorbus, the pinnate leaved species).

We're also interested in Cardiocrinum and were granted National Collection® status for this genus in November 2011.

Having found out in 2018 that there was, at that time, no National Collection of Arisaema, we increased our population of this genus with a view to applying for Collection status in 2019.