Although we treat the whole of the grounds as garden, the area to the southeast of the house is more cultivated than the wilder, woodland areas to the north (see Woodlands page). Like the rest of our land, there are many changes of level, as well as different soil types (ranging from thin acid soil over scree to heavy clay), which provide particular challenges. There are, however, a number of particular areas with different themes and types of plants, but there is little formality in design or planting, reflecting the beauty and forms of the surrounding countryside. The aim is to give some interesting walks around the main garden with changes of view, planting styles and colour effects. The planting in all areas is laissez faire and some attempts are being made to develop a naturalistic style that involves a matrix of grasses, sedges and rushes, amongst which nestle typical flowering herbaceous plants. These are designed to imitate prairie planting and the meadows that occur naturally throughout the garden and woodlands.
