From sunny perennial meadows to prairie style and tough easy-care, green lawn substitutes, the garden provides an abundance of practical planting ideas in an inspirational environment that also offers a haven for rest and relaxation.

Knoll’s owner, Neil Lucas is the UK’s leading authority on ornamental grasses. Best-selling author, RHS Council Member and Senior Judge, his guiding principles are key to the garden’s continuing evolution. Amongst its framework of rare and unusual trees and shrubs Neil has threaded an abundance of grasses and flowering perennials to spectacular effect. These robust planting schemes are all chosen to suit existing growing conditions and mimic nature, creating thriving low-maintenance plant communities. With stunning good looks, the relaxed gardening style is beneficial to wildlife with Neil’s naturalistic approach providing food, water, shelter and places to raise young.

Anyone looking to bring nature into their own garden will find themselves spoilt for ideas at Knoll. Neil’s Mediterranean-style gravel garden is regularly featured in the national press: his Sunny Meadow, an adaptation of a traditional English meadow more suited to smaller English gardens has also received national interest, using plants from Knoll’s own range to create a mini-meadow producing an amazing amount of flower throughout the season. A new sedge meadow was planted in 2016. Taking its inspiration from the Californian style, it showcases the pure effects of soft green foliage when seen en masse whilst the garden as a whole provides the perfect location to see the plants grown in Knoll’s award-winning nursery at their best.

A full event programme includes guided walks, workshops, masterclasses and plant fairs and all garden visitors receive a tree trail, highlighting some of the rarer specimens within Knoll’s mini arboretum as well as information about the garden’s history. Knoll’s Chelsea Gold Medal-winning nursery sells many of the plants found within the garden and can also offer planting advice whilst Knoll’s website provides a comprehensive insight into how to recreate Knoll’s relaxed style and bring a flavour of the natural world into your own garden.