Knoll Gardens and Nursery

About the garden

Knoll’s is a renowned nursery and display garden that won ten consecutive gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show between 2002 and 2011. It is a leading specialist in ornamental grasses, which were central to all of its award-winning exhibits at RHS Chelsea. Neil Lucas has run the nursery for over 30 years and his planting style and success at RHS Chelsea helped popularise ornamental grasses in British gardens, advocating for the “right plant, right place” principle to create wildlife-friendly, climate-resilient outdoor spaces.

Neil’s planting design at Knoll Gardens creates a layered transparency that resembles a natural space, resulting in a garden that mimics how plants grow in the wild and is a habitat for a variety of wildlife. There is also the Dry Meadow, Rain Garden and Dragon Garden. The Dragon Garden has been replanted in a ‘prairie’ style, featuring a mix of perennials and numerous grasses that thrive in our ever-changing climate, are low maintenance and environmentally friendly. 

The Knoll Gardens Foundation was established to further understanding of the garden’s biodiversity and promote sustainable gardening practices. The Foundation offers walks, workshops and educational events to encourage visitor participation, alongside conducting wildlife surveys, during which the data is shared with wildlife organisations. Visitors can tour the gardens to see mature examples of the award-winning grasses and purchase plants from the on-site nursery or online store.