Holme for Gardens

About the garden

Set in the beautiful Isle of Purbeck, this 15-acre garden is laid out on the site of an old fruit and dairy farm. The garden design is a mixture of formal and informal sections. The formal gardens are influenced by Hidcote, The Laskett and the writings of Katherine Swift.

The layout of the informal areas is inspired by Alan Bloom’s Dell Garden and featurs numerous island beds interspersed with meandering, short-mown grass paths. In some beds, a backbone of trees and shrubs directs the visitor’s view, while in other areas, such as Holme Henge, groundcover planting accentuates the upright stones.

The owners scour the country for specialist nurseries to find unusual plants to showcase in the gardens. The Pear Tunnel alone is planted with 30 different varieties and throughout the gardens, rare trees and shrubs are plentiful, complemented by burgeoning collections of Magnolia, Sorbus, Malus and Prunus. Wildlife is abundant at Holme and its encouragement forms a key part of the management strategy.