Arbuthnott House Garden

Head Gardener's Comment

Owing to the steepness of the slope on which the gardens were laid out the site was divided up by three main walks running horizontally across the contour of this slope and which were themselves connected by a series of diagonal connecting paths. Thus a pattern of paths was formed across and up and down the slope for the purely practical purpose of getting about the garden more easily and not to create any special symbol or design. All the paths at all angles and slopes are of grass and most of the intervening areas are cultivated while two larger areas serve as a lawn immediately below the house and as an orchard for fruit or hazel-nut trees further away from it. The greatest area of flat land within the garden consists of some two acres at the top of the slope accessed directly from the house or from the gravelled parking area at the front door. The cultivated land in this area echoes the XV11th century design of a French potager. The vegetables and soft fruit ground is contained within beds which are bound by herbaceous borders, rose-beds and long beds for cut flowers.