Garden Visit: Ichi-coo Park

Ichi-coo Park is “unlike anywhere else you have seen”.

An historic garden this is not but we anticipate you will be intrigued to visit a garden created by an owner with passion for trees, shrubs and water. It is a fun place, even for adults, to experience breathtaking views, hear birdsong and to admire up close and personal individual trees and shrubs. Ichi-coo Park is unconventional horticultural treat created in the last 40 years with nods to garden design features of a historic park and garden.

This 16 acre garden has been solely created by owner, Robin Redmile-Gordon and truly celebrates the challenges of growing in rather inhospitable conditions. The garden, or as Robin calls it ‘this hill of mine’, is made of ancient Wealden Clay, the heavy yellow kind, over oil-bearing shale. The trees, shrubs and plants that he has planted where nothing previously lived - a bare field - needed to survive and thankfully they have. In Ichi-Coo Park you will find all kinds of glorious shapes and shades of green from bamboo and eucalyptus to redwood and blue cedar, all planted against the stunning natural background of the Sussex Weald. The park is an eclectic collection of plants, trees, large water features, open spaces, grass mounds and amphitheatre-type forms, stunning vistas (including the Gatwick runways) and natural habitats for wildlife where none previously existed.

Robin has designed his spaces with quite tongue-in-cheek names such as Holliwood, the West Bank, the Grand Canyon, the Royal Mile and the Dingly Dell. They are meant to be amusing but they sit surprisingly well in the landscape and flow almost seamlessly together with a real eye for plants, shapes and elevation. With a 1:10 gradient slope to say landscaping has been challenging would be an understatement. Featuring the World’s longest hypericum serpent; the highest jungle in Surrey and probably the largest garden plantation of eucalyptus in the UK. Many rare and unusual evergreen trees. Visit the Lake District, walk amongst exotic planting in the Grand Canyon to the Sea of Tranquillity. This is also a paradise if you admire clipped shrubs.

Join us as we explore the garden with a 2 hour guided tour led by owner Robin Redmile-Gordon.

Cost includes guided tour of garden and tea, coffee & cake upon arrival

Maximum number: 30 people