Lower House, Bowlhead Green

By kind invitation of Georgina Harvey.

We are delighted to be given the opportunity to visit Lower House and its beautifully landscaped 6 acre garden. Established trees and shrubs shape the layout of the garden creating stunning vistas and quiet areas. Azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias are followed by roses to continue the colour until the herbaceous plants bloom. The white topiary garden with fish pond brings calm and the kitchen garden, greenhouses, orchard and fruit cage bring seasonal changes.

There has been a house and outbuildings on this site dating back to the mid-to-late 1800s. In 1916 Lady Guillemard commissioned Gertrude Jekyll to design a plan for the garden. Jekyll’s drawings including a full plan for the garden as well as specific planting plans for select borders form part of the Reef Point Collection held by University of California at Berkeley. Although we are not sure how much of Jekyll’s designs were actually implemented, it is interesting to note many of her proposed paths, suggested placement of borders and rooms are evident today. Copies of Miss Jekyll’s plans will be available for visitors to peruse.

The current owner, Georgina Harvey, acquired the property in 1986 and has enthusiastically gardened at Lower House ever since. Lower House has opened under the National Garden Scheme for the last seven years.

SGT Members: £15 per person
Guests: £18 per person
To include tea, coffee and cake after tour of gardens. Proceeds to the NGS charities.