Beth Chatto (born 27/06/1923) was a plantswomen, gardener and writer. Whilst having no formal horticultural training, she was inspired by her parents' enthusiastic gardening, her husband's lifelong study of natural associations of plants, and friendship with the great plantsman and artist Sir Cedric Morris. The Beth Chatto Gardens began at Elmstead Market, Essex in 1960. By applying the principles of ecological gardening, she transformed an overgrown area of wasteland into informal gardens that harmonise with the surrounding countryside. Complementing the gardens is a large plant nursery producing a wide range of unusual plants, which attracts thousands of visitors each year. She won ten Gold Medals the Chelsea Flower Show and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour (1987), the Lawrence Memorial Medal and an honorary doctorate from Essex University. She was the author of many books including her classics The Dry Garden (1978) and The Damp Garden (revised 2004) as well as Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden (2000) and Beth Chatto's Woodland Garden (2002). An engaging exchange of letters with Christopher Lloyd, Dear Friend and Gardener, was published in 1998. In 2002 she was awarded the OBE for her services to horticulture. A keen advocate of organic gardening, she lectured worldwide. She died in 2018.

Award-winning photographer STEVEN WOOSTER specializes in the photography of gardens and plants. He lives in London.

Introduction

What is a gravel garden?

Beginning the Gravel Garden

Planting in the First Season

Mulching and Maintenance

The Fresh Colours of Spring

Waking up with a Start

Pruning and Grooming

Fascinating Fritillaries

Wild Tulips and April Showers

Electrifying Euphorbias

Additional Touches

Summer’s Abundance

Threads of Gold

Pinks and Mauves

Self-seeders

Room for Gigantic Plants

Background Trees and Shrubs

Problems with Conifers

Elegant Alliums

High Summer’s Gauzy Veil

Good Neighbours

Handsome Verticals

Spreaders and Dot Plants

Clematis, against the Odds

The Last Weeks of Summer

A Haze of Mauves and Blues

Scene Lifters

Grey and Silver Plants

Adding Impact

Pleasing Partnerships

Pleasures Still to Come

Dependable Sedums

Autumn Tapestry

Stars in the Fading Light

Eye-catching Plants

Autumn Bulbs

Late Autumn Highlightst

A Passion for Bergenias

Tidying up for Winter

Winter Pictures

Dessicated Seed Heads

Shapes and Colours

Shimmering Grasses

Signs of New Life

Nature’s Feeding Programme

Pruning and Shaping

The Scree Garden

Groundwork

Designing the Beds

Hard Landscaping

Waiting to Plant

Putting Plants Together

Small Sedums

A Transformation

Scree Garden Plans

Basic Plants in the Gravel Garden

Basic Plants in the Scree Garden

Bibliography

Index

Acknowledgments

Photographer’s Note