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Moreton Gardens

The gardens have been created on the site of the old kitchen garden of Moreton House. Originally laid out in 1742 the three and a half acres, together with a similar sized walled garden next to these gardens produced fruit, vegetables and flowers for the 'big house' for almost two hundred years until 1940. The Dig for Victory campaign during the war, followed by some years as a pig farm and latterly as a nursey destroyed any original planting but the framework of the garden survived. In the shop is a copy of a map of 1765 showing the plan, easily recognisable today.

The gardens as they are today have been planted since 1997, with the exception of the mature trees. Wide gravel paths lead you to the various features,the fountain garden, the pergola, the sundial garden, the summerhouse and the newest area, the font garden. The Moreton Brook flows through the garden, eventually joining the River Frome opposite the church. Four bridges over the brook allow close inspection of the planting along the stream, round the ponds and in the bog garden.

The differing conditions in various parts of the garden allow a wide range of planting - camellias, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, hellebores and hostas in the woodland area - gunnera, primula, iris, day lilies and ferns along the stream and in the bog garden - shrub roses and lilies in the fountain and sundial gardens and many draught-tolerant shrubs and herbaceous plants in the long south-facing border backed by a wall. Because of this variety there is plenty of colour in the garden throughout the year.http://www.moretondorset.co.uk/