Great Dixter revisited

An enduring inspiration: the Great Dixter gardens still set the standard after 100 years

- By Charles Quest-Ritson

GREAT DIXTER in East Sussex means inspirational gardening—and has done for more than 100 years. Plants, design and artistry come together in a manner unparalleled in any other garden that I have visited or heard of. COUNTRY LIFE readers know it well through the weekly columns of Christopher Lloyd, from 1962 until his death in 2006. His influence on sophisticated garden owners cannot be overstressed.

The house was assembled and the garden first laid out, shortly before the First World War, by Christopher's father Nathaniel Lloyd, who wrote a book about topiary. It was called Garden Craftsmanship in Yew and Box and was published 100 years ago in 1925. Reprints are still available from your favourite online bookseller.

I first visited Great Dixter in October 1970 and met Lloyd Snr's widow—rather a forthright old lady who wanted to show me her giant Turkish turban gourds. Nothing was said about the spectacular plants of cannabis that their son grew in tubs outside the front door. Cannabis was still a popular bedding plant at the time, although I was later told that the specimens at Great Dixter were well known to students at the University of Sussex.

My interest in Great Dixter had been aroused by the younger Lloyd's highly successful book