Exploring the garden at Packwood

The sunken garden in winter at Packwood, Warwickshire — Grasses provide winter interest in the sunken garden | © National Trust/John Bayley

“A house to dream of; a garden to dream in.” So wrote a visitor to Packwood in the 1930s. Wander around the garden, and a bit further afield to find out how true that comment is. Discover herbaceous borders, wildflower meadows and a beautiful orchard. Don’t miss the bountiful kitchen garden and admire the magnificent yew trees.

Winter in the garden

Discover the peace and tranquillity of Packwood's winter garden and watch how the changing weather transforms the garden. Take a stroll along the causeway and admire the colourful winter stems of the willow and dogwood. Spot the winter flowering mahonia, aconites and snowdrops taking an early advantage of the borders around the house. Don't miss the 'bird's nest fig’ trained and tied to the wall of the house to match the climbing roses that take centre stage during the summer months.

The winter months are a very busy time for the garden team who are working hard to clear the beds for the spring displays before hard frosts and snow. At this time of year they also have to cut down all the herbaceous plants and clear all the tender perennials from the beds which are kept safe over the winter months in the glasshouses. Compost is then applied to the borders and spring plants of wallflowers, tulips and forget-me-nots are planted ready for next year.

A visitor with her two children walking around the walled Kitchen Garden at Packwood House. The visitors are wrapped up warm in winter coats and the sky above them is grey with clouds. — Visitors exploring the walled garden at Packwood House, Warwickshire | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Around the house

The gardens near the house were laid out in the 1630s by John Fetherstone, during the reign of Kings Charles I and II, hence its name – the Carolean Garden. The main features are:

The Yellow Border. The yellow border is a real showstopper from late spring and is an excellent example of Packwood’s ‘mingled style’. Alongside the blaze of flowers, look out for the two-storey brick gazebo begun in the 1660s and a horizontal heating flue with a little fireplace which was used to protect the fruit trees that once grew there.
The Double Borders flank the path leading from the house to the Yew Garden. Full of hellebores from late winter, pulmonaria from spring and eventually, Packwood’s famous alliums.
The Raised Terrace offers views back towards the house. In Graham Baron Ash’s time it was used as a stage for outdoor theatre performances with the audience sitting on the lawn below.

Not strictly part of the Carolean Garden, the Sunken Garden, just across the south lawn, is a typical Arts and Crafts creation. Its building was interrupted by wartime austerity in 1941, but it has now been completed as a dry garden with exotic desert plants.

The Yew Garden

According to legend, the yew trees at Packwood represent the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ and are over 350 years old. Walk up the centre of the garden past the multitude of ‘figures’ to reach the grand finale of Packwood’s formal garden: the spiral mount and its imposing ‘master’ yew. Follow the spiral path up the mount to get the best view of Packwood's famous Yew Garden.

There's a lot more information about the Yew Garden here

Further afield

Just a short walk away, you will find:

The Kitchen Garden has been recreated as it might have been in the 1700s when the Fetherstone family owned Packwood. Under the Victorians, kitchen gardens were a combination of beauty and commodity, providing abundant resources including less familiar herbs and flowers which grew amongst the vegetables. You can sample some of the produce in our Garden Kitchen Café.
The Memorial Orchard contains a variety of fruit trees, many planted in memory of lost loved ones. Apples, pears, damsons, quinces, plums, cherries and medlars of local varieties help to supply the Garden Kitchen Café.
Packwood’s Meadows surround the house. One of the oldest continuously maintained meadows, over 300 years old, is located to the south-east and south-west of Packwood Lane in what is known as the ‘Outer Court’.

You can find out more about Packwood’s gardens, and how the garden team are looking after them by clicking here.

A view of the borders and terrace at Packwood, Warwickshire in winter — There's plenty to explore in Packwood's gardens in winter | © National Trust/John Bayley

Family fun in the garden

There are lots of opportunities for family fun in the great outdoors at Packwood, from bird spotting to discovering wild animals. As you explore Packwood, pick up a seasonal spotter sheets to see how many signs of the season you can spot and tick them off along the way.