Until the early 20th century rigid Victorian planting schemes dominated the parks and gardens of England in a bid to conquer Nature.

This design was inspired by a school of less formal gardeners such as William Robinson who despised neatly regimented rows of begonias and ‘snooker table’ lawns.

They filled their gardens instead with swathes of wild flowers and the tangle of unmown meadows providing havens for wildlife and restoring natural beauty to the landscape.