In 1960 Beth Chatto took over her husband's derelict orchard.  All it had was a mix of heavy clay, sand and gravel soils, a few old oaks and a small spring fed stream. 

From this wasteland has grown one of the world's most beautiful gardens, thanks to the vision and masterful planting of one of the most influential gardeners of all time.

It is roughly divided into four gardens, though they all flow into one, sublime, overall experience.  Many gardens try to do this but few succeed.

The Water Garden is perhaps the most stunning on first sight, with the stream, now dammed to make a series of terraced ponds cascading down the valley. 

Around these run grassy walkways bordered with luxuriant plantings of giant Gunnera, Hosta, Darmera, Water Iris, Arum Lillies and Miscanthus amongst many more. 

The shade of the large Oaks and Weeping Willows creates a magical atmosphere, as if walking through a 19th century English landscape painting.

The Reservoir Garden consists of a series of large border islands where Beth Chatto's plant selection and combination are celebrated to full effect. The adjoining nursery raises all young plants prior to planting out and Beth's choices have been directed by the growing conditions first, then the artfulness of their combination second. 

The mix of foliage and flower colour is inspired and her ten Chelsea Flower Show wins have taken this ethos out to the world where it has been enthusiastically embraced.

The Woodland Gardens deliver another magical 'copse' experience with climbing Hydrangea and heavily perfumed Philadelphus providing colour over layers of shade loving foliage plants of so many colours and textures. And in the spring the woodland bulbs are a delight to see.

The Gravel Garden is another of Beth's famous creations, being celebrated in her book ‘Beth Chatto’s Dry Garden'.   

She set out to experiment with plants that would survive without watering in Essex's unusually dry climate.

Her choices are now an exquisitely planted series of island borders that flow through gravel pathways. Carpets of Thyme and silvery Stachys set off the warm colours of Papaver and Eschscholtzia, with Cistus, Erysimum, Salvia, and Lavandula making second tier mounds. 

Above these tower swaying Digitalis and Phlomis. There is only one word for this garden - sublime.

There are other areas like the Scree Garden close to the house that display a fascinating selection of succulents and of course the Nursery is a mecca for discerning plant buyers from far and wide.

As we visit in early summer, Beth is celebrating her 92nd birthday and we say thank you to her for her knowledge, her skill, her artfulness and dedication to build what is without a doubt one of the best gardens in GardensOnline's 'Gardens of the World'.

Allow 3-4 hours for a visit.