Highdown Gardens
Highdown Gardens are gardens on the western edge of the town of Worthing, close to the village of Ferring and the National Trust archaeological site Highdown Hill, in West Sussex, England. Overlooking the sea from the South Downs, they contain a collection of rare plants and trees, collectively a national collection.[1] The gardens are owned and maintained by Worthing Borough Council with free admission.
Created from a chalk quarry where there was little soil and unfavourable conditions for plant growth, the Chalk Garden at Highdown is the achievement of Sir Frederick Stern (1884–1967) and his wife, who purchased the 8.52 acres (3.45 ha) in 1909 and worked for 50 years to show that plants would grow on chalk.[2]
The gardens were created during a period when expeditions were going to China and the Himalayas collecting rare and interesting plants. Many of the original plants from the early collections are in the garden today, particularly plants collected by Reginald Farrer and Ernest Henry Wilson.[3]
On the death of Sir Frederick in 1967, aged 83, Lady Stern carried out his wishes and left the gardens to Worthing Borough Council.[4]
During spring and early summer there is a succession of flowering bulbs: snowdrops, crocus, anemones and daffodils, followed by paeonies and bearded iris.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ Highdown Gardens website Archived 2009-01-01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 3 January 2009
- ^ Gardens to Go-Gardens of Sussex Retrieved on 3 January 2009
- ^ "Highdown Gardens". The Beautiful South. Visit South East England. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ Appleby, Matthew (21 August 2019). "Lottery grant will allow West Sussex garden to build visitor centre and preserve rare plant species". Horticulture Week. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
Media related to Highdown Gardens at Wikimedia Commons
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