A Quintessence of Englishness : Minterne Gardens and The Victorian Plant Hunters

As an Island nation we have always relied on our sea-faring prowess to expand our spheres of influence. Our explorers are well known - Drake, Raleigh, Captain Cook, the pilgrims on the Mayflower - the list is endless.

However, there is another group of unsung English explorers - the plant hunters of the Victorian times. They explored throughout China, Bhutan and the Himalayas in search of botanical species. Their names include - Kingdon Ward, George Forrest, Edmund Loder. These plant hunters were sponsored by many amateur garden enthusiasts in England under the umbrella of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Between 1850 and 1947 their trips, lasting up to 6 years each, introduced countless new exotic species to English Gardens. Magnolias, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, to name but a few. The seed was shared around the sponsors who propagated this as a basis for exotic subtropical shrub gardens; the vast majority of species at Minterne were propagated from seed brought back by these explorers. 

The Minterne Valley was landscaped in the manner of Capability Brown in the 18th Century. The gardens are laid out in a horseshoe below Minterne House, with a chain of small lakes, waterfalls and streams. They contain an unique collection of Himalayan Rhododendrons and Azaleas, with Spring bulbs, Cherries, Maples and many fine and rare trees; the garden is noted for its Autumn colouring.

Of particular note are the large plants of Magnolia campbelli which flower in March and April, together with a profusion of spring bulbs. Many flowering cherries were brought from Japan in 1920 and the Pieris forrestii with their brilliant scarlet shoots, originally came from Wakehurst. A very fine collection of Davidia involucrata ( the pocket handkerchief tree) produce striking bracts in late May and early June, when the streams are lined with primulas, astilbes and other water plants.

Over 1.5 miles of walks with Palm trees and towering Rhododendrons framed by tall Cedar and Beech trees, provide a new vista at each turn. The changing seasons make each visit to Minterne a memorable experience.

There is free parking and picnic facilities available.

We have discovered from archive diaries, that every time Capability Brown came down to Sherborne Castle, Robert Digby would ride over to pick his brains.

Capability Brown revolutionized the English domestic landscape in the 18th Century. He gained his name because he used to observe a landscape and say, “ah, it has capabilities.”

Originally at Minterne there was just a small stream below the house, with a square bowling green and four rectangular, either gardens or paddocks, up to the house. Capability Brown’s idea was that everything should look natural, and although it was all man-made, it should just seem as if it happened. He never wanted any straight lines or avenues.

The small stream was therefore dammed up to make a series of small lakes & cascades. The square gardens were swept away, and many trees planted, mostly indigenous varieties, but also cedars and other exotic trees. Although the hills are chalk, the garden is situated on a mound of green sand, which runs for a mile down the centre of the valley. This, with the humus and dappled shade provided by the large beech trees, was the perfect setting for the Rhododendrons and Magnolias from the Wilson, Forrest, Rock & Kingdon Ward expeditions to the Himalayas.

The 20 acres of wild woodland garden are laid out in a horseshoe over a mile round.