Multicolored herbaceous borders of Asters, Dahlias and Helianthus heighten the dramatic vision of a Gothic fourteenth-century house protruding from the depths of an English valley. Welcome to Gresgarth Hall, the impressive Lancashire country home of Arabella Lennox-Boyd since 1978. 

The extraordinary gardens that surround the 11-acre estate are a product of Lennox-Boyd’s lifetime commitment to creating a wild and richly textured paradise for the senses. The Italian-born horticultural aesthete is an internationally renowned landscape designer who has completed both public and private commissions for the likes of musician Sting and the Serpentine Gallery in London’s Hyde Park.

From the teardrop lake and tributary that cuts through the brush, visitors to Gresgarth Hall can visit the Bluebell wood, Rhododendron hills, an edible garden and perennial terraces. “I want to walk through different spaces, with the vistas always changing,” said the designer in an interview with House & Garden magazine. “There has to be a sense of mystery,” which is a magic she manages to capture in the multiple areas that are peppered with rare and interesting shrubs, flowers and trees from around the world. 

Open to the public on exclusive days throughout the year, Gresgarth Hall is a testament to Lennox-Boyd’s understanding that to get the best out of your garden, you have to relinquish control to nature.