The Water Garden is in the lowest-lying part of the Garden. Here we grow plants that require damper conditions to thrive.
It is managed less intensively, which provides a more naturalistic feel to the planting. A mixture of exotic and native species are grown. The native bog bean (Menyanthes trifoliata) can be seen growing in the water, whereas the large leaves of Gunnera from Brazil dominate the central island.
The majority of the plants are early flowering, so this area is at its most colourful in late spring, with the flowering of large stands of Iris sibirica, Darmera peltata and the native marsh marigold (Caltha palustris). Further interest is provided by the bold foliage of a number of marginal plants, including Rheum, Rodgersia, Ligularia and Hosta.
The inclusion of a pond not only increases the diversity of plants that can be grown in the Garden, but also increases the diversity of fauna. Dragonflies and newts can be seen here, as can nesting moorhens and coots.
