Bates Green Garden

About the garden

Owned by

John McCutchan

This naturalistic garden, based in a rural setting, provides a peaceful space to relax and appreciate the selection of unusual plants. It offers a sensory experience with bulbs, grasses, herbaceous and woody plants producing colour, texture and scent in all seasons. 

Spread over seven acres and comprising an Ornamental Garden and managed Wildflower Meadow, the garden is divided into the following three areas. The Front Garden is dominated by a majestic Pinus sylvestris towering over the Winter Borders which display many cultivars of Galanthus and other spring bulbs including winter aconites, scillas and crocus. Adjacent to the Garden there are impressive swathes of our native daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus. York stone flags and container plantings surround the early 19th-century former game-keepers cottage where every wall is clothed with climbers. 

Experimenting with planting combinations for the changing climate is the focus for our Middle Garden. Four distinct colour-themed borders are planted for the pleasure of both people and wildlife. The summer alliums are a magnet for pollinators and butterflies abound. Pergolas provide shaded seating while hornbeam and beech hedging create an enclosed feeling.     

A commanding specimen of Quercus robur was the inspiration for the Woodland Garden. This area is for all seasons, many bulbs, particularly Narcissus, provide early colour, and then a lush tapestry of foliage gives cool shade during the heat of the summer. A fine display of Cyclamen hederifolium is admired in the autumn, after which the leaves fall to show the true beauty of the oak tree form.   

The 5.5-acre Wildflower Meadow is species-rich and has mown paths and seating, allowing visitors to take time to observe the South Downs views.     

The McCutchan family has owned the site for 100 years, and Carolyn started planting the garden in 1968. Since Carolyn’s death in late 2019, the garden has undergone a period of sensitive restoration. It continues to evolve, featuring colourful and imaginative planting.