Model Village Godshill

About the garden

This family-owned garden and model village first opened to the public in 1952. Over time, the planting has evolved from mixed summer bedding and perennials to a collection of 3,000 conifers. Among these are coarse, bonsai-treated trees that offer year-round interest and structure. The collection was designed to give context and create an impressive backdrop to the one-tenth scale model buildings.

In keeping with the Japanese tradition, the owners focus on a curated selection of trees, sculpting each one individually for maximum impact. The aim is to create the ideal atmosphere to complement the models, bringing very small specimens to life within the model village.

Each year, up to 300 trees are relocated to maintain the desired scale, colour, perspective and overall interest of the garden. The exact number of trees moved depends on the areas identified for re-landscaping during that year.