Evenley Wood Garden

About the garden

Owned by

Nicola Taylor

Set among the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside, this 60 acre privately owned woodland garden contains a large and notable collection of plants, ranging from unusual trees and shrubs to a wide selection of lilies and other bulbs.

The garden was purchased in 1980 by Tim Whiteley, who is a former Chairman of the RHS Lily Group and member of the RHS Woody Plant Committee. Recognising the potential of its backdrop, he proceeded to apply his abundance of knowledge and experience by nurturing the land himself. The result is what you see today – a place that welcomes all to enjoy, explore and appreciate nature’s many wonderful assets.

Evenley Wood Garden has an unusual band of acid soil in this otherwise predominantly alkaline area, and this provides the opportunity to cultivate plants such as rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias, which would not ordinarily thrive in this location.

From the emergence of the first snowdrops in January, right through to its wonderful autumn hues, there’s something for all to see throughout the seasons. These carpets of named snowdrops in February run into wonderful spring bulbs and the garden’s 2,624ft long Scilla ‘stream’, as the garden comes to life. Some 100 magnolias follow and are later joined by the first flush of new leaves, rhododendrons and azaleas.

Warmer months see the appearance of more than 300 roses and 150 lilies, including Lilium martagon ‘Evenley Jane’, which was developed and propagated here. As the season slows down, a wonderful display of autumn colours can be seen in the garden’s leaves, bark, seeds and berries.

Plant collections of particular note in the garden include oak, pear, apple, maple and what is possibly the largest collection of Euonymus in Europe.

The garden also hosts a number of events throughout the year, and a café is open on selected dates.

Please note: this garden is partially accessible.