Our informal woodland gardens were first planted in 1922 and now contain an extensive collection of rare and beautiful plants from around the world.

There is interest all the year round. In the Spring, banks of Azaleas and Rhododendrons dazzle with colour and exotic Chilean fire trees light up the gardens. Secret paths lead past drifts of primulas to quiet scented glades, while viewing areas provide outlooks over the New Forest to the Isle of Wight. Flowering trees and shrubs continue the interest through the Summer with a blaze of Autumn display at the end of the season.

In recent years students from the Minstead Training Project have been involved in some extensive regeneration and replanting and hundreds of new plants have been added to the collection. New work continues but always to enhance the garden’s unique natural ambience. Furzey will always be a special place for anybody who loves peace and plants.

Special plants

Perhaps the most unforgettable sight at Furzey is the spectacular show of massed banks of Azaleas in May and June. We have many varieties of Rhododendron and Azaleas which have been tended by generations of gardeners and are enhanced by age - many are rare and cannot be seen elsewhere, being from the pre-hybridisation era. Some of the Rhododendrons are now very large, in particular the macabeanum, 'Tally-Ho' and 'Cynthia'. Others remain comparatively small - the moupinense is a delightful rarity blooming in February to March, and whose ancestors were found growing on evergreen oaks in Western China.

Our collection of heathers is well known, providing bloom all the year, and ranging from ground cover to giant tree heathers, Erica x darleyensis Furzey, which originated here, is now accepted worldwide as one of the best winter-flowering hybrids. Genistas are a delight in June to July; the cineria with its mass of golden bloom and delicate perfume; also there is the taller G. aetnensis. The Minstead broom originated here.

The many varieties of birches are always beautiful, whether the English ones by the lake, or the imported collection at the other end of the Gardens. The sheltered position of the gardens allows the Australian Callistemon (Bottle Brush tree) and the New Zealand Leptospermum to flourish, as well as the many Embothrium Coccineum (Chilean Fire trees).

Another native of South America thrives here: there are six different varieties of Eucryphia, both deciduous and evergreen, which are covered with fragrant flowers in August and September.

In the Spring we have to take care not to walk on the thousands of crocus, snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells. There are drifts of miniature daffodil, Narcissus cyclamineus underlying the birch trees. In season many other bulbs can be seen including Leucojums, Erythroniums, Fritillarias and Camassias. In the Water Garden flowering and foliage plants thrive both in and out of the lake, enhanced by a small collection of conifers. The lake is stocked with Golden Orfe, Golden Rudd, Mirror Carp and a few Roach to help keep the bottom clean.

Many of our trees and shrubs have been chosen to give a fine display of Autumn colour to complement the spring season. Particularly outstanding are the Amelanchier, Disanthus, Enkianthus, Hamamelis, Liquid Amber, Parrotia, Sorbtts and Sargentiana. Those chosen for their fragrance include the Rhododendron Luteum, Viburnum Carlcephalum and the Osmanthus.

Plan of Furzey Gardens

Click on the plan for a downloadable version