They say that ignorance is bliss,” says Nicola Taylor, the owner of Evenley Wood Garden. “I had literally no idea what I was doing at first.” Inherited from her late father, renowned plantsman Timothey (Timmy) Whiteley MBE, the garden shows no sign of this modestly professed ignorance.
The 60-acre woodland garden is packed with some 3,000 species of beautifully curated, unusual bulbs and plants. Hundreds of mature trees, awash with autumn colour, provide a magnificent canopy to the shrubs beneath; collections of Euonymus (perhaps the largest in Europe), Crataegus and Rosa are dripping with hips, haws and berries.
The garden hums gently with visitors, some tucked away in dappled glades reading, some walking dogs, others enjoying a quiet coffee at the charming woodland café, in full view of a stunning Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus) with glowing, butter-yellow leaves.
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Originally part of the wider estate of Evenley Hall, and nestled in the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside, the woodland, in parts Victorian, was discovered by Timothey in the 1970s. His interest was further piqued when he came across huge drifts of Rhododendron ponticum, indicating the presence of acidic soil.
The garden is in fact made up of roughly 40 acres of the expected Cotswold brash, with a 20-acre seam of acid greensand. Unusual for the location, the latter provides the ericaceous conditions needed to grow Timmy’s beloved camellias, including Camellia lutchuensis, known for its potent fragrance; rhododendrons, including one of the finest known hybrids Rhododendron ‘Loderi King George’; and magnolias such as Magnolia ‘Evenley Gift’, a small tree originally selected from the garden.
Timothey, an avid plant collector, purchased the woodland in 1980 and set about filling it with choice specimens. There are large collections of daffodils, crocus and cyclamen in spring, as well as a unique Scilla ‘stream’.
“There are thousands of bulbs meandering through the mature trees,” says Nicola. “We believe it’s unique in the UK.”
Spring bulbs give way to more than 100 magnolias, followed by more than 50 different lilies that fill the summer months with scent, along with some 300 roses that scramble through the trees. Hundreds of maples, oaks, acers and liquidambars carry the garden through the autumn and into winter, when the brightly coloured stems of Cornus and Salix provide interest until the cycle starts again.
The 60-acre woodland garden is packed with some 3,000 species of beautifully curated, unusual bulbs and plants. Hundreds of mature trees provide a magnificent canopy to the shrubs beneath; dripping with hips, haws and berries
When Nicola took the helm in 2018, the garden, 45 years in the making by then, was very much a private, personal collection, stuffed to the gunnels with interesting plants, but with little cohesion.
“I realised early on that for the garden to survive, we had to find a way to make it pay for itself.” Coming from a previous career with horses and with virtually no gardening experience, she remembers an early conversation with garden writer Robin Lane Fox, who told her she had “nothing to lose”.
With his encouragement, Nicola set about sympathetically transforming the garden into 5 the more aesthetic space it is today.
Consulting Rob Jacobs, horticultural manager at Waterperry gardens, for advice, and recruiting Alison O’Hare as marketing co-ordinator, Nicola opened the garden to the public with nothing more than a handwritten sign and a small cash box. “We charged £5 entry fee, so we didn’t have to worry about finding change,” says Nicola.
Fast forward a few years, and it was the Covid lockdowns that really put Evenley Wood on the map. “We stayed open,” says Nicola. “We took down our advertising, but left the gates open. It wasn’t a financial decision; it was just important to us to offer people somewhere safe to go.
We had an honesty box, and people gave what they could.” People visited in their droves. “By the time things returned to normal, word had spread, and people knew who we were.”
The garden is led by head gardener Dan Winter, who joined the team in 2020 and leads 22 volunteers in maintaining and developing the woodland. One of the biggest challenges has been ash dieback disease, as large numbers of trees have had to be removed. “It’s sad, but it offers a great opportunity for new planting,” says Dan, who has skillfully replanted vast areas with an emphasis on autumn colour.
He has added to the growing collection of Japanese maples with Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’, a small shrub that has changeable leaf colour throughout the seasons; as well as Acer pseudosieboldianum, with velvety-purple hues; Acer. palmatum ‘Westonbirt Red’, with a vibrant red canopy; and Acer palmatum ‘Bi Hō’, which adds structural yellow-orange stems for winter interest.
The rich, ruby foliage of a rare, golden-red oak alone is worth a visit. Benches placed along the paths offer the perfect opportunity to pause and appreciate the distinctive bark of Acer griseum or the orange-coated seeds of Euonymus oxyphyllus
He also added Sorbus monbeigii, a ovely small tree with decorative berries, and Carya ovata for its rich, yellow autumn colour. “Gardeners are hugely generous with both their knowledge and their gifts,” says Nicola. An Emmenopterys henryi, freshly delivered from nearby Batsford Arboretum, is evidence of this.
The garden team continues to clear areas of the invasive Rhododendron ponticum, creating pockets of new planting alongside the network of meandering paths. Dan is particularly pleased with some of the newest woodland borders, densely planted with shade-loving specimens including Trillium, Podophyllum, Disporum and Erythronium, as well as Lilium pardalinum (the leopard lily) and L. henryi.
Although perhaps best known for its snowdrops (which rival the collection at nearby Thenford), Evenley Wood is a joy at all times of year, with the spectacular autumn colour a particular highlight. The rich, ruby foliage of the rare, golden-red oak Quercus rubra ‘Evenley Gold’ alone is worth a visit.
Benches, thoughtfully placed along the paths, offer the perfect opportunity to pause and appreciate the distinctive barks of Acer griseum and Betula utilis subsp. albosinensis ‘Kansu’ or the carmine-red capsules that open to orange-coated seeds of Euonymus oxyphyllus. There are discoveries around every corner, and it’s a real privilege to delve into such a treasured private collection.
10 autumnal trees to see at Evenley Wood
1 Euonymus oxyphyllus
This Asian native is a shrub or small tree. The foliage turns purple and red in autumn, and the carmine-red fruits split open to reveal eye-catching orange seeds. Height and spread: 2.5m x 2.5m. RHS H7†.
2 Liriodendron tulipifera
The tulip tree (left) has leaves that turn golden-yellow, while beech Fagus sylvatica var. heterophylla ‘Quercifolia’ (right) has unusual oak-like leaves.
3 Acer palmatum ‘Sumi-nagashi’
Deep-maroon leaves in summer turn bright red in autumn. 4m x 4m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
4 Sorbus monbeigii
A lovely small tree with very decorative berries that start out dark rose-pink and turn to a darker brown later in the autumn. 3m x 2m. RHS H5, USDA 3a-8b.
5 Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’
A shrub or small tree that has changeable leaf colour throughout the seasons, finishing with striking red in autumn. 4m x 4m. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.
6 Acer triflorum
A standout tree for autumn colour – the foliage turns from gold to red to orange. Bears plenty of samaras (fruits). Large shrub or small tree. 12m x 8m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-7b.
7 Lindera obtusiloba
Clusters of fragrant, spicy, yellow flowers in spring. The yellow autumn foliage sometimes turns orange/red, occasionally accompanied by black berries. Needs acid soil. 8m x 8m. AGM. RHS H5.
8 Gymnocladus dioica
Known as the Kentucky coffee tree, as the pods were once used to make a coffee-like drink. A relatively uncommon tree with bipinnate leaves that turn yellow in autumn. 10m x 8m. RHS H5, USDA 3a-8b.
9 Quercus rubra ‘Evenley Gold’
Grown from an acorn by Timothey Whiteley. The foliage is golden for much of the year, then turns red in autumn. 15m x 10m.
10 Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’
Large shrub or small tree. In autumn, the leaves turn various attractive shades before finishing ruby red.
8m x 8m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-7b.
Useful information:
- Address Evenley Wood Garden, Evenley, Northamptonshire NN13 5SL.
- Open Daily from 15 January to 31 December, 10am-4pm.
- Web evenleywoodgarden.co.uk