Sitting Spiritually at RHS Garden Rosemoor

Seating is an integral part of any garden as it makes you pause and take in the surroundings, be it in your own garden where you can admire your own efforts or somewhere like RHS Garden Rosemoor where others do all the hard work.

If you are lucky enough to be able to design your garden from scratch, then seating should be included and not added as an afterthought. This way, you can be sure of positioning your seat where you get the best views and avoid any eyesores. You can also design your seating area so that there is room for your chosen style of seat, especially if you plan to have something special such as a Sitting Spiritually swing seat. We are particularly fortunate in having one of these seats in the Model Gardens and another by the Croquet lawn in Lady Anne’s Garden both kindly loaned to us by Sitting Spiritually.

To give a feeling of enclosure, we have created an alcove of Osmanthus × burkwoodii AGM for the swing seat in the model gardens. This evergreen hedge established quickly and the flowers smell divine in spring. Large pots of seasonal planting flank the seat, enhancing the area; so who could resist a relaxing few minutes, swinging gently back and forth taking in the colours and scents? Children and adults alike love to stop here and the seat is rarely unoccupied on a sunny day.

Summer is the time for ball games and you can have a go at croquet on the lawn that has been here since Lady Anne’s time. If you prefer to just watch, the swing seat is a good vantage point and gives an air of luxury appropriate to the setting. The croquet lawn borders are full of plants from the southern hemisphere such as Hedychium, Alstroemeria, Crinum, Cautleya, Watsonia and Eucomis to name just a few.

Many of us have busy lives and the numerous seats around Rosemoor allow you to take time out for yourself and just sit, taking in the beauty of the plants and the valley garden setting.

All Photos ©RHS/Sheila Dearing

With many thanks to Sheila Dearing

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