Nunnington Hall: Historic iris garden in Yorkshire transformed and back in full bloom

The area has always been a much-loved feature of the gardens at the National Trust property near Helmsley. However as the years have passed the plants were no longer performing at their best, maintenance had become increasingly challenging, and the garden was looking tired.

The garden that visitors will have previously seen was a restoration carried out by the National Trust back in 1989, which was based on a design believed to have been laid out by Mrs Fife, the former owner of the hall, in the 1920s.

The redesign has included making the area a beautiful, accessible and biodiverse garden for the modern garden visitor, which champions the Iris Genus and is sympathetic to the historic roots of the garden. Most of all, it is a tranquil space in which to sit, reflect and be at one with nature. Just like the wider Nunnington garden, nature has been central to decisions throughout the project, with the space being environmentally sustainable and wildlife-friendly.

Nick Fraser, Head Gardener at Nunnington Hall, said: “Even after periods of intense maintenance, the Iris Garden still had a neglected appearance.

"The existing irises offered a very short season of display, there was limited seating, and the paths were worn and uneven. The single path entrance and exit points resulted in visitors passing by, barely pausing for a look.”

Now, thanks to a generous gift to the National Trust from the estate of Gertrude Mary Looi, they have had an opportunity to address the situation and reimagine this space with a more modern and innovative design, whilst still retaining historical integrity and influences from previous owners and past designs.

Caroline Bosher, who was brought in to oversee the redesign as Project Gardener, said: “We wanted to offer a beautiful garden full of horticultural interest for everyone to enjoy throughout the seasons."

To help achieve the aim of creating a garden that is regenerative and a boost for biodiversity, we enlisted the services of award-winning garden designer Kristina Clode, who is a Registered Member of the Society of Garden Designers and has twice won their prestigious Design for the Environment Award,

Nunnington Hall is one of the National Trust’s flagship organic gardens, run in harmony with nature for over 22 years, and Ms Clode’s knowledge and passion has helped them build on this with the use of innovative sustainable garden design practices, and create a space that will be able to be enjoyed by visitors for many, many years to come.