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The gardens as we see them today extend to around 10 Ha. (25 acres) and largely date to the 18th and 19th centuries. Around the Hall is mostly lawns, which in total amount to around 1 1/2 Hectares. There is a small sunny border under the 'tackroom window' of 'Porth Mawr' (See CADW register entry). Opposite the South front of the House is a formal Rose Garden with a small circular pond and fountain as it's centre piece. On top of a grass bank behind the Rose garden is a terrace with 2 beds of shrub roses, both ancient and modern. To the North of the Hall is a 'Dell' (an old gravel pit) in which Lady Augusta started to make a Japanese Garden. I think this was inspired by a trip the family made to Japan by way of Canada in the opening years of the 20th century. The northern boundary of the garden is formed by the 'Marine Walk' a serpentine Ha-Ha with fine views over the Deer Park to the Dee and the Irish sea. In good conditions this view can extend from the Cumbrian mountains to Blackpool, Southport, the Yorkshire Fells, Winter Hill and Merseyside.
Little more than basic maintenance had been done in the 20th century until we started restoring parts in a small way some 10 years ago. By then the greenhouses built by Messenger of Loughborough had been repaired, and were supplying pot plants for the house. I was also growing vegetables for the house in one small division of the early 19th century walled garden.
Around this time the Estate bought our first compact tractor and Chris Joynson came to work part time with me. Phil Roberts came full time soon after Chris, so I had some good equipment and two first class colleagues who happened to share my dream. We were then able to start thinking of restoring the woodland garden. We began on a very small scale. First was an area where a few large limbs had fallen, so here we cleared the fallen wood along with the Rhododendron ponticum crushed by the fall. The new planting here is all shrubs which had to have individual guards against rabbits. The rabbits prevented any attempt at herbaceous planting in this area.
Next came the Middle Walk, here the Rhododendron ponticum and Prunus lusitanica each side of the walk had been clipped like a hedge and the walk had become narrow dark and inhospitable. More important Lord Mostyn had become unable to walk any distance and was using a 'golf buggy' to get around the garden so the walks had to be restored to their original width very quickly. There were a few good plants from the time of Lady Augusta Mostyn who was gardening here from the late 1860s until the early years of the 20th century. We were able to rescue 2 nice Acer cissifolium which are luckily a male and female, 2 Picea omorika, though sadly the R. ponticum had prevented these from developing the lovely downswept lower branches characteristic of the species and a Picea I haven't yet positively identified. Set back from the walk, still in need of some clearing to show them better are some fine old Rhododendrons which I haven't been able to name with any certainty yet. There are a few mature Irish Yews either side of the walk here. Some were removed to give space to the Acers etc and to open up the walk.
The densest area of R. ponticum has been replaced by a bed of shrub and herbaceous planting in front of the 2 Serbian Spruces. Here Meconopsis, Hostas, Primulas Alstromerias, ferns,Hellebores and many others thrive with Azaleas, Eucryphias, Magnolias, Viburnums, Bamboos, Enkianthus, Mahonias etc. The Eastern end of this walk is presided over by a majestic group of conifers including a very large multi stemmed Pinus radiata, 2 Wellingtonias, a Hemlock , a Silver Fir the RHS can't identify for sure and an unnamed Spruce. On the corner below the big Monterey pine is another small new bed with a combination of mostly lime-hating shrubs and herbaceous plants.
At the end of the summer in 1999 Chris left us to manage the plant centre at the Welsh College of Horticulture and Anthony a former student at the college joined us full time. In the winter of 1999-2000 we cleared an area of Rhododendron ponticum and some poor trees including an over age Beech from a patch along the Marine Walk and here the planting was completely different from the earlier ones. A simple carpet of mainly white winter flowering heathers with small groups of Azaleas and dwarf Rhododendrons. Interspersed in this are several Silver Birches. This winter 2000-2001 we are making a 'Camellia Walk'
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