Margery Fish’s Garden at East Lambrook Manor
“One of the most important influences on gardening in the 20th century…” John Sales

The garden at East Lambrook Manor is recognised throughout the world as the ‘Home of English Cottage Gardening’, having been created in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s by the late gardening icon, Margery Fish. Mrs Fish entered the world of gardening late in her life and as a novice she showed a quite brilliant talent for artlessly mixing the everyday plants with the rarer species, with an eye for colour, texture and form.

Her informal style of planting was unique and her work as an outstanding plantswoman, writer and journalist has made her one of the most important influences on gardening in the 20th century. Indeed, today’s mixed borders are a direct descendant of the style Margery Fish created here at East Lambrook Manor.

Mrs Fish’s relatives lovingly cared for the gardens after her death in 1969 and in 1985 the gardens passed out of the family to Mr & Mrs Norton.

The Norton’s launched a major project to catalogue and re-find many of plants Mrs Fish had originally discovered and cultivated in the gardens and when the Williams family took over in 1999 the gardens were ready for an extensive and comprehensive restoration of the whole garden landscape – indeed, this was to be the biggest ‘overhaul’ of these famous gardens since their creation by Mrs Fish in the 1940’s and 50’s.

In 2008 the Williams’ sold East Lambrook Manor to Gail & Mike Werkmeister who have kept the garden open to the public and intend to continue the restoration work of previous owners.

Now, in the new millennium, visitors can continue to enjoy the gardens while also visiting the famous ‘Margery Fish Plant Nursery’, which remains a place of pilgrimage for keen plant buyers. A specially designed display bed showcases an extensive collection of hardy geraniums in summer or snowdrops in February.

In the centre of the gardens, the 17th century Malthouse houses a cafe serving tea, coffee, local Burrow Hill apple juice and a selection of Aunt Sally’s excellent locally made cakes.

The Malthouse is home to the Malthouse Gallery. Exhibitions of paintings, usually by local West Country artists, take place at peak times of the year and paintings and cards can be purchased.

The garden and Malthouse now also play host to BTEC and RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) horticultural courses run in conjunction with Yeovil College.