Waterperry Gardens facts for kids
Waterperry Gardens are a famous set of gardens located in the village of Waterperry, near Oxford in England. The gardens are a popular place to visit and also include a museum that shows what life was like in the countryside long ago.
Contents
History of the Gardens
A School for Female Gardeners
A talented gardener named Beatrix Havergal started the Waterperry School of Horticulture in 1932. Horticulture is the science and art of growing plants, especially flowers, fruits, and vegetables. At a time when this was unusual, her school was created just for women who wanted to become expert gardeners.
The school became very famous for its high-quality plants. It even grew special "Royal Sovereign" strawberries that were sent to Buckingham Palace for the Royal Family to eat! The school continued until Beatrix Havergal retired in 1971.
The Gardens Today
After the school closed, a group called the School of Economic Science bought the Waterperry estate in 1972. They have taken care of the gardens ever since, keeping them beautiful for the public to visit. The money earned from visitors helps support the school.
What to See at Waterperry
The gardens are spread across eight acres and are filled with different areas to explore.
Amazing Garden Areas
- Ornamental Gardens: These are designed to be beautiful and peaceful. You can see an alpine garden with small mountain plants, and a formal knot garden, where hedges are planted in patterns that look like they are tied in a knot.
- Flower Displays: There are long flowerbeds called herbaceous borders that are full of color in the summer. There is also a lovely rose garden and a walk along a river.
- Water-Lily Canal: A special canal is filled with beautiful water-lilies, which are plants that float on the water's surface.
- Orchards: The gardens also have five acres of orchards where fruit trees grow.
Special Plant Collections
Waterperry is home to two important collections of saxifrage plants. These collections are so special that they are part of the National Plant Collection scheme. This means Waterperry helps protect these rare plants for the future.
In the spring, the gardens are famous for the huge variety of snowdrops that cover the ground.
Museum of Rural Life
Inside an old farm building from the 18th century, you can find the Museum of Rural Life. It has displays of old tools and equipment that were used for farming and living in the countryside hundreds of years ago.
Other things to do at Waterperry include visiting the plant centre to buy your own plants, looking at art in the gallery, and stopping for a snack at the tea shop.
Famous Gardeners from Waterperry
The Waterperry School of Horticulture trained many women who became important figures in the world of gardening.
- Mary Spiller was a teacher at the school and later became a presenter on the popular radio show Gardeners' Question Time.
- Pamela Schwerdt became one of the head gardeners at the world-famous Sissinghurst Castle Garden.
- Valerie Finnis was an expert in alpine plants and a well-known garden photographer.
See also
- List of museums in Oxfordshire
- Museum of Oxford
External links
- Waterperry Gardens website
