|
High Beeches has been gardened with knowledge and distinction throughout its existence. Colonel Giles Loder, was one of the outstanding gardeners of his day. He subscribed to overseas plant collecting expeditions and was a patron of Veitch’s nursery. Plants survive from his day including historically important specimens collected by Ernest Wilson, Frank Kingdom Ward and George Forrest. These and other plant hunters travelled to places such as China, Japan and North and South America to find rare and beautiful plants. Their expeditions took years and were dangerous affairs. Taking no notice of wars, diseases, travelling difficulties and lack of funds, they brought back many specimens. The plant hunters sought out the best of each species in terms of flowers, fragrance and foliage – the ultimate in wild plants, trees and shrubs.
High Beeches has a particularly fine collection of species - the best ‘wild’ forms. In other words High Beeches has an outstanding and superb ‘wild plant’ collection from all over the world.
The Boscawen/Brays are knowledgeable plants-people and have won many prizes for their horticultural exhibits. They have been invited to join overseas plant hunting expeditions and have been horticultural judges. Their aim is to plant only the finest specimens and to display them to best effect within the natural landscape. The effect is supremely elegant, as if nature just happened to create a stunning garden, in fact the gardens have been carefully designed.
High Beeches is on the Southern High Weald of Sussex in an area known as the Forest Ridges, classified as an area of outstanding natural beauty. Situated in the heart of mid Sussex, just off the A23, High Beeches is within easy reach of London, the South East and South Coast.
The gardens are close to Handcross (a village on the road between London and Brighton and on the route for the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run). The Red Lion pub in Handcross used to be a staging post for changing horses. | 
)
)