The Plant Library, Tom Stuart-Smith

Having gardened for over 30 years at Serge Hill, in the Hertfordshire countryside, Tom Stuart-Smith along with his wife Sue, decided in 2020 to create a new garden on the site of an old orchard in order to develop a community outdoor space open to local schools and charities. At the heart of the Orchard lays the Plant Library a unique and extensive resource for anyone interested in plants. The site is on a gentle slope and has been divided into a grid system, with drought tolerant plants such as Ferula arrigoni or Athamantha sub. haynaldii filling the top section. These have been planted in sharp sand so that they can cope with wet conditions in winter. The planting conditions evolve as you progress down the garden, with the lower end home to shady and damp loving plants such as Rodgersia aesculifolia or Paeonia lactiflora 'Monsieur Jules Elie'. The Plant Library now gathers together an impressive 1200 plants with various cultivars of the same species growing, thus creating a living catalogue where plants can be compared. Bulbs have not been forgotten and include Allium 'Summer Drummer' as well as Eremurus 'Cleopatra' and 'Helena'. In 2024, the Apple House, which sits next to the Library, opened to host events. The building was designed by Ben, Tom and Sue's son and is constructed using locally sourced materials.