Russet House in Talaton will be re-opening to the public in June as work to renovate the gardens is now complete.

The garden is open on Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18 from 2-6pm. 

Owners Alan and Liz lived in the Cotswolds for 37 years where they both became keen gardeners and in their last property, opened for the National Garden Scheme.

When they moved to Talaton in East Devon in 2018, they planned to do more walking and less gardening but having bought a property with three quarters of an acre of land and almost a blank canvas, how could they resist creating a garden?

Work started on the back garden in autumn 2019, there was a lawn with a few shrubs around the edge and solid red clay which had to be removed, 35 tonnes of it by hand with a wheelbarrow, then replaced with good topsoil!

The spring 2020 Covid lockdown saw the transformation of the garden into a relaxing and productive space with seating areas, patio pots, beds full of trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs and climbers, a pond, productive vegetable area and a greenhouse.

A new entrance was constructed at the front that involved the removal of 1,000 tonnes of soil and stone.

The main structure of the entrance and drive was completed by the winter of 2020 allowing work to start in earnest on transforming the front garden which now comprises ornamental beds containing shrubs and perennials, roses and bulbs.

The steep entrance banks have been planted, one with deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs to provide privacy, the other as a wildflower area.

Russet House came with a substantial orchard and more trees have been added so that it now comprises 76 trees.

These are mainly apples but there are also plums, gages, pears and a quince.

With at least 49 different varieties of apple there is an emphasis on collecting Devon ones.

Alan has recently been on a grafting course and as a result there are five new Devon apple trees in pots that will be added to the orchard when sufficiently mature.

A wildlife pond surrounded by wildflowers has recently been added at the end of the orchard adding potential for greater biodiversity as it settles in and matures.

There are far reaching views from the front garden with places to sit to enjoy them and relax, the sunsets are stunning and on a clear day Dartmoor can be seen as well as the incoming stormy weather!

In September 2021 the garden opened as part of the Talaton Open Gardens Weekend and in September 2022 it opened as an NGS garden. The garden will continue to mature and develop, it is never complete.

Admission to the garden is £4. Homemade cakes and drinks will be available with refreshment money going to the Alzheimer’s Society. Roadside parking or in the Church car park. Dogs are not permitted.

More information at www.russethouse.uk.