Mediterranean House

Built in 1884, this house preserves something of the atmosphere of a Victorian conservatory or orangery. This early type of glasshouse was a popular feature of the houses of prosperous families in the last century. The central beds are planted with a wide range of citrus varieties including lemon, orange, lime, satsuma and the citron with fruits the size of a rugby ball!

This house also contains other Mediterranean shrubs such as a dwarf pomegranate, Punica granatum var nana; carob-bean, Ceratonia siliqua; whose seeds were used to weigh gold in carats for the first time.

The plants on the raised benches contain many glasshouse ornamentals. Among the most admired are the many varieties of pelargoniums, and coleus, for the multicoloured foliage, but many others appear through the seasons, from bulbs in winter to chrysanthemums in the autumn.