At flower shows, everyone wanted to talk,’ remembers nurseryman and grass specialist Neil Lucas. ‘It was both the plant and the advice they wanted. This place is built around that.’

(Image credit: Clive Nichols for Country Life)

At Knoll Gardens in Dorset, Neil has spent decades experimenting, testing and observing how grasses work in every sort of environment. ‘When we arrived in 1994, this was a botanic garden run as a tourist attraction,’ explains Neil. ‘We would serve 100 cream teas a day.’ Undaunted by coach parties and gaudy bedding-out, he set about transforming his four acres into an innovative, sustainable and naturalistic garden and nursery.

Sanguisorba ‘Blackthorn’ is a is a herbaceous perennial that typically grows to 1-1.2m in height. (Image credit: Clive Nichols for Coun

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