Dyke Nook Lodge

Dyke Nook Lodge's gardens were designed by Gertrude Jekyll in 1907. The extensive original garden plans note a large, walled garden located to the south of the house. From an arbour, formed by yews and flanked by two Dundee ramblers, the rose garden fills the ground between the southwest house gable and the southwest border wall. The walled garden was divided into four segments filled with roses. Each of the four rose beds had a core of three Rugosa roses and Blanc Double de Courbet, which were flanked by Bourbon roses. Many of the roses used in this garden are no longer available, such as the hybrid tea rose Killarney.

To the southeast of the house, there were 10 flower beds with shrub and herbaceous plants. Between the beds, there were views of a low, dry stone wall. The wall separated the beds from a raised lawn. The lawn contained paved walks and sporadic flowerbeds. A short drive to the house was flanked by eight lime trees, which were pollarded at the height of eight feet. Laurastinus and guelder roses were trained up the walls surrounding a small yard, which gave access to the house's main entrance.

Along the southwest margin of the large, walled garden a long shrub border was backed by a stone wall. Against the wall were seven red cedar and seven Lawson's cypress trees. In front of these trees were alternating groups of Portugal laurel and rambling roses. The roses used, such as The Garland and Blush Rambler, had only become available in 1903. The border of the garden was edged with bergenias, Lenten roses and Christmas roses. Along the south-eastern edge of the garden were groups of laurels, phillyreas and standard white lilacs.

There were 10 rectilinear borders between the front of the house and the raised lawn. These borders are interesting in their use of shrubs and perennial and annual herbaceous plants. The most south-westerly of these borders contains a seat, which was set back and surrounded by alba rose Mme Plantier. Behind this border were nine Lawson cypresses which formed an ideal foil for the soft, olive-green leaflets and creamy-white flowers of the Mme Plantier. Six Irish yews reinforced the line of a cross-walk from the garden seat to a group of three Lawson cypresses. The Lawson cypresses were planted with groups of orange lilies and white Japan anemones. Currently, there is no record of what plantings are at Dyke Nook Lodge.