The Alnwick Garden is being created by Jacques and Peter Wirtz, celebrated international garden designers from Belgium.
In design terms it is fair to say that The Alnwick Garden pushes the boundaries, and this is due in no small part to the Duchess of Northumberland herself, who has always believed that almost anything is possible if you get the right people involved. Her original concept was to produce a garden design framework and then to bring in the specialists, the experts, the best in their field, to ensure that each individual garden and concept was cutting edge in terms of both design and technology.
The Garden is a place where the imagination can run wild and the element of surprise is everything. This is created not just by the imaginative design of The Garden as a whole, but the attention to detail which is apparent in every aspect of it and of the many features it contains.
Water is the lifeblood of this garden, the heart of which is the Grand Cascade. Running north to south it forms a dramatic centrepiece to The Garden and is the first thing visitors see when entering through the archway, immediately catching the eye and drawing them in.
Teamwork has played a vital role in the design process. Because of the ground-breaking nature of many of the design features, the means by which to make them operational has been developed from scratch. Only by including everyone, from the Duchess to the contractors, has it been possible to solve the many problems which tend to crop up when working with such innovative concepts.
The Wirtz signature style features an architectural green structure, seen here in hornbeam-covered pergolas, yew topiary, box and beech hedges. This gives lots to see outside of the summer months. The landscape is eclectic, from the gentle waves of colour and scent in the Rose Garden to the riotous water displays of the Grand Cascade.