I visited East Ruston Old Vicarage on a glorious day in September. A friend had discovered it and wanted to show me this treasure of a place.
When the house was bought in 1973 there was no garden at all, just long tufted grass on 2 acres of land.
Over the decades the owners have designed it taking the coastal location into account. They benefit from the same low-frost climate as Cornwall and Devon and planted tall dense shelter belts as protection from the fierce winds of the North Sea.
The result is a microclimate of garden rooms over what is now a 32 acre site.
This alley ends with a view to a lighthouse which you can just glimpse in the far distance.
I initially thought this was a grand aviary but no, it is a grander soft fruit cage.
The desert garden has been in its element this summer
though I was impressed with how lush and verdant the garden was, given the current drought.
The inclusion of many succulents and cacti to the left of this doorway shows how planting is adapting to the climate.
Visit the website for more information on its history as well as descriptions of the different gardens.