Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, the builder of Waddesdon Manor from 1874, created this garden from scratch. He laid it out to complement the house and enhance views of the surrounding landscape, but he was faced with an enormous task. When he bought the land from the Duke of Marlborough, it had been stripped of all its sale-able timber; it was, quite literally, a bare hill. As he said, ‘There was not a bush to be seen, or a bird to be heard.’

For Ferdinand, this was a wonderful opportunity. It meant that he could put what he wanted exactly where he wanted it. He was a knowledgeable horticulturalist, and, like other members of his family, conceived of a garden where exotic and unusual trees could blend with British specimens to frame and punctuate views, harmonising with the colourful bedding for which Waddesdon was famous, and groups of sculpture. To carry out his vision, Ferdinand used the latest technology, including specially designed carts that allowed fully grown trees to be transplanted, and state-of the-art glasshouses for growing and propagation. Ferdinand’s friend, David Crawford, described walking around the garden with him. “Point to any tree and he will tell you what it is, where it was transplanted from and when”.

Waddesdon was used mainly in the summer months, for entertaining. Ferdinand would invite groups of friends and family for his ‘Saturday to Monday’ parties, and in the case of famous visitors, specifically royal guests, might invite them to plant a commemorative tree. Many of these can still be seen, and the tradition has continued to the present day. When Ferdinand died in 1897, the Manor was inherited by his sister, Alice. Gardening was her passion and she continued the traditions of tree planting and bedding arrangements. Today, the Gardens Team care for the collection of trees, ensuring that they remain healthy and surveying them annually. Specimens that fail are replaced, to make sure that the gardens look as splendid in the future as they do now.

Explore the gardens here >

Tremendous Trees

A walking trail