Beggars Roost Plants

(Photo: David Atherton)

The sheltered walled gardens at Court House, East Quantoxhead, where I worked for two years, allow much more lavish growth than windswept Lilstock. I designed this border to make use of self-seeders and annuals, as well as long-lived perennials.

Wind-shaped tree above Lilstock

Lilstock 'beach'

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright of R.A.FitzGerald.
All rights reserved

Welcome to Lilstock !

You have come to Lilstock on the West Somerset coast, to a former small independent nursery called Beggars Roost Plants. The cottage and garden are close to the cliffs of the Bristol Channel, so wind is the governing condition. The ground consists of thin clay soils over lias limestone, and the site is south-facing and exposed.

Running a nursery there was an education! Following over 20 years working in botanical conservation, it added to my ecological knowledge, teaching me how to help plants grow their best, whether in the wild or in the kinder habitat of a garden . My interests often favour the unusual, but I’m also committed to the principle of growing good garden plants – ‘good doers’ and loyal friends. The West Country is also full of plants with local historic associations, so I learned where to source these. My first book (published January 2012) brings in many of my memories and experiences. Click here for book details

Now I help others to get the best results from their West Country gardens, by consultation, by giving talks, and by finding the right plants for individual places.