A HORTICULTURAL history display and woodland creatures carved from wood are just two of the new features for 2015 at The Garden House in Buckland Monachorum which opened for the new season on Sunday.

Thanks to generous sponsorship from the John Spedan Lewis Foundation, a purpose-designed display tracing the history of the gardens up to the present day will greet visitors to the Fortescue Room.

Entitled 'The Garden House Story', it features state of the art audio-visual facilities for showing presentations and video.

Outside, head gardener Nick Haworth and his team have been busy replanting — and taking delivery of ten animal chainsaw carvings made by Walkhampton sculptor Andy Wrayford for a new children's trail.

The new animals include a rabbit, mole, fox, stoat and squirrel and will be positioned around the gardens.

Nick, now in his third year as head gardener, said: 'The Garden House is all about the flower power and I am certain we won't disappoint in terms of that this season, whether it's in the spring, summer or autumn. 

'It's what makes this place very special indeed and why people need to visit more than once.

'That's the beauty of this garden; it is changing all the time across the season.'

Regular visitors will notice some other changes in the garden too.

This much loved gem is actually home to several gardens in one — and it is the Quarry Garden which has received particular attention in recent months.

A grant from the Lillie Johnson Trust has helped fund enhanced planting activity and the redevelopment has also opened up the view from the summer house.

Around the summer house and in the Acer Glade, sections of path have also been widened and improved to enhance access, thanks to a generous grant from the Plymouth Disabled Fellowship.

The £80,000 Jubilee Arboretum, one of the most recent additions to the garden and officially opened by the Countess of Wessex in April 2013, is changing too, with significant new tree growth and a host of aquatic life around the lake, including frogs and toads, newts, dragonflies and pond skaters.