IT is a garden lover's delight. An enchanting mosaic of moods, colours and textures that lift the spirit.

Here, camellia and rhododendron blooms glow like beacons; there, delicate spring flowers twinkle beneath bare boughs of waxy magnolia blossom.

Even in soft rain the Garden House, Buckland Monachorum, has the power to bewitch the eye. Every leaf and bud seems honour-bound to dazzle and delight through the drizzle.

How could it do otherwise with such a dynamic enthusiast at the helm as general manager and designer Keith Wiley? The alchemy of this luxuriant landscape owes more to his burning determination to fulfil a vision than any mere heap of fertiliser.

Listen to him for five minutes, collar turned against the weather and arms windmilling with missionary zeal, and even the most die-hard anti-gardener would claw up the concrete and beg forgiveness.

Keith's efforts at the Garden House have focused national interest on his vision, on what he calls 'new naturalism'.

He preaches the gospel of his own particular style of gardening with abiding conviction. Here is no quick-sell hype — look around and see for yourself the garden is as good as his word.

Here is an ideal ambassador for new naturalism whose enthusiasm knows no limits.

'This place is at the very front of this trend. It's important. It's revolutionary. What we have here is not just of local interest — but of natural interest,' he says.

He equates the 16th century Walled Garden to Dr Who's Tardis — much bigger inside than it appears outside. But if this appeals to the traditionalists his expanding acres outside are being designed to push back the boundaries metaphysically.

Eight years ago the trustees extended the overall acres to ten to take the pressure off the Walled Garden. This gave the perfect opening for Keith to put his dreams into action.

Indoors he runs a slide show to illustrate his views. He puts up a shot of 150 acres of South African floral carpet where nature seems oblivious to colour co-ordination or geometric order.

'I always thought what I did was enhance nature. But when you see flowers in an amazing expanse like this I realise how preposterous that statement is,' he grins.

So he has taken that theme and created a splash of South Africa right in the centre of the Garden House.

'There are no blocks of colour. They are all jumbled up together — it's a natural way. I'm trying to develop a new style of garden that is in harmony with nature.'

He has used the bright colours of Cretian flower meadows and the rich russets of Canadian woodlands for pools of inspiration. But he also turns his eye nearer to home to Dartmoor for ideas — shapes and textures to excite the eye. He is currently creating an impressive water garden.

Keith doesn't draw the line at the boundary. From the Garden House there are views across the top of Buckland Monachorum to the distant hills of Caradon and Kit Hill.

He has designed this end of the garden so its slopes appear to ripple seamlessly into the panoramic undulations of the outside world.

'I don't set out to be awakward. I just got bored when I went to other gardens.

'This place is my interpretation of the places I have seen. Most people try to make their garden look a bit more natural. I look at natural settings and say, How can I adapt that to suit the garden?' says Keith.

While some gardeners choose to grow their plants in blocks conveniently put so they can 'put labels on them' Keith prefers a more natural effect with drifts of blooms that seem in harmony with nature.

'I love orange and reds. Gardeners are a bit frightened about them but they sing in the bright light of summer.'

And so he has created areas of the Garden House to celebrate the seasons in turn with kaleidoscopic colours bursting and blazing away.

Visitors come back time and time again to delight in this enchanting location. But Keith always promises more. Complacency is not a word he recognises.

However, he recognises there is a mind-set in the gardening establishment resistant to change. They prefer ordered herbacious borders to something more informal and visually riotous.

'We try and work with nature here, rather than against it — so you see no formal straight lines at the Garden House.'

He says they allow flowers to self-seed and intermingle as they would in the wild, but in a carefully controlled environment.

'Watch this space. This garden will be absolutely fantastic. I know it is going to be the best garden in Britain by a mile — and it is right on our doorstep!'

Keith draws an artistic analogy — his is an impressionist view of what can be seen in the wild. But like the impressionists his different approach has yet to find favour with traditionalists.

But a few disparaging remarks are unlikely to dent his believe in the virtues of the Garden House: 'This garden is my dream — for me it is magic.'

That goes for everyone who visits it, too.