Behind the Garden Gates: with Matt Orme at The Montagu Arms
31 October 2025
Stepping into the gardens at The Montagu Arms is like entering a vibrant, ever-changing world.
Head Gardener Matt Orme shares his passion for seasonal gardening, revealing how the gardens are carefully cultivated to delight visitors and provide a serene escape from the everyday, all while showcasing the beauty of each season.
What is your favourite element of The Montagu Arms' gardens?
There are many elements that I like about this garden, and I think if you asked me at different time of the year you would get a different response. One of my favourite things are the pathways, and how we are able to join areas together (this includes the planting that goes with each pathway, whether its flowerbeds or lawns).
I enjoy walking from our carpark to the main lawn. Starting off surrounded by flowers, colour and fragrance, you make your way down the path and enter into a tunnel of hedging and trees which lowers the light levels and adds a sense of calm. As you arrive at the steps to our top lawn you're greeted by the open sky, the large green lawn, a panorama of colourful flowerbeds and a view of the hotel which is accompanied by our magnificant Magnolia Grandafloria, measuring at a stagering 10 metres tall. On a daily basis I hear our guests gasp as they arrive at this spot and then discuss amongst themselves how pretty the view is.
What is your favourite thing about gardening in the Autumn months?
The cooler mornings, which help me to wake up, then being followed by a lovely warm day ahead as well as the return of much needed rain, which brings with it life to our lawns and flowerbeds. The leaves changing colour, giving us one last vibrant show before winters rest and I love having the chance to dig up and move plants that have looked out of place, or seemed unhappy, during the summer months.
My yearly tradition of sowing sweet peas in October, in memory of my wonderful godmother Cathy. I sow them in October as its still warm enough for quick germination, I’ll then pinch the plants out when they reach 10-15cm tall to encourage bushier growth, they're then overwintered in the greenhouse before being planted out in March. This method works so well for me, that for the last three years I've had sweetpeas flowering before April. It's something that always generates conversation with our guests and it’s my own special way of keeping my godmothers memory alive.
What are some of the ways you help the environment year-round?
I try my best to continually add flowers into the garden. My goal is to have flowers blooming from January to December, thereby supporting pollinators throughout the year, particularly bumblebees. I achieve this by planting a mix of bulbs, annuals, vegetables, and shrubs. I create areas for creatures to hibernate during the cold winter months by accumulating leaves, grass cuttings, and branches. Animals such as hedgehogs are facing alarming threats of extinction and providing such spaces is crucial for their survival. We really need them in our gardens. This is a really simple way to help them out, and what’s great is just about anyone can do this.
What advice would you give someone trying to create a better garden at home?
Stay away from pesticides and allow all of nature in. Diversity is key. Have a variety of flowers, shrubs, trees, grasses and even weeds. Create piles of branches, logs and leaves; eventually you’ll find that everything will balance itself out naturally. We use zero pesticides here and our plants go untouched by ‘pests’
What benefits can spending time in a garden offer for your overall wellbeing?
Some time to decompress: The soothing environment, fresh air, and connection with nature can all contribute to a sense of calm and relaxation.
Physical exercise: Just a light stroll or a game of croquet on the lawn can increase mental alertness, energy and positive mood.
A healthy mind: Simply being in the garden, reading a good book, chatting with friends, and feeling the sun on your skin has been linked to improved mental health.
Connection with nature: Relaxing in the garden allows you to connect with the natural world, which has been shown to have numerous benefits for our emotional wellbeing, increasing feelings of awe, gratitude and mindfulness.
Therapeutic value: Watching plants grow, seeing butterflies flutter around, and inhaling the sweet scents of flowers that perfume the air can be deeply rewarding. It can improve cognitive function, reduce levels of anxiety, increase energy levels and improve self-esteem.
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