The gravel bed was created in October 2005 to make better use of an awkward, sloping area of grass. Planting in this area was inspired by Piet Oudolf’s prairie-style planting schemes. The sharper drainage in this new area has provided more suitable conditions for a range of plants, such as tulbaghia violacea, that tend to object to our soggy Cumbrian winters. The gravel bed is at its best from mid-summer through to early autumn.