A LANDMARK new nature trail celebrating the 300th anniversary of one of Britain’s greatest landscape gardens has been launched at a Hampshire gardens and arboretum.

Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was the most prolific and influential designer of 18th century landscape parks, designing some of the country’s finest gardens and parks.

Now an attraction set up in his memory has been launched at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens near Romsey.

The trail is coupled with a guidebook which takes visitors across the award winning gardens in Jermyns Lane, Ampfield, highlighting examples of the trees and shrubs that Capability Brown - known as ‘England’s greatest gardener’ - used in his own landscapes.

This includes the blending native oaks and hornbeams with exotics such as North American tulip trees or Cedars of Lebanon.

The trail is featured as part of a series of national events for the Capability Brown Festival, which remembers the landscape gardener.

He was born in 1716 and went on to design 170 gardens and parks across the country including at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, Warwick Castle in Warwickshire and parts of Kew Gardens in London.

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens were established in 1953 by the distinguished plantsman Sir Harold Hillier, and have been under the sole trusteeship of Hampshire County Council since 1977.

Council leader Councillor Roy Perry, said: “This is a wonderful new trail and guide book which will be of real interest to Capability Brown experts, keen gardeners and casual visitors alike.

"Brown’s planting style was termed ‘theatrical’ with rows of trees, shrubs, plants and bulbs arranged in layers of descending size, and dispersed according to colour, fragrance and flowering season.

“This trail will give visitors a flavour of that dramatic style and a greater understanding of the trees and shrubs which were an integral part of his work.”

The story has been written and published by Hampshire Gardens Trust, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and the council.

It costs £1.90 and is available to buy at the gardens’ ticket desk or via the online shop. Normal garden admission applies.

For more information about the gardens or to become a member and volunteer see hants.gov.uk/hilliergardens