Owning the freehold is usually the easiest for restoring and developing a walled garden. However, if the garden is not for sale, or you don’t have the funds, a lease/tenancy is the next option. Clearly you want to avoid a vast capital outlay on a short-term lease, but you could write in clauses specifying arrangements for valuations and compensation in the event of the freeholder refusing to renew the lease. Depending on the extent of structures (existing and planned) you will need to decide between an agricultural tenancy, a commercial lease or licence arrangement. But sometimes it’s just easier to take on a walled garden through an informal agreement and let the project grow slowly, building a good relationship with the owner as you transform his asset and making him aware of its potential.