But due to the volume of traffic now visiting the place, all but a few of these paths have been replaced by harder wearing gravel paths. These are religiously raked every morning, so enhance the feeling of maintenance.

According to head gardener Tim Walker the changes were essential. "They were instigated over 10 years ago because of problems. It was decided that in the parterre the grass footpath should remain as a vestige of what it used to look like. It is left open for visitors to walk along for short periods of time, but there's soon erosion," he said."We then make simple fences from last year's coppicing to block off areas."

Different grass mixtures have been tried, and the area was completely returfed last spring. But even after this radical action, the area again shows signs of wear.

The sheer picturesque-ness of the place creates problems too. A bald patch at the bottom of the garden shows where countless visitors rest their camera bags whilst taking a shot of the house. A second patch was appearing where people were trying for a new viewpoint. This was discouraged by, "Letting the plants grow to stop them getting a clear view!" says Tim.

"The paths and hedges provide a heightened sense of maintenance. If that wasn't there, there would be a loss of counterpoint", says Tim.

There is often a simple explanation for a plant's poor performance. Near a bench used by people staying at the holiday cottage in the grounds an Artemisia Arborum (hen wr in Welsh) is struggling with "too much coffee". It's the spot people empty the dregs from their cups. According to Tim it can be beneficial to the plant in small doses, but here it's a case of too much of a good thing.

Plant theft is not unknown either. "Seed heads of valuable plants are put in bags to catch the seeds. A Royal Himalayan Poppy - Papaya regalis - was taken in its entirety. It's a fairly rare plant and has to be imported under licence, whoever took it new what they were taking.We try now to move rarer plants just a bit away from the boundary. It's a bit of a devil really, and very upsetting when it happens."

Tim has now taken to having a mid-afternoon wander around the garden to dissuade visitors from similar actions. "I just have a wander round sometimes, secateurs in hand, chatting, answering questions, just making my presence felt."

Weather can also wreak havoc. A recent storm meant a frantic morning. "There were a few branches down on the road, paths had been washed away, so we had to pull those back, and some plants had been completely flattened so we had to clear those."

Presentation is key in any public garden, but although the National Trust works hard to preserve the essence of the garden left to them by the Keatings, there are some unavoidable compromises - health and safety being the main one.

"It is not as wild as when the Keatings were here. But we couldn't let the plant be as wild as they were because people would simply trip over them," says Tim.

The box hedges that surround the garden areas need constant attention, too. Although many date back to the Keatings time, some "beating up" is required. This is when an old dead section is cut out, so that fresh plants (propagated at the Plas) can be planted. It usually takes a couple of seasons then for the new bits to blend in.

Any visitor would be hard pressed to notice any of this wear and tear however, apart from at the spot where they rest their camera bag on the box hedge whilst taking a photo!