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GREAT DIXTERFriends’ newsletter

Spring 2013

Maggie TranArtist/gardener/cookMy family heritage is broad, spanning English, Chinese and Vietnamese. I grow and cook like the English garden, rich in plants from all over the world. Before starting horticulture I completed a fine art degree, specialising in performance and drawing and practised as an artist in London and Rotterdam. Here at Dixter people ignite my passions.

Cover Photo:

Carol Casselden’s Orchard Path at Sunrise, Great Dixter, East Sussex, UK, won third place in the Beautiful Gardens section of the International Garden Photographer of the Year 2013. It will be on show at the National Botanical Gardens in Wales, the Bankside Gallery in London, Palace of Monserrate in Portugal, RHS Wisley and Kew Gardens this summer.

Maggie, (self-portrait) is the Christopher Lloyd Scholar 2012-13.

People UpdateYoung Mike (Mike McGuiness) is being taught by Ben the many skills required to keep things working and looking good on a country estate such as this. He really wants to learn gardening and Fergus agrees that this will be possible as soon as a position opens up. His hobby is skateboarding - he is one of the best in the South East.

Simon Johnson has got his production line of hurdles going in full swing - every hurdle bought (£12) will go towards funding his position. Simon’s range of wooden products includes ladders, hay rakes, benches, stools, coffee tables, apple crates, boot jacks and wellington boot racks, all on sale from the Great Dixter Shop.

Great Dixter relies on the support of its Friends and donors

Dr Roy Brigden retired to nearby Ewhurst Green a couple of years ago. His working life was spent in museums, much of it at the Museum of English Rural Life, based in the University of Reading, with its nationally important collections relating to all aspects of the countryside and its history. He started doing volunteer work at Great Dixter early in 2012 and shortly after was recruited temporarily into the vacant position of Archivist/Curator as part of the Lottery-funded development project. He is greatly enjoying exploring the vast range of material left behind by the Lloyds. Below are some of Roy’s findings.

Early Beginnings of Great Dixter’s Garden Material from the archives is throwing more light on the development of the garden following Nathaniel Lloyd’s purchase of Great Dixter in 1910. Two Lutyens plans, the first dated August 1910 (see right) and the second July 1911, show a transition from outline ideas sketched over the top of the existing farmyard layout to a fully worked-up design with the principal areas and features incorporated. In the month following, the plan was pegged out on the ground and at the beginning of September Lloyd is saying that he hopes to have all the borders dug by the end of the month so that planting could get underway in October.

For guidance on planting, Lloyd turned initially to his friend Henry Avray Tipping (1855-1933) hoping that he would be able to instigate a suitable scheme. Tipping wrote for Country Life on architectural matters and was an arts and crafts garden designer of some repute with connections to Gertrude Jekyll and others. Yew hedges, topiary and wild areas were amongst his signature elements. Although interested, Tipping replied that he had too much else on to become directly involved and suggested two names instead, one of them George Thorold (1870-1951): ‘or there is young Thorold, the son and heir of Sir John Thorold of Syston Park (Lincs). They are exceedingly badly off and have had to let Syston, and the son, who is an excellent gardener, has taken it up professionally. He has in hand just now, I believe, the planting of the new gardens that Blow and Billerey have designed for the Duke of Westminster at Eaton’.

Lloyd hired Thorold without delay. He made his first visit on the 12th October 1911 and immediately set to work with a detailed proposal for the rose garden, which survives. From the ensuing correspondence, it is clear that this was a

productive and friendly relationship with Thorold mediating between the initial Lutyens concept and the individual preferences of Nathaniel and Daisy Lloyd. On 7th November Thorold writes, ‘I have finished all the plans now and have ordered all the roses, climbers, trees and wall shrubs. With regard to the little garden between the terrace and the ‘blue’ garden, I have made a scheme for two borders of old fashioned roses such as Maidens Blush, Celestial Austrian Briars, Provence & damask roses with a 3’ box hedge and box edging to the borders. Will this suit? None of these roses require a great deal of sunlight and are of the type that Lutyens likes’. Thorold’s invoice shows that he worked on the planting scheme through to April 1912 at a fee of £30 plus expenses.

The files of receipts studiously kept by Lloyd confirm a spike of orders to specialist plant and tree suppliers from the autumn of 1911 through to spring of the following year. Figuring strongly were Paul & Sons of Cheshunt - trees, shrubs

and plants - James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea - 350 yew trees in October plus mixed fruit trees - and Lionel Perkin of Surbiton - seeds, bulbs and plants. Some ready-made topiary featuring peacocks was purchased from J. Cheal & Sons of Crawley in October.

The final important piece in the jigsaw was a head gardener with the skills to lead a team supplying the considerable labour required to create a garden of this size. A typewritten advertisement was circulated to friends, to suppliers and other people in the know, such as Edward Hudson, owner of Country Life: ‘Mr N.Lloyd requires a Head Working Gardener for his house at Northiam. Two assistants, practically no glass, should be very experienced with fruit trees, perennial borders, and wall gardening. Wage 25/- and cottage. Personal reference from last employer essential’. In late September 1911, he appointed Harry Rapley, 24, assistant gardener at Warren Hill Eastbourne (see above, third on right). On the 27th, Max

Wilkinson of Warren Hill writes, ‘I hope that Rapley will prove a success - my wife is very angry with me for letting him go just now!’ Presumably Rapley was indeed a success because a wages book shows that he was in post until at least 1928, thereby providing the garden with a stable foundation to work from.

Roy Brigden

Bernard Baverstock’s Bixley Sawmill - an increasing proportion of the sawn timber we are using is from our estate and goes through Bernard’s sawmill. Fergus reckons we are privileged to have him on our doorstep.

Dixter DiaryHedge laying - John French and Mike Bentley (of the South of England Hedge Laying Society) came to teach our wood worker Simon Johnson and others this ancient skill on the hedge along the drive to the Nursery.

Bits and Bobs - Bob Common has been mending our tractors for over 20 years, his wife Brenda worked in the Nursery in Christo’s time. A real character, raconteur and seller of all things useful. Bob’s Sale is open in the Great Barn when the sign is up.

Swifts champion Edward Mayer is advising on how we can provide nesting sites in the eaves above the terrace for these birds, which are declining at a frightening rate. See more: www.swift-conservation.org.uk.

New puppy, new kitten - Eight-week-old Miscanthus (right) arrived on 2nd May; a little kitten called Neal came a week earlier.

Bruce Eveslage who works in a garden in Kentucky came as a volunteer gardener in February. Bruce knits these hats on 5 double point needles by the fire in the winter. He gave some to fellow workers when he left. These tokens of generosity from this gentle man will keep Dixter heads warm and smart for many a year.

Clockwise from top left: Ben Robbins, Lewis Bosher, Adele Johnson, Fergus Garrett, Jean-Michel Tassoni, Aaron Bertelsen.

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Recipe by Michael Morphy, head of the Nursery and a groovy foodie.

Ingredients: 4 medium eggs, 200g caster sugar, 125g ground almonds, 50g flaked almonds, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp baking powder, juice and zest of 3 Seville oranges (or 1 large sweet orange and 1 lemon), 1 whole cinnamon stick, 1 tbsp of orange liqueur.

Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Butter a 20cm cake tin and line base with baking paper. Beat egg yolks with 150g sugar until pale and creamy. Stir in almonds, cinnamon, baking powder, half the orange (lemon) juice and all the zest. Mix well. Whisk egg whites with 1 tbsp of sugar to stiff peaks. Gently fold into almond mixture. Bake 45-55 min until golden brown. Make a syrup by heating the remaining orange/lemon juice, cinnamon stick and sugar until thickened slightly then stir in the liqueur. When the cake has cooled pierce all over with a skewer and pour the syrup over the cake. Decorate with the cinnamon stick and some more citrus zest. Best left a day or two before eating so the flavours can mingle and develop.

Calendar3rd June Gardening Year Study Day with Kemal Mehdi: June 10th June Meadow Gardening Study Day24th June Good Planting Study Day15th July Succession Planting in the Mixed Border Study Day20th July Friends Event - 5pm to 7.30pm29th Sept. South East Dachshund Centenary Show 5th & 6th Oct. Great Dixter Plant Fair23rd & 24th Nov. Great Dixter Christmas Fair27th Nov. Friends Event - tea in the house

Compiled by Linda Jones, tel: 01797 254048, friends@greatdixter.co.uk. Designed by Joe Rodriguez.Great Dixter, Northiam, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 6PH. Tel: 01797252878. Web: www.greatdixter.co.uk.© Great Dixter Charitable Trust - Ltd. Co. No. 7181964 - Registered Charity Number 1134948.