the english garden -11 2013

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NOVEMBER 2013 www.theenglishgarden.co.uk

FEATURING 6 INSPIRATIONAL AUTUMN GARDENS

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FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES BEAUTIFUL GARDENS

Sissinghurst

OUR EXPERTS’ BEST BEE PLANTS

THE NEW HEAD GARDENER SHAKES THINGS UP

TOM STUART-SMITH’S

TOP 3 ASTERSfor late colour

EXCLUSIVE

masterful design

November 2013 the english garden 3

editor’s letter

THE ENGLISH GARDEN AWARDS

2012Garden Media Guild

Journalist Of The Year

Stephanie Mahon


Environmental Award

Anne Gatti

The Nichee

Magazine Awards

Best Niche Lifestyle

Consumer Magazine


Gardening Column

Of The Year

Mark Diacono


Gardening Column

Of The Year

Jackie Bennett

Garden Media Guild

New Garden Media

Talent Of The Year

Stephanie Mahon


New Writer Award

Joe Reardon-Smith

On the cover: Troy Scott-Smith, the

new Head Gardener at

Sissinghurst, Kent (pg 83)

Photograph:

Jason Ingram

Do you stick rigidly to the style of the garden’s original creators or add your own spin?

You may need an extra layer of clothing this month, but there is nothing else for gardeners to be glum about. This is the month to really get cracking with new plans

before the ground becomes hard with frost - it’s an exciting time, full of promise. I often get asked by non-gardening friends what on earth we find to put in the magazine in winter. When I start to enthusiastically reel off the list, I see them look on in amazement. But you and I, dear reader, know of all the glories of the season - maybe the others will catch on soon.

Last autumn, I was lucky enough to visit HEVER CASTLE (pg 32) in Kent. The maturity of the trees and the striking castle make this garden one of the

UK’s best. Another gem of a garden not far from Hever is SISSINGHURST (pg 83). Previously the home of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, it manages to inspire and capture our imaginations as much today as it did on its creation in the 1930s. News from this hallowed ground is that a new Head Gardener has taken up residence. Troy Scott-Smith is the first man to take on this role on more than 50 years. Taking on such a job is obviously a huge challenge, and comes with great responsibility. Do you stick rigidly to the styles of the garden’s original creators or add your own spin? This is a topic that has been long debated by gardeners and one Troy is brave enough to wade into. What do you think?

Also in this issue, we share the winning garden from BRITAIN’S BEST GARDENER’S GARDEN COMPETITION in association with Gardencare. We had so many entries, and the standard of the gardens was amazing - thanks to all who entered. And congratulations to Fran Wakefield - go to page 69 to see why her garden was a winner.

Happy leaf raking!

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6 the english garden November 2013

NOVEMBER10 NEWS & EVENTS November An interview with GQT’s

Matthew Wilson, the RHS winter wonderland and great days out

14 SHOPPING Keeping cosy A selection of handy products

and winter treats for gardeners

17 LE MANOIR Always on duty Garden art, late harvests and

planting bareroot at Raymond Blanc’s Oxfordshire garden

24 EDITOR’S CHOICE Riddles Editor Tamsin sieves

through the choice of top garden riddles

27 THE WISE GUYS The call of the wild Mark Diacono,

Tom Petherick and Toby Buckland pick plants that attract bees

75 SEASONAL RECIPES In from the cold Silvana de

Soissons turns up the heat with ideas for leeks, apples and celeriac

83 SISSINGHURST Revitalising Vita The new Head

Gardener tells us all about his first summer at this iconic garden

101 VOLUNTEERING Grow & give Volunteers get busy on the

island of Colonsay and at a Marie Curie Hospice in Newcastle

106 THE REVIEWER Books, blogs & more Our pick of new

books and an interview with Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert

114 THE FABULOUS BIKER BOY Mountain magic Chris

Beardshaw is off to the Pyrenees in search of plants in different climates

Design 58 NORFOLK Private view Tom Stuart-Smith masterful

design of a stunning garden in rural Norfolk

65 DESIGN EYE Sculpture in the garden and how to light up

your favourite garden features

69 WINNER Pick of the bunch Our garden competition

winner is the beautiful Tithe Barn garden in Berkshire

On the cover

32

Contents

58

93 75

44


plants

9 PLANT SWATCH Lasting impact Helen Picton of Old

Court Nurseries shares her top three asters for late colour

93 ARBORETUM True colours A stunning collection of

trees can be seen at Bodenham, a family run arboretum in Worcestershire

Offers & competitions

22 Subscribe & save Why not take out a subscription for a friend this

Christmas and save 58% on the cover price?

57 Sarah Raven offer Enjoy 20% off Sarah’s autumn range

99 Reader offer 2 FREE* HARDY GERANIUMS for every reader

plus other great plant offers

Treat yourself or a friend to our calendar with

stunning images from acclaimed garden

photographer Clive Nichols.

Every month has a new, essential lawn tip from

our knowledgeable friends at John Deere.

Just £9.99 - UK postage is free

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PAGE

44

gardens 32 KENT Autumn with the Astors The childhood home of

Anne Boleyn is now the perfect autumnal escape

39 NORFOLK Have-a-go heroes See how a three-acre plot has

developed under the hands of one couple over five decades

44 ESSEX In another world A garden situated on the Stour

estuary has gone from derelict to dreamy

51 IRELAND Arboreal arcadia This private collection of

4,500 species of plants and trees amazes at Mount Usher in Wicklow

51

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39

PAGE

32

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THE ENGLISH GARDEN

CALENDAR 2014

PRE-ORDER YOUR 2014 CALENDAR SEE PG 49

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Aster ericoides f. prostratus ‘Snow Flurry’This unusual prostrate variety, which grows up

to 10cm in height and about 30cm wide, was

introduced from the US by Beth Chatto. It forms

a mat of flowering stems with petite leaves,

which rather resemble heather foliage. These are

then smothered by a mass of tiny white daisies

in October, which end up looking very much like

an early fall of snow. A spectacular display can be

achieved by growing this where it can fall over

the edge of a drystone wall or timber edging.

This plant is disease resistant but, like the

majority of autumn asters, it does require plenty

of sun to flower. Like all other asters, it is

a much-appreciated food source for insects.


This is an elegant variety with graceful arching

sprays of pale lavender-blue flowers over

attractive foliage, which is never despoiled by the

dreaded mildew. Reaching 1.2m in height, like

many others it works effectively when planted

alongside grasses, in particular Miscanthus sinensis ‘Rotsilber’, where the silver-striped foliage

of the grass picks up and complements the

unusual colouring of this variety. Autumn asters

are extremely versatile, flowering from the end

of July until late October and beyond. They

are very hardy - many coming from northern

parts of the US and others from higher-

altitude regions of Europe and Asia.

Aster trinervius var. harae

This species from Asia has attractive violet

flowers with distinctive rough-toothed foliage

and dark stems. It can reach 1.2m in height,

and will form a large clump fairly rapidly. Most

notable is that the flowers rarely start to open

before mid-October and are often still looking

fantastic in December, making it an excellent

flower for the Christmas table. What’s more, it

is disease resistant, will take a semi-shaded

position, and is more than happy to look

after itself. This underrated plant deserves

a position in our gardens. In fact, most asters

are happy growing in any garden soil, so

every gardener can enjoy them. IMAGES

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Aster turbinellus

lasting impact

LOW- GROWING

HABIT

Aster expert Helen Picton of Old Court Nurseries in Worcestershire shares her top three Michaelmas daisies

plant swatch: autumn asters


Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. When I was a child, Firework

Night consisted of a box of assorted rockets and Roman candles bought from the newsagent where

they were kept in a locked box. The anticipation was considerably more exciting than the actual event

- a couple of fizzy rockets that barely cleared the roof and a Catherine wheel that usually got stuck mid-

rotation. And don’t forget burnt fingers from sparklers. The only thing more disappointing was watching

the World Fireworks Championship on a black-and-white television! Best to go to one of those big public

displays than do it yourself.

James Alexander-Sinclair

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NEWS EVENTS

BEE ORGANISEDI’m sorry to mention this, but it’s time to think about Christmas shopping. I know that some will have done it all in July, but not all of us are that organised. I am, I admit, appalling, although much better than past years. For those of you looking for something interesting, how about a bee house? Not a hive, that would be altogether too much of a responsibility to give an unsuspecting relation, but a little hanging house stuffed with hollow bamboo in which bees can shelter (below). Like a boutique hotel but without the room service. £9.95. Visit www.simplyroses.com

Rosemoor is the RHS garden in the southwest and is, perhaps, my favourite. I first went there about 15 years ago,

and it was bitterly cold, but with watery sunshine and crispy frosts underfoot. It made a great impression and

I have been back in every season since. If you need an excuse to visit, there is an exhibition of sculpture from 23

November to 23 February next year. For more details, visit www.rhs.org.uk/Gardens

Enjoy bonfire night in style at Chatsworth, Derbyshire, on 2 and 3 November. Gates open at 6.15pm for fireworks, bonfire, music and entertainment. Book in advance

as this is usually a sell-out event. Tel: +44

(0)1246 565300. www.chatsworth.org

RHS favourite

GRAND GRAVETYEGravetye Manor is a very fine hotel in Sussex. It used to be the home of William Robinson, who was one of the pioneers of the herbaceous border and champion of the wild garden. He bought Gravetye in 1884 and experimented with the garden there. After his death, the garden declined, but it has been slowly wrenched round thanks to the head gardener, Tom Coward. This month, why not go and check out the food and listen to the great Henry Blofeld on 15 November. Then go back next year to check out the garden. It is always good to have a spurious reason to indulge in a bit of luxury. For details, visit www.gravetyemanor.co.uk

Bang!WITH A

Greenfingers is one

of the UK’s leading

gardening charities.

Its chairman

Matthew Wilson

is a well-known

Gardeners’ Question

Time panellist and

the unbeaten South

London iced-bun

eating champion.

We decided to

quiz him.

WHAT DOES

GREENFINGERS DO?

To date we have

made gardens at 42

hospices. There are

around 70 children’s

hospices in the UK and

they don’t tend to receive

any direct funding from

central Government.

The money they raise,

understandably, goes

into medical care first

and foremost. Our work is

to design, fundraise, project

manage and deliver the

gardens. They make such

a huge difference to the

children in the hospice

system, their parents and

siblings. This year, we

launched our ‘Rosy Cheeks’

appeal to raise £750,000

and make 10 new gardens

across the UK. It’s an

ambitious target, but we

are a determined bunch!

We have five part-time

staff and everyone else,

like me, is a volunteer.

HOW CAN OUR

READERS HELP?

Readers can donate

directly at www.green

fingerscharity.org.uk or

get involved via their

local hospice, many

of which will have a

Greenfingers garden.

WHAT DO YOU

DO AS A DAY JOB?

I run Clifton Nurseries,

London’s oldest horticultural

business. Any spare time is

spent writing and being run

ragged by our four-year-old

twins. On the third Saturday

of every month, I’m actually

allowed 30 minutes of

gardening time...

IF YOU HAD TO SPEND

A YEAR PLAYING ONE

BOARD GAME, WHICH

WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Monopoly. I was obsessed

as a youth. One game

went on for about a

month, with me and my

pals reconvening every

other day or so. It got

pretty heated.

IF YOU HAD TO LIVE IN A

CARAVAN IN ONE GREAT

GARDEN, WHICH WOULD

YOU CHOOSE?

There’s a very eccentric

garden in California

called Lotusland. It was

the creation of a Polish

opera singer called Ganna

Walska and It’s so eccentric

and madcap, I don’t think I

would ever get bored there.

A man of charity


Unsung heroThalictrum, a plant often overlooked, is now on trial at Aberglasney gardens in Wales. This is ground breaking as it’s the first plant trial (actually named an RHS Thalictrum Forum) that an RHS partner garden has undertaken. It will begin next spring and run for two years. It’s the perfect opportunity to put many interesting new varieties to the test and promote this plant as being great for bees and trouble free. Perhaps this will start the ball rolling and encourage other RHS partner gardens to do trials? For details on visiting, go to www.aberglasney.org

ALL ABOUT THE TREESYou will have heard of the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, but familiarity allows us to explore the hidden corners of a garden. How about listening

to storytellers telling tales behind the trees? 17 November at 2pm. www.rbge.org.uk

news & events

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LEVEL 2 PRACTICAL COOKERY COURSE AT BETTY’S COOKERY SCHOOLMonday 18-Friday 22, North YorkshireThis five-day course is for confident and competent cooks who want to take their skills to the next stage. Also included are Betty’s school accessories and refreshments throughout the day. £850. For more info, tel: +44 (0)1423 814016 or visit www.bettyscookery school.co.uk ____________

CARVING SKILLS AND SUNDAY LUNCH COURSE AT THYME AT SOUTHROP MANORSunday 24, Gloucestershire10am-4pm. £175. For more info or to book, tel: +44 (0)1367 850174 or visit www.thymeatsouthrop.co.uk ____________

S H O W S

BBC GOOD FOOD SHOW WINTER AT NEC (above)Wednesday 27-Sunday 1 December, BirminghamWith chefs such as James Martin and Mary Berry, and more. For group tickets, tel: 0800 3580058 or visit www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com ____________


D A Y S O U T

FIND SANTA’S REINDEER AT WATERPERRY GARDENSSaturday 16 November-Monday 30 December, OxfordshireChildren: £2. Must accompany adult paying garden entrance. 10am-4pm. For info, tel: +44 (0)1844 339254 or visit www.waterperrygardens.co.uk ____________

BURGHLEY FINE FOOD MARKETSaturday 30-Sunday 1 December, LincolnshireFree entry. For more info, tel: +44 (0)1780 752451. www.burghley.co.uk____________

C O U R S E S

CHRISTMAS WATERCOLOUR WORKSHOP AT TATTON PARKSaturday 2, CheshireTo book, tel: +44 (0)7773 982996 or email: [email protected] ____________

WILLOW WEAVING AT ARLEY HALL AND GARDENSTuesday 5, Cheshire10am-3.30pm. Tickets: £50. To book, tel: +44 (0)7949 640613 or visit www.juliettehamiltondesign.co.uk ____________

PRUNING FRUIT TREES AT BARNSDALE GARDENSWednesday 13 November, Leicestershire10.30am-12.30pm or 2-4pm. Tickets: £32. To book, tel: +44 (0)1572 813200 or visit www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk____________

E V E N I N G S

BONFIRE NIGHT AT CHATSWORTH (above)Saturday 2-Sunday 3, DerbyshireGates open 6.15pm. Ends at 9pm. Music and entertainment such as an aerial display and fire performances. For tickets, tel: +44 (0)1246 565300 or visit www.chatsworth.org____________

WINE LOVERS’ DINNER AT WADDESDON MANORSaturday 9 November, BuckinghamshireA tour of the cellar, a selection of four Rothschild wines to taste and a four-course meal. 7.30-11pm. £95 per person. For more info or to book, tel: +44 (0)1296 653226 or visit www.waddesdon.org.uk____________

COMEDY NIGHT AT ALNWICK GARDENSaturday 23, NorthumberlandDoors open at 7.30pm. Ends at 10.30pm. Tickets: £19.95 per person including nibbles. There’s a fantastic line-up, so to book or for more info, tel: +44 (0)1665 511350. www.alnwick garden.com____________

news & events

WHAT’S ON

diaryF A I R S

COUNTRY LIVING CHRISTMAS FAIR AT LONDON OLYMPIATuesday 5-Sunday 10, LondonFor tickets and for more info, visit www.spiritofchristmasfair.co.uk ____________

CRAFTS FOR CHRISTMAS AT LOSELY PARKThursday 14-Sunday 17, SurreyAdvance adult: £5.50. At event: £6.50. For more info tel: +44 (0)1483 304440 or visit www.loselypark.co.uk ____________

BATH CHRISTMAS MARKETThursday 28-Sunday 15 December, SomersetA Christmas shopper’s haven. Visit www.bath christmasmarket.co.uk____________

CHRISTMAS FAIR AT CHELSEA PHYSIC GARDENSaturday 30-Sunday 1 December, London10am-4pm. Adults: £5. Under 16s go free. Tel: +44 (0)20 7352 5646. www.chelsea physicgarden.co.uk ____________

F E S T I V A L

WINTER LIGHTS FESTIVAL AT ANGLESEY ABBEY, GARDENS AND LODE MILLFriday 29-Sunday 1 December, CambridgeshireAdults: £10. Children: £7. Booking not required. For info, tel: +44 (0)1223 810080.____________

N O V E M B E R


NOVEMBER

KEEPING COSYThis month, get organised in the garden and keep warm on Bonfire Night with our selection of stylish accessories COMPILED BY VICTORIA KINGSBURY

COASTAL BLANKET£16.50. Tel: 0800 0336116.

www.aspenandbrown.com

THOUGHTFUL GARDENER BIRD HOUSE£19.99. Tel: +44 (0)1482 863733.

www.amantidirect.co.uk

KARENZA & CO HYDRANGEA CUSHION£35. Tel: +44 (0)1252 621145.

www.karenzaandco.com

STRIPED TWINES 200m. Available end

of October. £5.95 each. Tel: +44 (0)1142

338262. www.burgonandball.com

Handy TO HAVE

Stanley classic vacuum flasks, 1L, £32.99; 0.47L, £26.99;

Pisces multi-fish enamel mugs, £9 each; rustic olive-

wood paddle chopping board, £35; Royal Stewart rug,

£60; winter warmer hamper including Atkins & Potts

creamy & messy milk chocolate dipper, £75.

Tel: 0845 6049049. www.johnlewis.com


shopping: november

TOBOGGAN WOODEN SLEDGE£59. Tel: +44 (0)1844 217060.

www.henandhammock.co.uk

ENAMEL CHALKBOARD FLASK AND MUG £22.50. Tel: 0845 2591359.

www.notonthehighstreet.com

Winter FUN

TAPERED RATTAN LOG BASKET£70. Tel: 0845 6084448.

www.gardentrading.co.uk

GARDENERS’ GUBBINS POTS £19.95. Tel: +44 (0)1142 338262.

www.burgonandball.com

JOULES ANKLE SOCKS Available in hot pink (right), red

and sky blue. £5.95 each.

Tel: 0845 6049049.

www.johnlewis.com

BIO-LITE CAMPING STOVE£149.99. Tel: 0845 5059090.

www.glow.co.uk

GALVANISED METAL DOOR MAT£32. Tel: 0845 6084448.


ANTIQUE ZINC UMBRELLA STORE £44.95. Tel: 0800

4080660. www.dibor.co.uk

KEY CABINET£32. Available mid-October.

Tel: 0845 6084448.


THE LAWN ROSE GARDEN TEA £8. Tel: 0845 6049049.

www.johnlewis.com

ENGLISH ROSE HOT WATER BOTTLE£10.95. Tel: 0800 0336116.

www.aspenandbrown.com

LACEWING LARGE WOODEN COLDFRAME£39.95. Tel: +44 (0)1189 035210.

www.primrose.co.uk

FIRELIGHTER BOX £18. Tel: 0845 6084448.


Keep WARM


Head vegetable gardener Anna Greenland harvests chard, a great crop for the late-season kitchen garden.

Always on DUTY

Autumn is here, but Raymond Blanc’s gardening team have no time to warm their toes by the fire

PHOTOGRAPHS JASON INGRAM

The open fires are lit at Le Manoir in Oxfordshire and hotel guests are being warmed with hearty food, but there is no time for the gardening team to get cosy, as this month is a busy one.

There’s a race on to plant bulbs and protect tender plants from the inevitable hard frost, and if the gardeners need to warm up, there’s no end of leaves to be collected. As the leaves are raked under the horse chestnut tree, the gardeners look out for conkers. These are then used for decorations and arrangements (great for garlands and wreathes) by Sarah, the florist at Le Manoir.

�

Many of our guests assume that the garden slows down at this point. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We are still harvesting Cavolo Nero kale, swedes, New Zealand yams and rainbow chard, to name but a few of the edibles on offer.

The team keeps a keen eye on the non-hybrid plants in the herb and Asian gardens in order to collect seed. The ripe seed is collected on a

dry day and is then stored in paper envelopes at 10˚C in a dark and dry place for sowing next spring - we love to see the second generation of Le Manoir plants in the making.

In the decorative garden, it is all hands on deck with more than 6,000 bulbs to plant. We plant fresh tulip bulbs every year in order to ensure a regimented and top-quality display. We will lift last year’s tulips once

the foliage has turned yellow in spring and these are then planted on in outlying parts of the garden.

At bulb-planting time, we also take the opportunity to lift and divide herbaceous plants. Plants such as crocosmias, hostas, iris, dieramas and asters all respond well to this propagation technique. And so the gardening cycle continues.

Anne Marie Owens

HEAD GARDENER’S NOTES

ABOVE Artichokes are perennial, so they will remain in place all year. BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT Cavolo Nero kale; the last of the beetroot; Salvia x sylvestris ‘Viola Klose’.



Since the early days, Raymond Blanc has been keen to incorporate sculpture into the gardens at Le Manoir. He has collected many pieces by the artists Lloyd Le Blanc and the late Judith Holmes Drewry, such as Dancing Cranes and The Reader (right & below right), Scarecrow and Young Woman Dreaming, all now much-loved by Le Manoir staff and visitors.

Carefully selected sculpture can enhance and augment a garden setting, with the surrounding flowers and foliage providing the perfect backdrop for beautiful works of art. Raymond has his pieces well placed, and in some cases they have been made for the particular situation.

When selecting statuary, simplicity is key. Don’t go for something either too big or too small for your garden. It is better to follow the mantra ‘less is more’ and go for one or two pieces you really like, and then place them for maximum impact in the space.

Keep the style of your house and garden in mind, and once you are

interested in a particular statue, cut out its approximate size and shape in cardboard and place it in various locations around your garden to see where it would look best. Just like a picture on the wall, statuary looks best with a frame, so the background of a wall, rose arch, or at the end of an avenue of trees will add impact. Equally, however, statues don’t have to be front and centre. It is just as enchanting to stumble across something nestling among the border plantings as it is to view a piece from afar.

WORKS OF ART

When selecting statuary, simplicity is key. Don’t go for something too big or too small for your garden

LEFT Even the distant polytunnels are in constant use through the season, home to micro-veg and overwintering plants.

�


Once the leaves in the garden at Le Manoir start to fall, the regular chore of gathering them begins. If they are left to lie on the ground, it is unsightly. Also, when they mat down and start to rot on the lawns, they will leave bare patches and encourage lawn diseases such as dollar spot, red thread and powdery mildew.

On pathways, leaves are a serious slip hazard, so collecting them is vital. The deciduous leaves are turned into leaf mould, and after a year are spread on borders as a mulch in autumn or spring. Leaf mould works in a very different way to compost, so you still need to apply both to your beds and

borders. Compost improves the soil texture and fertility, whereas leaf mould improves the water retention of a soil - some studies say that the retention is improved by up to 50%. Leaf mould also improves the structure of a soil and is the perfect habitat for creatures such as earthworms and also bacteria. Simply place a layer of leaf mould on your borders and the worms will soon draw it into the soil. You might even find that it prevents some weed growth in spring.

LEAF COLLECTION

ABOVE A spring-tine rake clears leaves off the lawns. TOP RIGHT On dry days, the leaf blower works a treat. RIGHT Leaves are also removed from water features.

LE MANOIR’S ANNUAL MUSHROOM HUNT

On 2 November, join experts Dr Derek Schafer and Penny Cullington for a forage on the Chilterns and see La Vallêe des Champignons Sauvages, Le Manoir’s organic mushroom garden. Included are tea and coffee, a champagne reception with canapés, a three-course lunch with wines, coffee and petits fours. £240 per person. For details, tel: +44 (0)1844 277484 or email [email protected]

HOW TO PLANT IN STOCK BEDS


IF PLANTING IN THEIR FINAL POSITION, make sure you place the plants at the correct distance apart. Mark out lines using sand.

WHEN PLANTING IN A STOCK BED it is quicker to dig out a trench rather than individual holes. Check it is deep enough to cover all the roots.

TREES AND SHRUBS can be planted in bundles if you intend to plant in their final positions in the same season - any longer and you may damage roots.

BACKFILL WITH SOIL, ensuring that all roots are covered and the plant is no deeper than the soil mark that is often on the trunk or stem.

AS PLANTS DON’T HAVE THE SUPPORT of a tree stake, at this point they need to be heeled in firmly to prevent too much movement.

ONCE PLANTS HAVE BEEN PLANTED, either in bundles or in lines, water. You should not need to water much after this. �

1 2

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BAREROOT PLANTINGEvery year, Raymond’s team order large numbers of bareroot plants of small fruit trees or hedging. Buying this way is the cheapest option. While final planting positions are being prepared or decided upon, plants are heeled into a stock bed.

Bareroot plants are only available from autumn through to spring and can be planted at any time when the ground is not frozen. Having not been restricted by a pot, they tend to put on growth much faster than pot-grown trees and shrubs.

le manoir: november

Editor’s Choice

t h

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RIDDLESTamsin sieves through a range of garden riddles

Last autumn, I spent quite a lot of time with my antique riddle. Eager to remove as many ground elder roots from my border as possible, I set to

work. One thing is for sure, if you want to tone your upper body, a few hours with a large riddle could be the answer!

Putting this group of garden sieves to the test has made me think outside the box when it comes to their uses. These tools can help you remove stones from your border soil, grade gravel and home-made compost, scoop leaves from the pond, create a fine

seed bed of compost and double up as a garden colander. This trial reminded me of my first encounter with a riddle at the age of 17. I was at horticultural college, where we would all stand at a potting bench in a cold shed and be marked for the evenness of our seed trays - to achieve a top mark, a fine riddle was vital.

It is quite acceptable for a gardener to invest in two riddles: one with a fine mesh used to create a fine covering of compost for seed trays; and another with a more open mesh to remove stones and lumps from garden soil. A good riddle will easily last you a lifetime, so I hope my trial helps you to find a life-long friend. IM

AG

ES

/HO

WA

RD

WA

LKE

R

Galvanised giantThis galvanised steel riddle

(Code MC1046) comes in three

sizes (right, large size in black).

Made in the UK, it comes in

black, bronze or natural, and

has a diameter of 60cm and

6mm mesh holes (all three

sizes have the same mesh).

The large model was too big

for me and I’d prefer to work

with the 45cm medium model. However,

it’s well made with a good finish - a riddle

definitely able to cope with some serious

1


Traditional charmThe Garden Riddle from Hen

and Hammock is designed for

heavy use. Ideal for all-weather

gardening and suitable for

removing large stones from soil

or sorting stones for paths. It’s

good looking, made of English

beech, available in three sizes

- I chose the one with 13mm

heavy-duty mesh holes and a

46cm diameter. Some might consider it

to have a rather rough finish, but I prefer

that. The mesh will rust over time but

If you want to tone your upper body, a few hours with a large riddle could

be the answer!3

won’t affect performance - only adding to

its traditional charm.

PRICE £28

Dare to be squareAt first glance, I wasn’t taken by Harrod

Horticultural’s Compost Sieve, but my

opinion certainly changed quickly. It has

a rectangular shape and green recycled

polypropylene body, with a length

of 36cm, a height of 12.5cm and the

galvanised steel holes are 9x5mm. I felt the

mesh holes were too wide for propagation

work, but suitable for rough soil. Over

time, I noticed I started to pick this one

up more in order to use as a trug for

harvesting veg. It works so well as an

outdoor kitchen garden colander that I’m

wedded to it now - for that reason it’s

my EDITOR’S CHOICE.

PRICE £7.95

hard work. Slightly too expensive for me but

handy for scooping out leaves from the pond.

PRICE £39.99

2EDITO

R’S

CHOIC

E

editor’s choice: riddles

WHERE TO BUY______________

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54

For a fine tilthThe Burgon & Ball Potting Riddle is the perfect potting-

bench companion because of its light plywood rim.

With a small diameter of just 20cm and a fine 4mm

galvanised mesh, it is ideal for creating a fine tilth for

seed sowing. I would say it’s only suitable for composts

or soil that have already been worked. I suggest that all

keen propagators invest in one and you’ll enjoy higher

germination rates.

PRICE £12.95

Good all-rounderThis Sutton’s Garden Riddle is great value and a smart-

looking tool. Made in the UK, the steel body has been

sprayed green and cured in an oven, so the paint

should be long lasting. The mesh has 10mm-wide holes

and the body has a diameter of 35cm, which is a

comfortable size to work with as a lady gardener -

however, some may find this slightly too small.

A definite garden all-rounder.

PRICE £9.99

1. Galvanised Steel RiddleTel: +44 (0)1691 610952

www.blackcountry

metalworks.co.uk

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2. Compost SieveTel: 0845 4025300

www.harrodhorticultural.com

______________

3. Garden RiddleTel: +44 (0)1844 217060

www.henandhammock.co.uk

______________

4. Potting RiddleTel: +44 (0)1142 338262

www.burgonandball.com

______________

5. Suttons Garden RiddleTel: 0844 9220606

www.suttons.co.uk

______________

mark

tomtoby

The call of the wild

We all want pollinators buzzing round our patches, so Tom Petherick, Mark Diacono and Toby Buckland give their best tips on how to attract the honeys

PHOTOGRAPHS JASON INGRAM

�


One QUESTION

Three ANSWERS

How do I attract bees?

MARK DIACONO: PHACELIA

Phacelia is a beautiful, purple-flowering

annual that I sow in any spare

space I can, either on the

vegetable patch or in the

garden. It is one of the

group of fabulously

useful plants known

collectively as

green manures,

and I grow many of

them for different

reasons. They

perform one or more

of the following tasks:

covering the ground,

retaining water, excluding weeds, fixing

nitrogen, improving soil structure,

bringing nutrients from the subsoil into

the topsoil and attracting beneficial

insects to the garden.

Phacelia majors in the last of these

especially, bringing a wide range of bees,

hoverflies and other winged insects to

the farm and the veg patch.

I know of nothing that works quite so

spectacularly in attracting bees. Stand

near a patch in flower and you’ll be struck

by the noise of the dozens of busy

workers foraging in every square metre.

Although you can sow phacelia on its

own anytime between May and

September, I usually sow it as part of a

spring/summer mix with clover. It may

self-sow, but is very easily strimmed or cut

in, and may even overwinter in a warm

winter in the south.


Phacelia brings a wide range of beneficial

insects to the garden

annual that I

space I c

vege

ga

pe

of th

covering


the wise guys

TOBY BUCKLAND: NEPETAOne of the best bee plants on my

nursery is the azure blue catmint

Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’. Its

silver stems are smothered with

flowers (and bumble bees) in June;

and, if the stems are sheared back

afterwards, again in August. All

catmints are great partners for roses

as their stems sprawl and cover the

ground. ‘Walker’s Low’ is particularly

good as it makes neat flower-

covered domes just 60cm tall and

wide. It also makes a cracking low

hedge for lining paths and anchoring

the base of pergolas. Catmint, along

with lavender, rosemary and salvia, is

part of the Labiatae family, a clan of

herbs that bees adore that have

high-protein pollen and lip-shaped

petals that offer easy access.

�

I love strawberries, and in

choosing them I have an

ulterior motive. I want to get

all the other fruit in my kitchen

garden pollinated as well. The

more blossom, the better. It all

begins with the gooseberries

and the strawberries, and the

currants closely follow these.

There is nothing more

heart-warming, on a warm day

at the end of April, than to see

and hear the bees working their

way around the garden. At that

time of the year, there is not too

much pollen to be had in the

flower garden, so the fruit plants

are very valuable early season

bee forage.

And while we are on the

subject, it is very important to

remember the bees in the autumn,

as they are readying themselves

for the winter. The common ivy

(Hedera helix) will guarantee a

warm winter for our buzzing

friends because it flowers in

autumn; so think of ivy with fresh

eyes and gather up any strawberry

runners you can for next year.

TOM PETHERICK: FRUIT PLANTS


Thuja plicata is one of my favourite hedges, as birds love nesting among the branches, and when clipped, the leaves release a lovely pineapple fragrance

� MARK DIACONOClimate-change grower www.otterfarm.co.uk

� TOM PETHERICKBiodynamics specialistwww.tompetherick.co.uk

I’ve got a new polytunnel. Any suggestions on what

I should grow in it this winter?

A polytunnel allows you to drag

autumn on for an extra few weeks

undercover, and makes it possible to

grow a greater variety and volume

of winter crops. Mine is largely full of

delicious leaves that grow more

slowly than in summer, but never

risk the bolting that can ruin a

summer crop. Chicories, endives,

winter lettuces, oriental leaves,

rocket, parsley and coriander will

stay steadily productive right

through the winter months.

I’m planning a bonfire. How can I make best use of the ash in the garden?

The potassium contained in bonfire

ash is highly water-soluble so it is

easily washed out of a bonfire pile

and also the soil. Critically, this

potassium, one of the three essential

elements for plant growth (the other

two being nitrogen and phosphate),

needs to be retained so that our

garden plants can use it. The way to

do this is to incorporate it into our

compost heaps or bins. That way, it

won’t be quickly leached out. If you

have lots of spare potash, all the

nightshade family absolutely love

it: potatoes, tomatoes, peppers,

aubergines, chillies and nicotiana.

Can you suggest an alternative to leylandii

as a conifer hedge?

I can give two! Yew is the choice

for formal gardens and shade.

It takes clipping well and can

even be hard pruned back into old

wood if trimming gets forgotten.

The only downside is its cost and

its relatively slow growth. Faster

and with a dense leylandii-like

appearance is Thuja plicata. This

is one of my favourite hedges,

as birds love nesting among the

branches and when clipped (or

when you rub the foliage

between your fingers), the

leaves release a lovely

pineapple fragrance.

My neighbour gave me some fantastic apples but doesn’t know their name. How can I identify them?

I had a similar question a few years

ago. A friend’s mother had a tree

that produced well, and she wanted

to plant another in her new garden.

Varieties can often be identified

online, using time of harvest, taste

and appearance to help narrow down

possibilities. If this is unsuccessful,

Brogdale, the home of the National

Fruit Collection, offers a fruit

identification service. Fill out the form

(available at www.brogdale

collections.co.uk/fruit-identification.

html) and send with a £20 cheque,

and they’ll do their best to identify

your mystery variety.

questions & answers

Have I left it too late to apply autumn lawn feed?

It is getting late but it depends on

the weather. The best time to apply

autumn feeds is when the grass is

still actively growing, so that the

roots and leaves can absorb the

nutrients. Autumn feeds are high in

phosphates and potash, and need

temperatures of above 7°C to be

effective, as this triggers growth.

If the weather has already turned

cold in your area, wait until spring.

If you just want to pep up yellow

and tired patches, I’d use a liquid

seaweed feed, as its gentle action

will help green up the sward for

winter. Wait for a warm spell

before applying.

� TOBY BUCKLANDNurserymanwww.tobybuckland.com

I’ve got a mature climbing rose that needs moving.

Is this a good time?

It’s almost a good time, yes. The

absolute dead of winter is even

better: December and January. The

main tip is to set aside time and

resources, even someone to help.

A mature plant will have put down

a deep taproot and you need as

much of this to come up as possible.

The bigger the root ball, the better.

Dig a wide trench around the

plant and get at the taproot from

underneath the root ball if possible.

Give it a generous hole with plenty

of well-rotted manure or compost

and then prune as per normal

but cutting 30% more out of

the plant. Water well.

BEE FRIENDLY BUYSFrom honey to health supplements, bees contribute to a wide range

of products. Help save our bees and support local beekeepers

ROSYBEE – PLANT FOR BEES Rosybee only sells plants that we know provide

the most pollen and nectar for bees, as well as

being great for gardens.

Now is a good time to plan for spring planting;

visit our website for information and ideas.

We take advance orders for April deliveries.

www.rosybee.com

POTS FOR POLLINATORS Whichford Pottery is offering readers free delivery

to mainland UK (saving £29.50) when ordering

this bee-dazzling handmade frostproof flowerpot

decorated with a bee motif (number of bees may

vary). This pot measures 26cm high x 31cm wide.

£55.50 each or £95 for two (saving a further £16)

delivered to one address. Offer ends 30 November

2013. Cannot be used in conjunction with any

other offer - please call to place an order (not

available online).

Tel: +44(0)1608 684416www.whichfordpottery.com

DAMSONBuy a Beepol Bumblebee Lodge with a voucher to

receive a live colony of bees in spring. The English

Garden readers will receive free wildflower seeds

which attract bees, with any purchase made by

entering TEGNov13 at the checkout. For other bee

products, garden tools, jam, bread and cheese

making equipment visit our website.

www.damsononline.co.uk

BEE HAPPY PLANTS The finest garden plants for Bees, un-altered by

man, wild (‘species’) herbs, shrubs & trees, as

evolved with bees over millions of years. Seed-

grown they have the ability, through a healthy

gene-pool, of evolving to survive climate change.

And with organic growing methods produce the

healthiest plants, with the purest pollen and

nectar for bees and all pollinators. Specialist

grower of Manuka trees.

Tel: +44(0)1460 221929www.beehappyplants.co.uk

4

HONEY DOCTOR The Honey Doctor specialises in the all products

produced by bees that can promote health. We

have UMF Manuka Honey and range of therapeutic

creams containing Manuka Honey. This amazing

honey can be used in woundcare, stomach ulcers

and skin complaints. We also stock a range of

propolis creams, throat-sprays and mouthwash.

Bees make propolis from plant resins to protect the

hive. We also sell a range of Devon Honey and comb

Honey Comb collected from our farm in Devon.

Tel: +44(0)1884 860625www.thehoneydoctor.com

3 5

6

1 3 5

2 4 6

6 Great Products

THE HIVE HONEY SHOP Want fresh local honey? Go to The Hive Honey

Shop - London’s only shop devoted entirely to

bees and honey. Awarded by the Queen Mother

and frequented by A-list celebrities. We are third

generation beekeepers since 1924, selling only

natural raw unpasteurised local honeys. Honeycomb

is one of our best sellers. We harvest rare to find

honey, such as bell heather, sainfoin, wildflower and

borage. The exciting bit - they are sold as a whole

frame, meaning you get the entire wooden frame

completely untouched as it was when lifted out of

the beehive. A massive 1.7 kilos/3.4lbs in weight!

For more info visit our website.

Tel: +44 (0)2079 246233 www.thehivehoneyshop.co.uk

1

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gardens: kent

the AstorsAutumn with

Hever Castle, where Anne Boleyn grew up and the richest man in the world spent his fortune, is also home to a series of stunning gardens and woodland walks

PHOTOGRAPHS CLIVE NICHOLS | WORDS STEPHANIE MAHON

�

gardens: kent


PREVIOUS PAGE The Astor Wing

behind Hever

Castle looks across

perfect lawns to

the Tudor Gardens. RIGHT Wisteria

clothes the long

pergola that

borders the Italian

Gardens, which

feature beautiful

wellheads

and statuary.

BELOW LEFT The

small-scale castle

is reached via

a striking avenue

of topiary yews.

BELOW RIGHT There are

several wooden

footbridges across

the waterways

around the castle.

Early in the morning, Hever Castle peers out from the mist rising off its moat, a shock of scarlet Virginia creeper

on its façade reminding us of the season. In this heady atmosphere, it is easy to indulge in whimsy and imagine yourself transported back 500 years, to when this was the childhood home of one of British history’s most notorious women.

There goes young Anne Boleyn, picking up dew from the grass as she skips along, oblivious to her future. Her dalliance with Henry VIII, which led to their marriage and his ex-communication, as well as the birth of Elizabeth I, saw Boleyn sent to the Tower of London and come to a grisly end. Hever was later given by Henry VIII to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, as a consolation prize on the annulment of their marriage.

The estate passed through many different families down the years, until its restoration in the early 1900s by, whisper it, an American. W i l l i a m W a l d o r f A s t o r , a l a w y e r , politician and hotelier, as well as the owner of The Observer, had inherited a vast fortune and became the richest man in the world. He spent enormous amounts on the castle and created a new but old-looking Tudor Village, as well as investing massively

in the 125-acre grounds to create a series of stunning gardens.

The present head gardener Neil Miller, a former City insurance broker, gives an entertaining and informative tour of the various areas while his team clip, mow and prune. A pleasant cacophony of cardamom, chilli and lemon-hued autumn foliage grabs for attention everywhere you look, from beeches, maples, oaks and chestnuts.

Around the re-imagined castle, which retains its Tudor core, lies the still, silver-bright moat. Beside this is a yew maze that’s great fun for the classes of schoolchildren that visit each year, and the Tudor Gardens, showcasing the sorts of flowers and herbs that were grown in Anne Boleyn’s day and how they

ion ,

st

GARDEN NOTES

Historic estate with Italian Gardens &

autumn walks

A large shimmering mirror, its setting looks so natural that I’m intrigued when Neil explains how entirely manmade it was. ‘It took 100 men two years to dig it out by hand, and the spoil became the 16-

acre island in the lake. Astor kept them motivated wi th ga l lons of beer,’ he chuckles. Visitors can take a

rowing boat out on the water on good days, or enjoy an hour-long walk around the lake - perfect a t th i s t ime of the year for experiencing top seasonal leaf colour on the trees and shrubs along its banks.

There are other marvelous strolls to be had back towards the castle


�

would have been laid out. Down the topiary yew-lined avenue is a smaller path that is named after her, which is bordered with step-over fruit trees and offers a view of older trees that the team believes were planted in her era.

B u t i t i s t h e I ta l ian Gardens across the stream t h a t f o r m t h e immaculate centre-piece to any visit. Before moving to England, Astor had spent three years as America’s Minister to Italy in Rome, where he began an enduring love affair with that country’s history, art and culture. It was this passion that drove him to create a little piece of Tuscan paradise in Kent, an homage to the

great Italian gardens, with statuary, f on t s , we l l h ead s , u rn s and amphorae shipped over from the mother land at great expense. These incredible artefacts anchor the hedges, lawns and subtle planting

with focal points, and complement the Palladian-style arched gazebos and the amazing arcade of the Loggia, which sits in a stately manner at the farthest point. Beyond its pillared portico, past its balustraded steps and the replica of the Trevi Fountain, is a breathtaking lake.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The woodland

walks are full of

colour at this time

of year; a font

planted with a

Chusan palm and

ringed with

lavender; the fern

walk is vibrant

with shade plants

that like the clay

soil here; the

Loggia joins the

Italian Gardens

to the lake.

This was the childhood home of one of British history’s most notorious women


too, including a woodland path with masses of autumn interest; a fern walk of glowing green mosses and shade plants clinging onto intricate stonework; and a rhododendron walk bright with blooms in spring.

There is planting galore to be enjoyed here too, especially in the secret little Sunken Garden, hidden out of sight behind tall hedges in the Italian Gardens; and the self-contained Rose Garden, full of old-fashioned romance and dusky glamour in summer. Here, among the many bushes and climbers, you will also find the recently bred ‘Hever Castle Rose’, which has marked itself out as an excellent disease-resistant

and oft-repeat-flowering specimen. A little later in the season, the

dahlia border comes into its own with a mass of jolly, jostling, lollipop flowerheads in many shapes and shades, brightening up the Two

Sisters Lawn. Next door, the Blue Garden keeps the interest going into autumn with flowering hydrangeas and the turning foliage of vitis and Japanese maples. In the colder months, the Winter Garden comes alive with colourful stems, early flowers and interesting bark, and the strong evergreen structure in the

formal areas comes into its own. ‘This autumn, we are also planting up a large wildlife bed with shrubs, with different fruiting berries through winter for birds and wildlife,’ Neil says. ‘Next year,

we are also going to create a large prairie-style bed in the a rea ca l l ed Diana’s Walk.’

With so much going on and lots to see all year round, on a trip to Hever, it’s difficult not to lose your head.

Hever Castle, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent

TN8 7NG. Gardens open daily until 31

Oct, 10:30am-5pm; 1 Nov-24 Dec, Wed-

Sun, check website for times. Tel: +44

(0)1732 861700. www.hevercastle.co.uk

ABOVE The Italian

Gardens are

evocative of the

famous grand

formal gardens of

that country.

This passion drove Astor to create a little piece of Tuscan paradise in Kent

gardens: kent


ALSO IN THE AREAIf you are visiting Hever Castle, you should

also try these other local hotspots:

� GARDEN Lullingstone Castle Gardens

Beautiful grounds and Tom Hart-Dyke’s World

Garden make this a must-see, just 17 miles away

from Hever. Eynsford, Kent DA4 0JA. Tel: +44

(0)1322 862114. www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk

� ACCOMMODATION Hever Castle B&B Luxury

bed and breakfast in the Astor Wing behind the

castle. Free entry to the castle and grounds. Some

parts of the garden open to those staying when

closed to the public in the evening. For further

information, see www.hevercastle.co.uk

� STONE Chilstone Traditional handmade

garden ornaments and architectural stonework.

Fordcombe Rd, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells,

Kent TN3 0RD. Tel: +44 (0)1892 740866.

www.chilstone.com

� Gathering leaves as they fall saves a lot of back-breaking work later on in the

season as the weather turns inclement.

� Even though lawns are getting

rather wet to mow, keep them edged.

This keeps your garden looking smart

and takes your eye off the uncut grass.

� Buy your winter bedding plants

now. They are much cheaper at the

beginning of autumn. Plant them

up early so they bed in before

winter arrives.

� Collect seeds from your garden - a

cheap way of planting up your garden

for next year, and you can always give

them away to friends too.

� Continue to deadhead, especially

roses as they can continue blooming

for another month or so.

RESHAPING: ‘We are undergoing a five-year

plan to cut back and restore all the yew hedges

to their former glory of 100 years ago,’ explains

Neil. As a result, features including the yew

maze and golden yew chess set, as well as the

crenallated hedges and topiaries, have been

drastically clipped, but will grow back better.

GARDEN CHALLENGES

NEIL’S TOP AUTUMN GARDEN TIPS

ANNE’S ORCHARD

This path off the yew avenue leads to the Tudor Village and is named for Anne

Boleyn. It is lined with step-over fruit trees, and runs alongside older trees and

several beehives, from which the estate makes honey.

HEVER CASTLE notebookMAD FOR MARBLE

William Waldorf Astor (1848-1919) was defeated in his

ambitions to become a US Congressman and fled to

Italy in 1882 as Minister for Italy. ‘Go and enjoy yourself,

my dear boy,’ President Chester A. Arthur reputedly told

him - and he did, collecting many beautiful pieces of

sculpture and decorative pieces (below).

WATER SIGHT

The view from the portico of

the Loggia out across the lake

in the Italian Gardens would

fool anyone into thinking they

were on the Continent and

not in Kent. A café opens here

in summer, when you can also

hire a boat to row across the

lake, and enjoy a walk on the

16-acre island.

38 The English Garden november 2013

Unique limited edition sculptures from £250

Hand made and finished in our studio. We also offer a commission and design service for individual one off sculptures and portraits. RHS Chelsea flower show award winners.

Contact us on 01558 650183 or email: [email protected] for brochure.www.thesculpturecollective.co.uk

Angela Farquharson & Martin Duffy Sculpture

Boxing Hares £1100Including UK mainland delivery


HAVE-A-GO

Chestnut Farm garden has developed over five decades underan adventurous couple who are happy to try anything

PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE MAJERUS | WORDS JACKIE BENNETT

heroesABOVE Double borders line a grass path to a pergola-covered bench at Chestnut Farm garden in Norfolk. Pleached

lime trees screen the area from the flint-and-brick house, which has original Tudor elements.

Jo h n a n d Judy McNeil-W i l s o n a r e celebrating the Golden Anniversary of their marriage, but also of their

garden. ‘It’s 50 years since we began to make a garden here,’ Judy says, incredulous. ‘Visitors just can’t believe that all the mature trees here are ones that we planted ourselves as little saplings.’

Mature the garden may be, but John and Judy have the youthful enthusiasm of true plantspeople. Judy trained at horticultural college and worked for bulb specialist Walter Blom before meeting John, a farmer, who shared her love of plants.

deil-

GARDEN NOTES

Three-acre plot for all seasons

in Norfolk

�


gardens: norfolk

Chestnut Farm was part of John’s parents’ nearby Rookery Farm, now run by his son. When the couple moved in on 1 November 1963, the plot was choked with Japanese knotweed, and the soil levels at the back were too high, so the plants were already obscuring the windows. The house, with its Tudor core dating back to the 1580s, has a typical north Norfolk exterior of flint and red brick. There are two candidates for the farm’s name - a horse chestnut at the front, and a sweet chestnut at the back - but when John and Judy arrived, these were the only trees, except for some cherries and an old ‘Mother’ eating apple by the house.

They planted more trees - first a shelter belt to protect them from the northeast winds (nearby Cromer faces directly towards Scandinavia) and then others as their passions and interests developed. They put in a row of lime trees, now pleached, about 35 years ago, and have found them to be very forgiving, recovering well from hard pruning. Beeches planted as seedlings are now towering, full-grown trees.

With young children and a farm to run, there wasn’t a lot of time or money for

things that didn’t look after themselves. The couple inherited a huge vegetable garden, but have reduced the amount of vegetables grown. ‘We’re farmers at the end of the day, and we can get as many carrots or cabbages as we want,’ says Judy, ‘but I do love courgettes, runner beans and sweet peas.’ More and more herbaceous planting has crept into the big beds, and now it’s hard to find the edible plants among the flowers, including dahlias and zinnias, moving on to chrysanthemums and pink nerines for late autumn.

Having something looking good in every season is very important to Judy. ‘I don’t believe in saying: ‘Oh, you should have come last week!’ There should be something interesting no matter what time of year, from January to December - that’s what gardening is about.’ That doesn’t mean that every bit of the garden has to look good all of the time. ‘Areas of the garden have their moments, and when they’re over, they can be left. We are lucky enough to be able to do that here.’

In time, the one-acre plot grew to three, as more farmland was taken into the garden and an awkward three-cornered field

ABOVE The fountain garden was created to add interest close to the house. It is the most formal area of the plot, and is packed with a succession of bulbs and

perennials, including asters and aconitums, as well as two types of box. TOP CENTRE The pleached limes that create a boundary to the lawn are interspersed

with clipped box shapes, which create a dark green contrast as the leaves of the trees take on their autumn colouring.

(which was difficult to plough) gave them room for a pond area, planted with rodgersias and willows, and for more unusual shrubs and trees. Among their favourites are the pink-flowered Rubus odoratus, the handkerchief tree (davidia), the American tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), paulownias, and Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ - each one savoured for its seasonal moment or moments. Picea orientalis, which has scarlet flowers that are followed by pale new growth, is a favourite for them both and it is this kind of eye for detail that makes this garden so special. ‘I don’t like being categorised as a ‘spring garden’ or an ‘autumn garden’,’ says Judy. ‘Many trees and shrubs will have spring flowers but then produce spectacular leaf colour or seedpods later in the year.’

‘There should be something interesting no matter what time of year... that’s what gardening is about’

A walk around the garden with this couple is an informative experience. They peer at seedpods and argue which plants are the most attractive in autumn. Visitors are presented with a list of Top 10 or 20 plants for that particular week, numbered with large wooden stakes to make them easy to identify. John, who claims he’s not the practical gardener but clearly knows his plants backwards, leads the garden tours on open days, while Judy organises plants sales and teas. As you would expect in a garden that has been in the same hands for half a century, many of their plants have family stories. The roses clambering up the boundary, for example, were planted by their son from rosehips brought back from Canada by Judy’s mother.

Chestnut Farm was first opened to the public 25 years ago, and a decade ago was spotted by the National Gardens Scheme

LEFT Rosa ‘Maigold’ climbs on the house wall above hydrangea, bergenia and fuchsia.

RIGHT, FROM TOP Chrysanthemum ‘Mary Stoker’; Vitis ‘Brant’; the seedpods of halesia,

the snowdrop tree (see pg 99); the gorgeous late flowers of Nerine bowdenii.

�

gardens: norfolk


(they have just been awarded their ‘Trowel’ to mark 10 years of participation). Not all the garden is visible at first glance, and one visitor, seeing the large lawn outside the back door, remarked that it was a long way to walk to the ‘garden’. This comment led to the development of the fountain garden (inspired by Glen Chantry in Essex), a symmetrical space with pathways and triangular beds that look good in every season. ‘This is the high-intensity bit,’ says John, referring to the succession of bulbs and perennials that are constantly added to keep it looking good. Two types of box, small leaved and variegated, were grown from cuttings and add to the formal feel that is not found elsewhere here, but makes a good addition close to the house.

Everywhere at Chestnut Farm, curiosities are cosseted, including succulents, insect-eating plants and tender specimens. Each one is accorded the respect of a paying guest. Trees are collected for their individual characteristics. Pterostyrax hispida (the epaulette tree) is now in situ, while the winged nut pterocarya is still on the list to get. You get the feeling that this couple would try anything. They recently saw a climbing alstroemeria outside in the woodland garden at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Until then, their specimen was in a pot and treated as half hardy. They thought they’d give it a go outside. ‘Plants can’t read,’ says John. ‘They don’t know they’re not supposed to grow in certain situations, so we just give them a chance.’

‘Our biggest challenge now is to how to make this garden manageable, as we will inevitably be able to do less,’ says Judy. ‘We already have lots of ground cover and shrubs that take care of themselves.’

‘Dwarf shrubs - that’s the answer!’ interjects John. It’s a joke, but only partly, one suspects. This couple will find a way to carry on that will be based on one-part research and one-part pure instinct or guesswork - and perhaps this is the only way to garden.

Chestnut Farm, Church Road, West Beckham,

Norfolk NR25 6NX. Tel: +44 (0)1263 822241.

Open for visiting groups by arrangement and

for the NGS - see www.ngs.org.uk or the Yellow Book 2014 for 2014 openings.

TOP LEFT The setting sun lights up shrubs,

grasses and the mature trees planted by the

couple decades ago. LEFT The golden autumn

finery of Ginkgo biloba - try to select a male plant

as the female produces fruit-like seedpods that

stink when fallen. ABOVE RIGHT Purple berries

on the bare stems of Callicarpa bodinieri var.

giraldii, underplanted with nerines.

‘Plants can’t read. They don’t know they’re not supposed to grow in certain situations, so we just give them a chance’


� Don’t listen to that old advice of sitting by

the fire in winter reading seed catalogues. Get

out and garden as much as you can. The days

may be shorter, but any clearing, digging and

weeding you do now will stay that way until

spring, giving you a head start.

� Place compost heaps out of sight, if possible,

in different places, so there is always one near to

where you are working. Don’t turn them - that’s

a waste of energy. Fill one, then leave it for two

to three years, and meanwhile fill the next one.

� Collect your leaves for leaf mould. We use

a blower and put them into round cylinders of

heavy duty steel netting. Then we just leave them.

� Collect seed and take cuttings of all your

special plants so you have replacements and

plants to give away, swap or sell.

ALSO IN THE AREAIf you are visiting Chestnut Farm, John and

Judy also recommend the following:

� NURSERY Creake Plant Centre Trevor Harrison

stocks an interesting range of unusual plants;

hellebores, old roses and salvias are specialities.

Creake Plant Centre, Leicester Road, South Creake,

Norfolk NR21 9PW. Tel: +44 (0)1328 823018.

� PUB The Red Hart In the nearby village of

Bodham. Serves a menu including local produce

and good beer. www.redhartbodham.co.uk

� SELF CATERING Beck Cottage Next door to

Chestnut Farm. One holiday cottage and a wider

range of barns and cottage accommodation.

West Beckham, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6NX.

Tel: +44 (0)1263 821232.

www.rookeryfarmnorfolk.com

EXPOSURE TO WIND:

Chestnut Farm is just

a few miles from the

North Sea, and at one

of the highest points

in Norfolk. The

McNeil-Wilsons

planted shelter belts

of poplar and Lawson

cypress, which solved

the problem, but

these vigorous

trees brought more

problems in terms

of cutting and

maintenance, so

they are now being

replaced with yew.

GARDEN

CHALLENGES

JUDY’S TOP TIPS FOR AUTUMN & WINTER

UNUSUAL SEEDPODS

The handkerchief tree Davidia involucrata has papery white bracts in

spring, but as the year progresses it has

another surprise in store. The hard,

round seedpods (above) dangle in the

autumn light and turn a brownish

purple, making this a good all-year tree.

It’s easy and widely available, but new

trees take up to 20 years to flower,

unless you can get the expensive clone

‘Sonoma’, which matures much earlier.

CHESTNUT FARM notebookBEST FOR BARK

Acer grosseri var. hersii has a lovely

pattern of olive-green markings and

ridges on the bark (below), which show

in autumn and winter. Acer capillipes,

known as the snake bark maple, has

similar trunk patterns. Both trees also

have good colour to the leaves just

before they fall. Another maple to try

with interesting bark is Acer griseum.

AUTUMN FRUIT

For a good-performing crab apple, look no further

than Malus x robusta ‘Red Sentinel’. The lovely spring

blossom gives way to glossy red fruits (above) that

light up the autumn garden. John and Judy grow

several different crab apples, but this one is a must.

Malus hupehensis is another favourite - easy to tell

apart as the fruits are held on longer stalks.


A sensitive approach to the environment at Strandlands in Essex has resulted in a soothing, dreamy garden that feels like it’s at the edge of the globe

PHOTOGRAPHS SUZIE GIBBONS | WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY

worldIn another


ABOVE LEFT The

still water of

the pond is

overlooked by

a row of Betula ermanii. ABOVE RIGHT Vitis coignetiae offers

a mellow palette

of yellows, russets

and greens, offset

by a clever bright

blue bench.

There i s someth ing beautifully escapist about Strandlands, the garden belonging to J e n n y a n d D a v i d

Edmunds, on the border of Essex and Suffolk. A series of turns leads off busy roads marshalling traffic through East Anglia to a rutted track that wends over some fields, through an ancient coppiced sweet-chestnut wood, over some fields, and peters out at the shifting mudflats and salt marshes of the Stour Estuary.

‘When David moved here in 1979, there was really nothing here. It had been derelict for 10 years and it was this neglected place where the village

ch i ldren p layed , ’ explains Jenny of their home, which was connected to electricity only 10 years ago.

Bounded on two sides by Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and positioned within a soon-to-be Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Strandlands is a very special site indeed. Lesser gardeners might have quailed at the prospect of creating a garden in such a sensitive environment that also happens to be one of the driest areas of the country. During the course of 30 years, however, Jenny and David have gradually

harnessed this setting to create a n i n t i m a t e ,

deeply personal spac e t ha t r e s t s

comfortably within its broader environmental context

and around the house itself. Jenny was clear from the start that

she wanted the garden to look as though it fitted into the surrounding landscape, but being in such a dry region - and with any rainfall that is received draining quickly into the estuary - she had to make some tough decisions. ‘It had to be a garden that didn’t require more than good planting, watering until things

es by

dsp

comfo

GARDEN NOTES

Three-acre natural garden in the driest

part of the UK

�

gardens: essex


were established and then being left,’ she says. ‘In the beginning I really felt my way around. I made mistakes and things died.’

‘ I ’d never real ly gone into gardening before I was here,’ she continues, making the gardener’s admis s ion o f hav ing l ea rn t most things through trial and error. ‘I started small and dug and extended and read lots of books. The old garden had a shrubbery and this huge rockery of enormous stones which were locally gathered - I spent absolutely ages removing them,’ she recalls.

Starting with a one-acre patch running down to the estuary and a

third of a mile of saltings - the sandy, tidal areas on the river bank that were once used for grazing - the couple have gradually expanded the property since they moved in, buying small pieces of adjoining farmland whenever it has become possible to do so. Of course, with each acquisition, Jenny has designed a new garden room.

Although mostly self-taught, Jenny has refined her design skills with a course at Writtle College and considers herself more a designer than a plantswoman. This is evinced in various ways, not least through the gradation of scale in the garden: rooms expand in size the further

away from the house one moves. Those closest to the house, where

Jenny and David have positioned a summerhouse, greenhouse and a workroom, are more formal. Low box hedges contain plantings of Lavandula x chaytoriae ‘Sawyers’, bounded in part by Vitis coignetiae, the leaves of which lend their magnificent palette of reds, ochres and russets in autumn. A rectangular pond is filled with water lilies; and containers from traditional terracotta pots to reclaimed laundry coppers host a variety of plants, from bold New Zealand flax to collections of drought-tolerant sempervivums and aeoniums.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT

In the front garden, island beds are filled

with shrubs and grasses; Jenny’s

collection of sempervivums

and aeoniums; a view of the River

Stour; scarlet crab apples at the

bottom of the garden.


Elsewhere is a space enclosed mainly by kiwi, anchored by a sculpture given to Jenny by her sister six years ago. She calls this area her Moon Garden. Here is a circular bed filled with white-flowering plants, and adjacent to it is the Half Moon Garden, planted with attractive shrubs such as Santolina pinnata subsp. neapolitana, rhamnus and Convolvulus cneorum, which offer soft cream, silver and green elements.

Colchester is not far away from this spot that seems secreted away from the world, and evidence of the Romans exists in the well at the bottom of Jenny’s garden, which bears the hal lmarks of their

occupation. It is shaded by birches u n d e r p l a n t e d w i t h c o r n u s . Surrounding it, further away from the house, larger, more fluid island beds have evolved over time and they contain plants which look after themselves: ‘It’s dead dry here,’ Jenny reiterates, as she points out artemesia, Stipa tenuissima and Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’.

In the early months of the year, the star of the Edmunds’ garden must surely be its most recent addition: two wildflower meadows bounding each side of the garden before it meets pasture. Each has been carefully designed, as Jenny explains,

to look ‘good from Google Earth’. An ongoing project, the meadows have native species such as scabious and clover, and are punctuated with clusters of small trees: pine, ash, cherry, birch and crab apple.

Towards autumn, however, the eye cannot fail to be seized by the rich, golden shades of an avenue of Betula ermanii that lines that rutted track leading from the woods to the water.

Strandlands garden is occasionally

open by appointment - email jenny@

strandlands.co.uk to find out more

Tips for dry gardens

�

CLOCKWISE

FROM TOP LEFT

A sculpture by

Christopher Linsey

adds a whimsical

note; birch trees

(Betula ermanii) line the drive; Vitis coignetiae; stipa

grasses at the

boundary help the

garden flow into

the surrounding

farmland.

gardens: essex


ALSO IN THE AREA

While in this part of Essex, Jenny also suggests visiting:

� GARDEN The Beth Chatto Gardens Beth has championed dry-climate

gardening from her garden near Colchester since 1960 and was a great source of

inspiration for Jenny when she was starting out. Elmstead Market, Colchester, Essex.

Tel +44 (0)1206 822007. www.bethchatto.co.uk

� ARBORETUM Marks Hall Inspiring garden and arboretum with interest and

colour all-year round. ‘My particular love is their continuing creation of plants and

habitat that would have been in Gondwanaland, the ancient super-continent of

200-million years ago,’ says Jenny. www.markshall.org.uk

� PLACE TO STAY Emsworth House Family and dog-friendly B&B with a two-

acre garden overlooking the River Stour. Ship Hill, Station Road, Bradfield, Nr

Manningtree, Essex CO11 2UP. Tel +44 (0)1255 870860. www.emsworthhouse.co.uk

� I prefer to use home-made garden compost

and always have a heap of horticultural grit to hand.

When planting, I usually remove a couple of buckets

of the heaviest of the soil, which I replace with

plenty of compost and grit.

� Almost everything in the garden is a woody

shrub. The soil is loam over clay and herbaceous

plants don’t do well with the heavy ground and

frequent drought here.

� This is the part of Britain with the lowest

rainfall, but I can’t or

won’t irrigate, except

plants in pots round

the house and the

few vegetables

I do grow.

� A good mulch

is essential for

gardeners wishing

to preserve moisture

in their soil. Through

trial and error, I’ve

found one that works

perfectly for me.

It is a very fine

composted bark,

and it is easily

available from

www.turfandstuff.

com Wonderful stuff.

DRY CLAY: Plants here have to be drought tolerant, and not mind having their

roots in cold heavy soil in winter. Jenny grows very little herbaceous material and

lots of shrubs. The soil type is loam over clay, and the garden is exceptionally dry,

partly because of the low rainfall, and partly because water drains away quickly.

GARDEN CHALLENGES

JENNY’S TOP GARDENING TIPS

A PLACE TO SIT

Jenny painted this garden bench (below) for her daughter’s wedding using a colour

from the Cuprinol Garden Shades range. ‘I think it’s a gorgeous colour in the garden,’

she says. The shade matches a reclaimed copper washing tub in which is planted

with New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax Purpureum Group).

STRANDLANDS notebook

TAKE SHELTER

Jenny and David’s son-in-law built this oak-beamed

garden room (above). In cooler months, it comes into

its own in providing welcome shelter from sudden

showers or a reprieve from a cold north wind.

Try Border Oak or Oak Masters for similar.

www.borderoak.com or www.oakmasters.co.uk

IN THE FRAME

The Edmunds’ capitalised on the

far-reaching vistas of the estuary

of the River Stour from the garden.

They framed views of the river by

keeping surrounding trees and

shrubs clipped; in the foreground,

the changing leaves of various

trees bring rich autumnal colour

to the setting.

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The perfect gift forChristmas!

� Ample space for notes and reminders� English bank holidays� Lawn tips from John Deere� Forward planner for 2015

Trees are king at Mount Usher Garden in Co. Wicklow, Ireland, where a magnificent private collection comes into its own each autumn

PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREA JONES | WORDS ANN-MARIE POWELL

ARBOREAL ARCADIA

�

gardens: ireland


gardens: ireland


PREVIOUS PAGE One of

the footbridges over the

River Vartry at Mount Usher.

BELOW LEFT Nyssa sylvatica’s fabulous

seasonal foliage. BELOW RIGHT The Palm Walk of

Trachycarpus fortunei leading to Mount Usher

House. BOTTOM RIGHT Autumn colour reflected in

the river as it runs through

the extensive woodland.

In 1951, Lanning Roper of Mount Usher wrote: ‘I was in no way prepared for the impact which this important collection, assembled over nearly a century, was to make.’ Tiptoeing beneath the towering trees

clustered around the 22 acres, the impact some 60 years later is no less forceful.

Mount Usher is located in the village of Ashford, Co. Wicklow, and holds a private collection of some 4,500 species of plants, including the Irish National Collections of nothofagus and eucryphia, and several Irish Champion Trees, including Pinus montezumae, Magnolia campbellii ‘Charles Raffill’, Magnolia x veitchii, Quercus castaneifolia a n d L i r i o d e n d r o n chinense.

The River Vartry runs directly through the length of this sheltered spot, host for generations to a simple tuck mill, set on an acre of land, where locals brought their home-spun cloth

to be finished. In 1868, when the mill owner’s lease ran out, Edward Walpole,

a Dublin-based draper and keen amateur walker, leased the site and began to make a garden there. It was Walpole’s sons, Edward, George, and Thomas, who truly saw the potential to develop a garden at

Mount Usher, recognising the site’s fortunate attributes of fertility, shelter, water and mild climate. As the brothers’ passion grew, so did the garden. Surrounding land was taken on as it became available, and by the 1940s, the garden comprised more than 20 acres.

Edward and George became plantsmen, seeking the advice of Sir Frederick Moore, director of Dublin’s Botanic Gardens, as to what exotics they might try in the favoured and sunny valley, mindful of their commitment to the naturalistic planting ethos of Irish gardener and writer, William Robinson. He advocated that: ‘The aim should be never to rest till

the garden is a reflex of Nature in her fairest moods’. Edward and George, and the next two generat ions of

Walpoles, became devoted to Robinson’s theories, selecting plants from the northern and southern hemispheres to mingle among native and European groupings. Meanwhile, never much interested in plants, their brother Thomas, an engineer, was inspired by the Vartry itself, designing and building curved weirs dotting along the river to ensure a good show of water at all times. He also created the four simple bridges traversing it.

Today, even though Mount Usher’s grounds comprise plants hailing from all corners of the globe,

to be ow

aGARDEN NOTES

22-acre garden with stand-out tree

collection

Reds, russets and yellows are mirrored in the still glassiness of the river

�

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Acer wilsonii; Pinus montezumae;

Acer griseum, the paper-bark maple; Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’; the yellow

autumn foliage of witch hazel, hamamelis; the bark of the unusual Luma apiculata ‘Glanleam Gold’; Disanthus cercidifolius,

also known as Japanese heart leaf; Carya glabra, the pignut hickory, a tree native

to the US with bright yellow leaves in autumn.

gardens: ireland


there’s no doubt they are enjoying life in their adopted home. Mount Usher is a welcoming place, emphasised by the warmth and enthusiasm of its head gardener, Sean Heffernan. His love of the garden is instantly tangible. With a wave of an arm, a smile and an enthusiastic ‘Come on!’, we’re off, diving into the unknown that lies beyond the high hedge at the garden’s entrance.

Zigzagging paths beckon you to explore layer upon layer of trees, petering out into the distance in every direction. Sean, obviously used to the scale of the garden, smiles wryly as I machine gun questions at him about tree species, type and origin. There are mature spires of Gingko biloba, yellow in the autumn light; Pseudolarix amabilis, a deciduous conifer whose needles have morphed to a clear golden yellow; Disanthus cercidifolius, its large heart-shaped leaves alight in claret and scarlet; and countless European, Asian and American acers, all performing at full tilt. The effect of the cumulative colour tones is breathtaking, but it is the maturity of the specimens that renders me speechless.

‘The main challenge here for me is the sheer age of the garden,’ says Sean. ‘Though the trees would have looked great initially, today some trees are growing into their neighbours, causing damage to each other’s crowns and canopies; it leaves me with some uncomfortable decisions to make.’ Still, Sean admits that autumn is his favourite season, and as we

approach a gap in the woodland that offers my first view of the river, I understand completely. Sensing the opportunity of this watery place, and the chance to heighten the autumnal vistas, Edward and George Walpole surely saved the choicest autumn trees to plant along the Vartry’s banks. Here the fiery reds, russets and yellows of mature Liquidambar styraciflua, Stewartia pseudocamellia, Metasequoia glyptostroboides and Nyssa sylvatica are mirrored magnificently in the still glassiness of the river.

The Walpoles bought the estate in 1927, but eventually lost their hold on it in the 1980s, when current owner Madeline Jay became enraptured by the gardens. Though she knew nothing of gardening, she became its new custodian - her one ambition to keep it the way it was, without ‘improving’ it. The garden is now run organically, and planting has continued. Safeguarding the garden is paramount for Madeleine and her family, so in 2007, when she reached her mid-80s, she leased the gardens to Avoca Handweavers, a family business of weavers with gardening in its blood. It continues to run the garden in the style to which it has become accustomed - with a light touch and as nature intended.

Mount Usher Gardens, Ashford, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Tel: +353 (0)404 40205. For more information, go to

www.mountushergardens.ie

BELOW LEFT Fiery colours on the Primula Walk, which

is also full of interest in

springtime. BELOW RIGHT

The herbaceous borders

at the entrance are still

looking good this late in the

season. BOTTOM RIGHT

A pet cemetery where

faithful friends from years

gone by are remembered.


� Tackle any big messy jobs such as removing trees and shrubs or remodeling the

garden now, in autumn. Come spring, new fresh growth will fill gaps, and you can

enjoy the coming season without ruining the display.

� Lawnmowers are usually cheaper in winter. Buy a grass-collecting mower

rather than a mulcher. They are much more versatile, allowing you to mow without

having to rake leaves and debris off first.

� Grass-collecting mowers are also great for hoovering up moss and the small bits of

hedge cuttings that a rake misses, leaving the grass looking clean and smart.

� I use the fertile silt from the river on the beds. I will admit that the river is also

great for washing all the slugs down to Wicklow harbour and out to sea!

� Get out and see some trees! We have a suggested route around Mount Usher

printed in the tree trail, specifically designed to take visitors to all the areas of interest.

ALSO IN THE AREASean recommends these places nearby if you

are visiting Mount Usher Gardens:

� GARDEN Bay Garden As a complete contrast

to Mount Usher, Sean recommends this

characterful garden, with its array of grasses,

garden rooms and nectar-rich plantings.

Camolin, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Ireland.

Tel: +353 (0)53 9383349. www.thebaygarden.com

� HOTEL The Hunters Hotel Ireland’s

oldest coaching inn. Before he acquired

Mount Usher in 1868, Hunters was the hotel

used by Edward Walpole on his walking trips

to Co. Wicklow. Newrath Bridge, Rathnew,

Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0)404 40106.

www.hunters.ie

MOUNT USHER notebook

SIZE: ‘Apart from

the maturity of

the garden, the

size of the space is

a real challenge,’

says Sean. ‘I have

to prioritise

absolutely what

needs to be done.

If an old tree falls

or a riverbank

starts to move,

even that goes

out the window.’

GARDEN

CHALLENGES

MIRROR, MIRROR

The River Vartry (above) is without doubt the major feature of the garden. It is the main

reason Edward Walpole chose this special site, and the entire garden is created around it.

The photographic opportunities of reflected foliage and light changes are infinite,

especially as the river is accessible on both sides along the entire length of the garden.

TOP AUTUMN TIPS FROM HEAD GARDENER SEAN

The Vartry is spanned

by four bridges, two

of them suspension

bridges, replicas of

the original bridges

built by Thomas Walpole,

which were destroyed

by Hurricane Charlie in

the 1980s. The lightness

of their construction

in no way detracts

from the river, but

adds to the beauty

of it (right).

GOING POTTY

Mount Usher’s Courtyard Shops are a destination venue

in their own right, and include the award-winning Avoca

café, a deli, bakery, plant shop and also The Potting Shed

(below), which is entirely built from reclaimed and

recycled materials, and has a wonderful stock of

one-of-a-kind salvage and vintage items.

BEAUTIFUL

BRIDGES

R E A D E R O F F E R

SARAHRAVENAutumn Range

Autumn is a fantastic time to be in your garden - you can make the most of the milder weather before winter. It’s the ideal moment to plant up your pots and bulbs for next spring. Following on from our free bulb-planting instruction booklet in the October issue, this month you’ll find our mini autumn catalogue with lots of ideas for your garden. Download a copy here: tinyurl.com/sarahraven

Really happy gardening,

Get 20% off Sarah’s

full autumn range

by quoting offer

code TEGAT13

20%Off

TERMS & CONDITIONSOffer valid until 30 November 2013. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any

other offer. Subject to availability.

HOW TO ORDERTo order, call

0845 0920283 and

quote offer code

TEGAT13 for 20%

off for our readers.

You can also

order online at

www.sarah

raven.com and

enter the code

TEGAT13 on

your shopping

basket page.

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PRIVATE VIEW PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE MAJERUS | WORDS STEPHANIE MAHON

Take a sneak peek over the hedges of this exquisite, private Norfolk garden, designed by maestro Tom Stuart-Smith

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F rothing grasses surge

upwards, reflected in narrow

channels of water, while

neat green cushions march across

a contrastingly calm lawn. This

stunning scene is from a garden

close to the north Norfolk coast.

Tom Stuart-Smith created it while

his client was still a bachelor, and the

brief was to maintain the property’s

edgy, isolated feel, to be ‘an essay in

private view

�


semi-detachedness’. Elements and

characteristics of the surrounding area

were referenced within the enclosure of

the garden, such as the many clean-lined

rills and reflecting pools criss-crossing

the planting, mimicking the canals in the

wider landscape. When Tom was first

called in by architect Ptolemy Dean, the

site was quite different. The house was

white and there was little or no garden,

save for some 15m leylandii hedges that

blocked the sightlines. ‘It was repressed,’

explains Tom. The client wanted to

modernise the house and extend it, and

wished to have a complementary style

garden with a kitchen garden and a

swimming pool. Tom chose his signature

mix of generously rotund evergreen

domes with fireworks of tall grasses and

colourful late-season perennials to create

impact - especially beautiful when

turning gold and crimson in November.

SURVEY THE SCENEThe garden by the house is

enclosed with hedges and is

stepped down a slight slope. Large

box cushions and a raised border

filled with perennials and grasses

soften the straight lines.

MIX IT UPThis is an old property in an area

where the vernacular style for the

houses, outbuildings, walls and

hard landscaping is a mix of six or

seven different building materials,

including brick and flint. It was a

challenge to add to this, but Tom’s

use of wood and rusted metal fits

the bill perfectly.


GROVE OF PLENTY A grove of Rhus typhina looks

beautiful in the autumn sun

as the leaves change shade.

Below the multi-stemmed

trunks is a sea of textural

Hakonechloa macra,

punctuated by low evergreen

box domes. The area has a

defined boundary from the

swimming pool, emphasised

by a hedge of the grass

Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’,

which turns a wonderful

mix of gold and red as

the season develops.

private view

ROCK STEADYTom’s ‘rocks’ of box sit alongside the swimming

pool. The Leaf Lounger from Dedon is available

from www.leisureplan.co.uk and

www.canefurniturewarehouse.co.uk

WONDER WALLSFree-standing walls of rusted

metal occur throughout

the space. The rust colour

complements the vast variety

of materials used on the

property without complicating

the palette, and also mimics

the copper leaves of the

beech hedges in winter.

�


As well as grasses, Tom also included a multitude of late-season perennials, to provide flowers and then later the form and texture of their seedheads

FLOWER FULLAs well as grasses, Tom also included

a multitude of late-season perennials

in this scheme, to provide flowers

and then also later the form and

texture of their seedheads. Asters,

heleniums and the browning stems

of Eryngium yuccifolium help achieve

this long season of interest.

BOX CUSHIONSThe domes of box are spread out

across the garden in a loose curve -

‘as if they are the detritus left behind

after a wave receeds,’ explains Tom.

The pattern is only visible from

above, but it adds movement.

FOOD FOR THOUGHTThe client asked Tom to leave space

for and help encorporate a kitchen

garden into the plan, complete

with greenhouse and colourful

ornamental flowers as well as crops

like tomatoes, beans and peas. The

area is marked out with a frame of

the same rusted metal as used for

the free-standing wall sections

elsewhere in the garden, and which

now in autumn picks up the

changing shades of the Rhus typhina foliage beyond.

private view


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ETOM STUART-SMITH set up his

landscape design practice in 1998.

Projects include numerous large

private and public gardens in the

English countryside, and many

overseas projects. He has created

eight Gold-Medal-winning gardens

at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and

three Best in Show. He has recently

been working on a new garden

for the Royal Academy of Arts,

completed in September 2013. �

HOW NOW BROWN COWThis tiny pond towards the end

of the garden remains from the

original layout of the garden. Tom

left it looking natural to create

an easy transition with the land

beyond the property’s boundaries.

The whole garden is an exercise in

the enclosed versus the heath.

FIZZLING FIREWORKSGrasses are used here for a variety of height, colour,

form and texture of seedheads. They include Carex testacea, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Ferner Osten’, and

Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Transparent’.


Our practice often works with

architects to settle a property

extension into the garden

space. Regularly, the proposed

structure impacts upon a site

awkwardly, arising in a garden

layout that needs renewed

consideration. It is our practice’s

job to provide a solution in

linking the new building into

the garden, but also into the

surrounding locale. Often the

new layout impacts enormously

on the garden the client has

become accustomed to,

changing levels, orientation and

views from and into the new

structure. The most successful

design collaborations occur

when a client has the foresight

to include a garden designer

from the initial concept stage,

when architect, client and

designer set into motion

a collaborative project.

The seed of an idea is set,

grows and develops into a

harmonised cohesive scheme,

where the landscape supports

the proposed building, and the

building integrates into the

space. If you are planning an

extension, when you make that

initial call to your preferred

architect, call your garden

designer too.

Extending your house?

TIP It’s the start of bareroot season, when shrubs and trees can be purchased with great cost savings. Take advantage!

Consider how to light your c h o s e n g a r d e n f e a t u r e : downlights, uplights, wall-mounted fittings, ropes and bollards are just a few of the light fittings available.

I most often use adjustable spike spots on long cables with or without a height extension kit or glare guard, depending upon the effect we are creating.These can be easily adjusted, moved, or heightened as plants grow up around them.

If you install the below-ground cables when your garden is dormant, then provided your circuit board has the capacity, you can add to your lighting system over a few years as your budget and ideas grow. Ensure that a regis tered, qualified electrician installs your lighting system.

Many lighting systems are now controlled by remote control. This allows you to cont ro l the sy s t em f rom anywhere inside or outside your home, and it is cost effective too, negating the need to chase out internal walls to fix light switches.

Lighting systems can also be expanded to enable dimmable channels and timers. Smart phone/ tablet control and wireless touchscreen panels are also available.

LIGHTING THE GARDENNOW THE GARDEN HAS

BEGUN ITS RETREAT BELOW

GROUND, PLAN FOR CABLES

TO BE INSTALLED OVER THE

COMING WINTER MONTHS

Garden designer Ann-Marie Powell suggests lighting and sculpture for the garden, and an interesting event for your diary

Sculpture in a seatOne of the most influential designers of our time, Ron Arad

continues to explore the technical boundaries of industrial

materials in his rust-coloured, rotational-moulded polyethylene

Folly bench (below). Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, the

stretched seat and back rest continuously swoop into one

another to form a piece that is wonderfully sculptural.

The bench measures 370 x 110 x 95cm. Price £3,026.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7692 4001. www.madeindesign.co.uk

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1 BENEFITSWhether it’s an outsized urn,

statue, sundial (bottom right) or

abstract piece, sculpture should

always improve a garden view,

enhancing the landscape and

capturing the spirit of a place.

2 INSPIRATIONThe most successful sculpture

should become a natural part of

your garden. Find inspiration in

your garden itself; adding a piece

that would reinforce a given area

or view; rather than falling in love

with a piece, then later trying to

shoehorn it in. Consider the

interaction of light on a potential

piece of sculpture when it is

placed in shadow, full sun or a

dappled mix of both. Sculpture

doesn’t have to be serious. Some

of the most successful pieces bring

a smile to your face. Sculpture

that’s present through the seasons

adds a sense of permanence;

adding vitality to a garden even

in the barren depths of winter.

3 LOCATIONI find the most successful

positioning of sculpture is when it

is chanced upon in the hidden

nooks of a garden; an unexpected

piece found around a corner,

among trees, nestled into a

meadow’s edge. Almost without

exception, avoid the ‘middle

of the lawn’ approach.

4 THE LOOKSculpture doesn’t have to be

expensive. Found objects,

particularly when they have arisen

from the confines of the garden

itself, can enliven a space. The

perfect example of this can be

found at Derek Jarman’s garden

at Dungeness (left). Consider

how the proportion of a piece will

work within your garden, and

remember, lighting enables

you to enjoy it all year round.

Hello, my name is Paul Smith15 November 2013 - 9 March 2014A must-see for anyone

interested in design, the

‘Hello, my name is Paul Smith’

exhibition at the Design

Museum in London promises

to take you into the world of

the eminent fashion designer.

A section of his office, famously

overflowing with eclectic

inspirations, is to be recreated,

and the exhibition will also

include insights into his design

process, and a look

at the world of the

Paul Smith shop.

http://design

museum.org

A recent trade symposium organised by Palmstead Nurseries discussed the theme, ‘Native versus non-native: which is best?’, with the catalyst for the discussion arising from industry difficulty regarding BREEAM, the design and assessment method most used to measure the environmental performance of commercial buildings. Leading landscape architects have found the method frustrating. In order to achieve a good BREEAM rating, native plants must be specified regardless of their value for biodiversity. In many locations, landscape

WHAT’S ON EVERYONE’S LIPS?

architects are arguing that some non-natives would be more appropriate selections, offering not only more aesthetically pleasing plantscapes, but more value to wildlife. The debate led me to consider if natives are indeed better for garden wildlife than non-natives? In 2009, the RHS began researching this very question; planting 18 raised beds at RHS Wisley, with each bed containing plants from one

of three geographical zones. The intensive data collection for the RHS’s ‘Plants for Bugs’ study should reveal whether there are any recordable differences between these plant groups in terms of both invertebrate numbers and species; allowing gardeners to make informed plant choices when gardening for wildlife. The project is ongoing, and results will be available next year.

TIP It’s time for tulips. After a couple of frosts, I shall reach for a long-handled bulb planter (above) and spend a day planting tulip bulbs. Tulipa ‘Ballerina’, ‘Abu Hassan’ and ‘Negrita’ are some of my favourites.

Sculpture in the garden

DESIGN OPTIONS

PLANTS FOR BUGS

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Pick of the

After much deliberation, the judges chose Fran Wakefield’s walled garden in Berkshire as Britain’s Best Gardener’s

Garden. Welcome to her prize-winning plot... PHOTOGRAPHS & WORDS NICOLA STOCKEN

bunchWINNER!

�

Reams have been written about the complexities of designing the idea l garden,

but when Fran Wakefield decided to tackled hers, it was surprisingly simple.

‘The most important thing was that it should complement the house , ’ she says. Her 1760s br i ck and f l in t barn conversion has great period charm, so Fran wanted something traditional in style, u n d e r s t a t e d i n tone , bu t w i th unexpected touches.

‘I wanted to recreate the classical walled garden look, with a formal framework of low hedges, straight paths,

lawn and box-edged borders, filled with roses and perennials.’

Six years on, and the walled garden at Tithe Barn, in the small Berkshire village of T idmarsh , has not on ly exceeded Fran’s expectations, but also those of the three judges - Graham Paskett of Paskett PR, Gardencare’s

Elizabeth Chaloner a n d G e o r g e Plumptre, chief executive of the National Gardens Scheme. They chose it as the clear winner of Gardencare’s Gardener’s Garden competition, which

was supported by this magazine.‘I was delighted just to be

shortlisted in the last three, but when I heard I had won, I couldn’t wait to phone my

ABOVE Fran

Wakefield’s

Berkshire

garden stood

out from the

crowd for

the judges.

BELOW Rosa Perennial Blue.

Fran Wakefield is looking forward to choosing

her £1,000 worth of Gardencare equipment

from www.gardencaregb.co.uk - a prize

any gardener would welcome.


children. They were thrilled,’ says Fran.

There was a time when such joy was inconceivable, as the period house next door was demolished and replaced with a development of tall town houses. ‘I’d lived here for 24 years, and within months, I went from having a totally private garden with views over the meadows to the River Pang, to being overlooked by all these houses.’

To compensate for this, the developer built a beautiful 3m-high wall to make Fran’s quarter-acre garden completely walled, thus restoring some of her seclusion. Gradually, it occurred to her that the wall was not such a bad thing, since it provided scope for indulging her love of climbing plants.

E v e n t h e r e m o v a l o f boundary trees and the loss of a beautiful old acacia in the

middle of the lawn was not too disheartening. ‘As light began to flood into the garden, I could see the possibilities, and it spurred me on to make radical changes, starting with levelling the uneven ground.’

With a blank piece of paper and he r m ind empty o f preconceived notions, she began to redesign the garden, starting at the impressive arched doorway located in the centre of the house. ‘It seemed obvious to lay a path in line with the doorway,

stretching from the house to the far back wall.’ Fran also decided to install a parallel p a t h r u n n i n g f r o m t h e entrance gate to the back wall and a third path running perpendicular along the back wall of the garden.

With the paths in place, the plot naturally divides into rectangular shapes that became lawn and beds. And near the new westerly wall, you will find box-edged herbaceous beds that peak in summer, with Rosa ‘Albéric Barbier’, Allium ‘Globemaster’, pink Paeonia lactif lora ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, Oriental poppies, hardy geraniums, catmint and delphiniums.

On the nearby wall are espaliered apple and pear trees, with a mass of blossom in spring. This is where Fran keeps her beehive - she believes bees bring great energy to

a garden. Other walls in the garden are smothered with clematis and climbing roses such as Rosa ‘Félicité Perpétue ’ , ‘New Dawn’ , Perennial Blue and ‘Goldfinch’, which overhangs a corner filled with Fran’s collection of Victoriana knick-knacks. ‘Most o f i t comes f rom rummaging through salvage yards,’ she says.

There is a Victorian iron table, terracotta pots filled w i t h p e l a r g o n i u m s a n d dianthus, and lovely square

ABOVE The

3m-high wall

has restored

the seclusion

of the garden

and is now

clothed with

climbers.

RIGHT Fran

has scoured

salvage yards

to source

troughs and

planters.

�

FRAN’S TIP Buy espaliered apple trees already trained into two tiers, so all you have to do is follow the pattern. Make sure you prune at the correct time of year, and in August reduce the bunches of apples to the two healthiest fruit, ensuring they are evenly spaced along the branches.


Fran transformed this galvanised feed trough into a water feature that has become a favourite drinking place with the wild birds that visit her garden.

JUST ADD WATER

TOP RIGHT A row of standard pink Rosa ‘Nozomi’ lead the way to a wall covered in climbing Rosa ‘Goldfinch’.RIGHT Fran’s collection of Victoriana.

WINNER!


A white bench and purple blooms of Rosa Perennial Blue provide the focal point at the bottom of the central path.

seed pans filled with succulents and thyme.

Every corner of the garden holds something unexpected. At the west end, an arbour sits beneath trees. It’s an area of dry shade where all that grows is pachysandra, ivy, hostas and periwinkles. ‘This

is now the one place in the garden that is totally private, and cannot be overlooked,’ explains Fran.

Nearby, an old galvanised feed trough perches on brick pillars, lined with butyl rubber, filled with water and planted with water lilies and aquatic grasses - now a favourite place for birds to drink.

On the opposite side, a stumpery spills over with ferns and hostas. ‘I’m passionate about hostas. I grow about 20 different varieties, and plant them with ferns, because the leaves are a nice contrast.’

The York-stone terrace is shielded from the windows of the new houses by a yew screen. ‘It was a difficult decision because it means partially screening the garden from view, but actually it’s nice to see glimpses through the gaps. You don’t want to see everything at once.’

More recently, Fran has cut the top of the yew into a wavy shape, ensuring the highest part of each wave blocks views from the neighbouring houses. ‘Plus the waves make the

hedge appear less heavy visually,’ she adds.

Such changes would be impossible without the input of her gardener, Daryl Shelver. ‘He’s taught me so much,’ she insists. ‘Only last autumn, he helped to empty and replant the herbaceous beds. I ’d

planted everything I was given, so they were a bit of a mess.’

As time has passed, Fran has made changes to her original design. A central section of the main path has been widened to create a square to house a still round pool. ‘The pool I wanted was very expensive, so I improvised with a section of concrete pipe.’ To Fran’s delight, her bees sit on the edge to drink.

Another magical addition is mistletoe on the apple trees. ‘I harvested mistletoe from the village green, and squashed the pips to obtain the seeds.’

Fine gardens rarely stand still, and Fran’s is no exception. She has plans for another


WHAT’S NEXT FOR FRAN?� SHADY PROBLEM An old crab apple tree was casting a broad shadow until Fran ‘lifted its skirts’. ‘Now

that light fills this area, the lawn is growing well.’ Her next plan is to underplant it with shade-lovers such as

ginger lilies, epimediums and tiarellas.

� BEING SUPPORTIVE To minimise the risk of heavy downpours damaging top-heavy flowering plants

such as alliums, peonies and Oriental poppies, Fran plans to buy more rusted-iron structures to prop them

up. She gets hers from www.leanderplantsupports.co.uk

� BEE HAPPY After a false start with bought bees, Fran was surprised when a feral bee colony moved into

her beehive, providing 40 pounds of honey in their first year. ‘They’re such lovely, placid bees, I’m now filling

a second hive.’ She’s had great support and advice from local beekeeper Tim Sheldon.

The front garden offers a complete contrast to the back, with

a mini meadow of wildflowers.

WILDFLOWERS

arbour with a living roof, but in the meantime, with a time-consuming career as a pilates teacher, Fran treasures every minute spent in the garden. ‘It gives me a huge amount of pleasure. I love when a plant returns year on year - it’s like seeing an old friend.’

Tithe Barn garden is open for

the National Gardens Scheme for

one day each June. For details, visit

www.ngs.org.uk

ABOVE Fran’s garden is full of unexpected touches. Old terracotta pots

have been planted up to decorate a short flight of steps.

WINNER!

FRAN’S TIP When training climbing roses to run evenly along walls, prune regularly. It’s no good pruning once in a blue moon. You have to keep on top of it.


STAN FAIRBROTHERThe Finest In Bespoke Garden Structures

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for your own garden hideaway, or telephone for our brochure

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seasonal recipes

the coldKeep warm with some hearty recipes from Silvana de Soissons

using home-grown produce from the autumn veg gardenPHOTOGRAPHS JASON INGRAM

�IN FROM


Outside it might well be dank and dull, but there are certainly three of the very best ingredients for the cook to enjoy in November: fresh celeriac, scallops and chestnuts. Celeriac smells and tastes just like celery, but with deeper, more woody, nutty and earthy undertones. It needs a great deal

of space to grow and tastes far better after a light frost, although is not able to withstand a harsh one. When cooked with potatoes and apples, a rich, velvet, creamy soup can be created in minutes. The perfect foil for this, certainly, is salty crispy bacon. Steaming hot mugs of this soup, eaten outside with crusty bread rolls, can transport you into a warm and aromatic comfort zone.

Many people are quite cautious about cooking scallops, but I can assure you that it is simple and achievable for cooks of all abilities. There are two types available: the larger king scallop and tiny queen scallops. They only need a very short amount of cooking, until opaque and crispy. They accompany leeks very well; a handy tip is that the latter should be sliced quite finely to ease washing away soil and grit, and avoid sliminess. When served in large chunks, leeks have a tendency to be quite stringy.

For years I have tried to collect, roast, peel and cook my own chestnuts but, finding the task too onerous, I now find it far easier to buy them pre-cooked in a vacuum bag from France. Similarly, the best marrons glacés come from northern Italy. Just like the use of lemons and vanilla pods in patisserie, there are many plants and ingredients that even the keenest gardener must purchase from abroad. The colder months heighten our ingenuity and resourcefulness as cooks, and in the darker shorter days, I spend hours researching my cookbook library for the most flavoursome ways of feeding my family.

Serves 4 (or 6 as a starter)Ingredients

- 4 rashers unsmoked, streaky bacon- 1 large potato, peeled and chopped into small cubes - 1 small celeriac head, peeled and chopped into small cubes- 1 litre home-made vegetable stock- 150ml crème fraîche- 1 tbsp olive oil- 250g cooking apples, peeled and chopped into small cubes- 2 tbsps finely chopped rosemary needles- 1 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves- Warm, crusty bread to serve

Method� Derind and cut the bacon into strips, then fry in a large saucepan until brown and crispy. Remove and set aside somewhere warm.� Place some olive oil in a soup pot. Add the potato and celeriac pieces and sauté for two to three minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Simmer the vegetables for 10-12

Celeriac, apple & bacon soupminutes, or until they are nearly cooked and quite soft.� Stir in half of the crème fraîche, the fresh herbs and apple pieces. Bring to the boil, and then blend to a smooth purée. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly grated black pepper.� Ladle the soup into individual soup bowls and top with the bacon and a spoonful of the remaining crème fraîche. Serve with slices of warm bread.


Serves 4

Ingredients- 2 medium-sized leeks

- 50g butter

- Olive oil for cooking

- 200ml double cream

- Sea salt and black pepper

- 400g fresh scallops

- Fresh chervil or flat-leaved parsley

Method� Wash, trim and finely chop the leeks,

and fry them gently in the butter and two

tbsps of olive oil. Add sea salt and grated

black pepper. The leeks should be soft

and wilting, rather than brown and crispy,

so keep mixing so that they do not stick

to the bottom of the pan. Add just a little

water to help create steam.

� Add the cream and continue cooking

the leeks for two more minutes. Set aside

somewhere warm.

� Season the raw scallops with sea salt

and pepper, and then fry in a hot pan

with olive oil for two minutes on both

sides. The scallops should be brown and

crispy on the outside, but still soft and

moist on the inside.

� Spoon the soft creamy leeks onto

a plate. Place the scallops on top and

decorate with fresh chervil or flat-leaved

parsley. Add more grated black pepper

to taste. Serve hot.

Creamy leeks with scallops

seasonal recipes

�

Chestnut, orange & Cointreau meringue puddings

seasonal recipes


Serves 8

Ingredients to make the meringue

- 200g raw cane caster sugar

- 4 egg whites

- Seeds from one vanilla pod

Ingredients to make the chestnut cream

- 250ml double cream

- 300g cooked chestnuts, chopped

into small pieces

- 2 tbsps Cointreau liqueur

- 1 heaped tbsp icing sugar

- Zest of two oranges and juice of one

- 8-10 marrons glacés, chopped into

small pieces

Method

� Pre-heat the oven to 110°C.

� To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites

in a very clean bowl until stiff. Add the sugar,

a little at a time, and the vanilla seeds, and

continue whisking until the meringue mix is

really glossy and shiny.

� Spoon or pipe small mounds of meringue

onto a baking tray that has been lined with

baking parchment. Leave plenty of space

between each meringue because they do

spread in the oven.

� Bake in the pre-heated oven for

approximately one hour, then turn off the oven

and leave the meringues to cool in the oven.

They can be left to dry out even overnight if it is

more convenient. The meringues can be stored

in an airtight container until needed.

� To make the chestnut cream, whisk the

double cream until it forms stiff peaks. Mix

together the chopped chestnuts, the whipped

cream, Cointreau, zest and orange juice and the

icing sugar. Set the creamy chestnut filling aside,

in the fridge if you are not going to serve the

pudding immediately.

� When ready to serve, place a small meringue

at the base of a pudding glass, cup or bowl and

spoon on top some chestnut cream. Layer

another meringue on top of the cream, spoon

another layer of cream and top with chopped

marrons glacés. �

november 2013 The English Garden 79

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Sissinghurst is truly iconic, the epitome of an English garden. Its new Head Gardener Troy Scott-Smith explains his vision for the future of the world-famous plot

created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold NicolsonPHOTOGRAPHS JASON INGRAM

revitalising vita

�

Troy Scott-Smith

stakes verbascum

plants during his

first summer as

Head Gardener at

Sissinghurst. He is

the first male Head

Gardener here in

more than 50 years.


I had my first encounter with the soil at Sissinghurst more than 20 years ago, when I worked here as a gardener; a period that set the tone for

the rest of my gardening career. I learned to love detail. I learned

great techniques. And I learned to be inquisitive about plants and critical in their effective juxtaposition. I had no thought then that one day I would return and be responsible for the garden. However, I was tempted away from beautiful Bodnant Garden in north Wales, and that is exactly what happened. I arrived back at Sissinghurst as Head Gardener in May this year.

There can be nowhere more beautiful than Sissinghurst in the first few weeks of May, and I couldn’t stop myself wanting to be in the garden: mowing the lawns at dawn or enjoying the ethereal beauty of the White Garden at dusk.

Along with the immense privilege of gardening within these six acres, I was also immediately aware of the responsibility and huge challenge that goes with it.

I soon asked myself: ‘How do we conserve a garden of predominantly

herbaceous material in the manner of its creator, after they have gone?’ For me, the answer is clear. We must garden with a freedom and ease that comes with a deep absorption and close affinity with the place. It is only in this way that the style and spirit of the garden wi l l be maintained, ref ined, enriched and enhanced.

Therefore, I make no excuses for focusing my attention over the past few months on trying to understand the distinctiveness of Sissinghurst and the characters of its creators, Vita Sackville- West and Harold Nicolson: their ph i lo sophy , t a s t e , mot ive s , i n t e r e s t s , g a r d e n i n g s t y l e , prejudices, constraints and ideas.

Vita and Harold’s aim was never to make a grea t garden for posterity. They intended it solely as a place for their own pleasure and enjoyment. They liked a mix of elegant spires and colourful carpets of small plants in lavish abundance. They might consider the greatest treasure in the garden to be a self-sown seedling; a favourite hedge might be a loose tangle of sweet briar.

Constant experimentation and renewal were part of the life of the garden, and Vita and Harold experimented all the time with shapes and colours, moved whole groups of plants to better places, and rejuvenated the garden every season with new varieties or fresh ideas.

How do we conserve a garden in the manner of its creator after they have gone?

ABOVE Rosa mulliganii in the

White Garden

provides two

seasons of interest:

one in early July

when it flowers;

and again through

September and

October when

the rose hips turn

a fiery red. LEFT

Troy became Head

Gardener in May,

arriving from

another National

Trust property,

Bodnant Garden

in north Wales.

�

sissinghurst: kent

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Bidens ferulifolia

fills the famous copper planter at the centre

of the Cottage Garden; cutting flowers

for arrangments is a daily pleasure; Rosa

‘Ulrich Brünner Fils’ provides a good display;

a glimpse behind the scenes at Sissinghurst

provides a fascinating insight into the tricks

needed to keep the garden in peak flower -

here Troy binds pruned branches into

bundles, ready to create plant supports

for use in the large borders next spring;

understated elegance in the Lime Walk -

a cool retreat on a summer’s day; hessian

sheets are used to move material in and out

of the garden, as the paths are too narrow

for garden machinery to access.

Sissinghurst is intimate in scale and rich in plants. It sees up to 200,000 visitors each year.

‘People don’t come to Sissinghurst because it is quite like everywhere else... but because it is exceptionally itself’


To perpetuate such a garden requires gardeners not only with supreme horticultural knowledge and skill, but also gardeners with vision, sensitivity and an instinctive feeling for the spirit of the place. Over the years, Sissinghurst has attracted such people. Within the architectural framework and colour schemes, and remaining faithful to the spirit of the garden, they have experimented, refined and perfected successful planting associations.

At the same time, however, a series of innocent actions have taken place that, by stealth and without realisation, accumulatively threaten to overwhelm the beauty of the garden. Vita and Harold’s grandson, Adam Nicolson, writes: ‘People don’t come to Sissinghurst because it is quite like everywhere else, shaped by the tasks of everywhere else, but because it is exceptionally itself. Its potential for beauty and richness

needs to be entirely understood and made entirely explicit, not buried under a duvet of the average.’

We must truly understand what we’ve got and reassess what we do; shifting from a focus around standards and presentation to things

that really matter. Not least, gardening in a way that seeks to re-capture the distinctive qualities of Vita and Harold’s Sissinghurst; a more reflective, romantic, slower, deeper place than much of what the modern Sissinghurst has become.

We must be true to the garden’s historic distinctiveness, to take what is great and intensify the enjoyment, allowing ourselves expression of creativity and plantsmanship. Sissinghurst should be romantic yet practical, experimental but traditional; an emotional experience, a garden of timeless quality, where flower borders foam in unorthodox exuberance and roses tumble from the walls in lavish swags.

Resistance to this change or freezing Sissinghurst in time risks creating a branded theme park that is unable to adapt. I am not advocating a heavy-handed approach but rather an accumulative effect; a series of interventions that together over the years are significant. Past, present and future should all equally co-exist. It is only with a deep absorption and close affinity with the place that the true Sissinghurst will emerge from under the duvet.

Sissinghurst Castle, Cranbrook, Kent

TN17 2AB. Tel: +44 (0)1580 710701.

Open in 2014 from March to October -

see www.nationaltrust.org.uk for

events and opening times.

Troy’s tasks in his first summer

OPPOSITE The

Elizabethan Tower

- Vita wrote at the

very top, in her

study. ABOVE

Managing a

garden like

Sissinghurst

requires constant

observation.

Troy admires the

delphiniums in

the famous White

Garden. LEFT

The Moat Walk.

Sissinghurst should be romantic yet practical, experimental but traditional

�


sissinghurst: kent

IF YOU VISIT US AT SISSINGHURST...

Sissinghurst Castle Garden is open all year; come see us and also try:

� STAY IN THE GARDEN The Priest’s House at Sissinghurst is a holiday

cottage where you can stay. You can dine in the White Garden and have it to

yourself when all the visitors have gone home; and enjoy full access to the

whole garden at any time during your stay. www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk

� NURSERY Marchants Hardy Plants It’s a little further afield, but this

nursery, owned by the brilliant Graham Gough, is where I often get our plants.

2 Marchants Cottages, Mill Lane, Laughton, East Sussex BN8 6AJ. Tel: +44

(0)1323 811737. www.marchantshardyplants.co.uk

� GARDEN Great Dixter No visit to the southeast is complete without a visit

to Great Dixter, the influential garden of the late Christopher Lloyd. Northiam,

Rye, East Sussex TN31 6PH. Tel: +44 (0)1797 252878. www.greatdixter.co.uk

� I’ve learned to trial plants new to the garden in

a nursery bed for a year to assess their worth.

� Hemerocallis and kniphofia will both repay

the trouble of lifting and dividing one plant from

the group a year in advance, ready to replace the

group the following year.

� Gardens of small dimensions like this can soon

get out of proportion. Shrubs need to be kept from

getting too large by careful shaping, which is often

best done soon after flowering.

� Wear occurs in much-used entrances and also

in what we call ‘admiration patches’, when visitors

are attracted to a particular part of the garden. We

raise turf from seed so we have a supply for patching.

� Any jobs that can be done during winter

to speed the pressing tasks of summer will

now be given priority.

Clay soils can be very

difficult to work and

are easily compacted

if it is at all damp,

making borders and

beds hard to access.

At Sissinghurst, we

use planks of various

lengths laid on the

surface of the soil to

distribute our weight

and avoid undue

compaction.

DEALING WITH

DIFFICULTIES

WHAT I KNOW NOW...

DIVIDE & CONQUER

Bearded iris need dividing every few years. I dug them up in early July and sorted out

the plump pieces of root. Then I cut down the leaves into a fan shape of about 10cm

in height. I potted these up using a gritty compost, and then we kept them in the

pots for eight weeks before planting out. Next year they will put on a great show.

first summer at SISSINGHURSTKITCHEN CROPS

We’ve been harvesting from the Kitchen Garden all

season. All our produce is picked for the restaurant, with

most crops delivered fresh to the kitchen within a

couple of hours of harvest. Surplus produce is offered

for sale at our shop and at our fortnightly farmers’

market, held on the green outside the garden gates.

PRETTY IN PINK

Old-fashioned and

shrub roses are part

of the character of the

garden at Sissinghurst.

For best results, we

‘peg’ them down to

put the sap under

pressure and prevent

it from going to the

top of each leader.

This way, buds

with short-flowering

spurs are encouraged

along the length

of the stem.


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Working in harmony with the landscape is the ethos behind Bodenham Arboretum in Worcestershire, where the family that runs the estate lets the trees do the talking

PHOTOGRAPHS CLIVE NICHOLS | WORDS DEBORAH CURTIS

True colours

trees: arboretum

Euonymus hamiltonianus

‘Koi Boy’

Berberis wilsoniae Magnolia sprengeri var. diva Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Garnet’

Liriodendron tulipifera‘Ardis’

Acer palmatum

‘Beni-kagami’

Acer pycnanthum Euonymus alatus

Acer griseum Acer palmatum ‘Amatum’

Cornus amomum subsp.

obliquaAesculus parviflora

�

trees: arboretum


What inspires a man to plant trees he might never see in their magnificent maturity? For James Binnian,

it’s about continuing the work begun by his father, David, who started planting Bodenham Arboretum in Worcestershire in the early 1970s.

‘My father loved trees and conservation,’ says James. ‘He bought the place as a derelict farm and basically brought it back to life. We dammed a couple of streams to create several pools, and planted trees, and it grew and grew. There really wasn’t a plan to do this at the beginning.’

The arboretum opened to the public in May 1998, and today visitors come to the 168-acre estate to enjoy a mixture of mature woodland, specimen trees and shrubs, which have been planted around two acres of pools and lakes.

There are more than 3,000 species of trees and shrubs from all over the world. All are carefully labelled, mapped and catalogued, and there are a number of important collections here too, namely acers, North American oaks and alders.

James is helped in his selection of new species by experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and by Shropshire-based plantswoman Jenny Marshall (known as

There are more than 3,000 species of trees and shrubs from all over the world, carefully labelled and mapped

TOP There are plenty of beautiful walks at Bodenham, such as the beech avenue. CENTRE Sweet

gum and Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium ‘Nutans’. ABOVE Trees growing by the pool include

Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ and Liquidambar styraciflua.


Plantfinder Jenny), who can seeks out the most obscure specimens.

‘It is Kew’s policy to supply Westonbirt Arboretum, RHS Wisley, Bodenham and a few other private sites with rare species for safe keeping. Bodenham receives between 30 to 40 unusual specimens annually, which are planted in the arboretum to ensure they are grown on for posterity and are available for the public to see,’ explains James.

The trees are all laid out in sympathy with the landscape and the planting policy is to mix up the colours, shapes and sizes of the trees throughout the arboretum. For James, the emphasis is on choosing species that will do well in the climate and soil conditions of this part of Worcestershire.

‘I want to work with nature rather than against it,’ he says. ‘I want the trees to thrive rather than just survive. They have got to suit our local heavy clay. It is only a small percentage of visitors who appreciate that we have got some very rare specimens. Most people appreciate the beauty of the landscape in its entirety and what we have created here.’

LEFT Sheep graze in the fields beside the

arboretum - Bodenham is not just a place for

trees. There is also an award-winning farm,

gardens and restaurant on the estate. ABOVE Many trees and shrubs also have interesting

berries at this time of year, including this

sorbus, as well as berberis and cornus.

�


TOP Bodenham is peaceful and tranquil, as it is

situated in a protected valley. On the drive, there

are Quercus palustris, Betula utilis var. jacquemontii and Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’. ABOVE The

pools are a breeding ground for many water

fowl. ABOVE RIGHT Liriodendron tulipifera. RIGHT Acer palmatum ‘Beni-kagami’.

trees: arboretum

The epicentre of the arboretum lies around the big pool, where many rare and ornamental trees can be seen in flower and fruit at all times of the year; but they are especially stunning in their full autumnal glory. The colourful display is particularly vivid when plentiful sunshine is followed by an early frost. The acers turn from bright yellow to vibrant oranges and reds, while the scarlet oaks, as their name suggests, fill the woods with swathes of brilliant vermillion.

‘Our undulating topography is perfect, as it provides a huge range of growing conditions, which ensures a vast selection of trees can thrive. This may make walking through the arboretum a little harder, but the overall blending of trees and shrubs provides a beautiful landscape.’

Bodenham is a real family affair, with both of James’ sons now working on the estate, and although his father, David, died earlier this year, the vision with which he began Bodenham some 40 years ago, lives on in the beauty of the setting he created.

B o d e n h a m A r b o r e t u m , W o l v e r l e y , Kidderminster, Worcs DY11 5TB. Open in Nov, Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm. Tel: +44 (0)1562 852444. www.bodenham-arboretum.co.uk


ORDER BY PHONE: 0844 573 1686 - Please quote EGA76. Subscribers quote EGAS76. Phone lines open seven days a week: Monday-Friday, 9am-8pm; weekends, 9am-6pm. Minimum order value is £10 for telephone orders.

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GIVE&GROW

We celebrate the successes of Green Guardians in Gloucestershire, a Marie Curie Hospice in Newcastle and a budding young gardener from Bristol - an exciting time had by all with some fabulous end results

WORDS SUE BRADLEY

Gardeners working to enhance public spaces across Scotland are being given a £100,000 boost by the Royal Horticultural Society (left, community tree planting in North Berwick). Projects include

plans to build a physic garden for patients at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, and a new growing space at Moniack Mhor Creative Writing Centre in Kiltarlity. Meanwhile, Knockando Woollen Mill in the Spey Valley, near Aberlour, has received funding to expand an existing green space. The investment follows a successful initiative in Yorkshire from which 32 gardening groups are benefiting. ‘Our plan now is to continue to invest in grassroots gardening across the UK,’ explained RHS director general Sue Biggs.

People living in the tiny

but dynamic Hebridean

island of Colonsay have

created a garden to be

proud of. Volunteers

were mustered from a

population of just 130

to help clear an overgrown site outside the village

hall in Scalasaig (left), close to the point where the

mainland ferry lands. A community ‘strimathon’

- attendees of which included a man wielding a

scythe - revealed a wet, boggy site covered in

bramble and bracken roots and littered with

rubbish. Applications to the Woodland Trust

yielded 400 trees to provide shelter-planting for

the windswept site, while an Elspeth Thomson

Bursary provided fencing materials and paths,

together with plants to augment those donated

by local people. The islanders also contacted the

Beechgrove Garden team for advice on garden

design, and were delighted when they were

picked to be featured on the BBC TV

programme. Local development officer Morna

Piper said the enthusiasm of the islanders and

community had been amazing.

TEAM WORK

Windswept wonder

CASH BOOST

IMAGES

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�


volunteering

DID YOU KNOW? The 2013 Garden Re-Leaf Day raised £61,379 towards the work of the charity Greenfingers, which creates gardens at children’s hospices. Garden Re-Leaf events were held at garden centres throughout the UK in March. The 2014 event takes place on Friday 14 March.

Green GuardiansA charity that works with

volunteers to take care of

unused pieces of land,

and encourages school

children to grow their

own fruit and vegetables, has had two special

reasons to celebrate in 2013. For not only is the

Stroud Valleys Project (SVP) marking its silver

jubilee, but it has also just been named winner

of the Green Space Guardians category in the

National Trust’s Octavia Hill Awards. Last year

alone, SVP planted 3,120 hedgerow plants and

958 trees, with volunteers (above) giving 1,612

days of their time. This year, they launched ‘Get

Growing’, through which more than 1,500

children in 23 schools are learning to grow and

harvest food. ‘Everything we do is about

bringing people together to appreciate and

contribute to the environment,’ said SVP chief

executive Clare Mahdiyone. For more details,

visit www.stroudvalleysproject.org

If you are looking for volunteers or are involved in a project, share it by writing to us at The English Garden, Archant House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 1BB, or send an email to [email protected]

A bleak courtyard in East London has become a productive garden that is providing therapy for Armed Forces veterans (left, veteran Peter Hughes) and is a quiet spot where they can relax. The transformed space at Community Housing and Therapy’s Home Base project in East Acton is Gardening Leave’s first horticultural therapy outreach garden in the capital. It was built by ISS Facility Services Landscaping, which gave its workers’ time and most of the materials free of charge, while the raised beds were funded by facilitating organisation, The Besom, and filled with Dalefoot Compost.

Groups of corporate volunteers have played a part in securing an outstanding level five accolade from the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ scheme for the Marie Curie Hospice in Newcastle. Their enthusiasm for tasks such as spring planting and autumn clean-ups means that the grounds of the hospice provide an oasis for patients and their families (left). ‘The pride of the Marie Curie Hospice in Newcastle has to be our stunning gardens,’ said spokeswoman Jan Aitchison. ‘All the patients’ rooms open out onto the main garden, and the day care centre has an enclosed garden where patients, staff and volunteers can eat their lunch.’ www.mariecurie.org.uk

With a little bit of help from their friends

YOUNG GROWERS

mrow

NEW RELAXING GARDEN

Children in Bristol, Bath, North Somerset and Wiltshire

can take a leaf from Oliver Parkes’ book by planting a

daffodil bulb and creating a beautiful wrapper for its

pot to help raise money to support Marie Curie nurses.

Oliver (right) won first prize in a painting competition

organised as part of the charity’s ‘Mini Pots of Care’

fundraiser. The idea is for children to plant bulbs

during the autumn term and create wrappers, before

taking their daffodils home in return for a donation to

the charity. To register, visit www.mariecurie.org.uk

HOPE FROM HORTICULTURE

november 2013 The English Garden 103

A range of beautiful hand crafted steel plant supports and obelisks designed to provide architectural structure within the garden whilst also

complimenting and enhancing the plants features.

www.artisanplantsupports.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01538 753128

Woodside Farm, Clamgoose Lane Kingsley Moor, Staffordshire ST10 2EG

Visit our website or telephone to request a brochure:

November 2013 the english garden 105October 2013 the english garden 105September 2013 the english garden 105August 2013 the english garden 105July 2013 the english garden 105

ON SALE 13 NOVEMBER

PLUS� The best repeat-flowering roses

� NEW garden wildlife series

� Foraging for Christmas

treats & decorations� Raymond Blanc’s

garden goes festive� Warming winter

recipes

IMAGE

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SIN

GH

AM

GA

RD

EN

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RIC

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BLO

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*JU

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TAG

Ein our december issue...

SEASONAL COLOUR FROMHampton Court Castle Sir Harold Hillier Gardens Drummond Castle & Bressingham Gardens

Find us in selected Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and WH Smith,

and all good newsagents

SAVE £1 OFFour next issuePre-order the THE ENGLISH GARDEN DECEMBER issue and SAVE £1 OFF the cover price with FREE UK delivery! (RRP £3.99). Go to www.buyamag.co.uk/EG

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DECEM

BER

ISSUE A WEALTH OF

Winter Gardens

FREE* ESARAH RAVEN CALENDARworth £9.95

The Making of the English Gardenerby Margaret Willes

(Yale University Press,

£14.99)

This is the century that catapulted the English garden from a backwater of gentle gillyflowers and woven arbours to

a riot of striped tulips and spouting water gardens - and Willes explores these influences. With all the familiar names - the Tradescants, John Evelyn, Bishop Compton and the Duchess of Beaufort - the book gives space to exploring the connections between them and with the wider plant community. It’s a book that explores the networks of communication and exchange of ideas that allowed gardens and nurseries to develop; and with topics such as the complex web of intrigue that was the Tudor and Stuart court, Willes entices us along a fascinating path, revealing new discoveries along the way. It is indeed an inspirational book for all those fascinated by the making of the English garden. Reviewed by garden historian Twigs Way

Lost Lanesby Jack Thurston

(Wild Things

Publishing, £14.99)

Feeling inspired by our own Biker Boy’s adventures around thecountryside? (see Chris Beardshaw’s column on pg 114) Longing to spontaneously set

off and discover some hidden treasures along the way? If so, Lost Lanes, a guide to rides around southern England, is most certainly for you. Written by bike enthusiast Jack Thurston, presenter of The Bike Show on Resonance FM and writer for many well-known publications, you can certainly trust his knowledge of the landscape. Depending on whether you’d rather plan your trip around ‘Best for Families’ or ‘Best for Weekends Away’ (among others) or by region, it caters for all. The guide includes a map, info on where to get the fastest train to your starting point, and a really helpful download link for a printable paper route (leaving room in your rucksack for nibbles). Definitely recommended for the adventurous. Reviewed by Jessica Farmer

T H E R E V I E W E R

BOOKS | BLOGS | BROADSHEETS | RADIO | TV | TWITTER | ONL INE

BOOK REVIEWS

Things we LOVE

Banish the autumn blues with books on riding the country lanes and trekking in the woods; and learn to identify trees or mushrooms. Or you could try something different with an armchair tour of Venice’s finest gardens...

MORE THAN HONEY (DVD on sale 21 October)

An eye-opening documentary by Markus Imhoof, discovering and analysing the main causes of the decline of the much-loved honey bee. Certainly one to watch for all the wildlife enthusiasts out there. £12.99

F I E L D S T U D I E S CO U N C I L COMMON TREES APP

A handy tool to help identify common British trees, first by leaf type and then from a list of possible trees, with tree specifications - bark type, location, uses etc - to further your identification. Based on the FSC’s popular fold-out chart; a reliable source.

THE EDEN PROJECT BLOGwww.edenproject.com/blog

Certainly one of the best blogs for a diversity of topics. From outdoor activities to enjoy with the kids to event recommendations, plant news and tasty recipes; and with constant updates from the team, this blog is one to follow.

WANT MORE?

ENJOY MORE EXCELLENT READING

BY SUBSCRIBING TO US NOW See page 22

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Twentyeight Isles of Scilly

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Hidcote: The Garden and Lawrence Johnston By Graham S Pearson

(National Trust/Anova, £12.99)

An insight

into the

past; how

plantsman

Lawrence

Johnston

influenced

and developed Hidcote. With

photos and old newspaper

excerpts, you really get a sense

of this iconic garden. There’s

also a list of the books borrowed

by Johnston in 1905, if you want

to look further.

Dream Plants for the Natural Garden By Piet Oudolf & Henk Gerritsen

(Frances Lincoln, £20)

A reprint of

a book by

two design

gurus, this is

full of 1,200

beautiful

hand-picked

plants (perennials, grasses,

bulbs and shrubs), all usefully

arranged according to their

behaviour, strengths and uses.

A bible for those interested in

turning their garden into a

naturalistic haven.

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NOVEMBER’S FRESH PICKINGS

INTERVIEW

LITTLE TREATS Great soaps for cleaning up us green-fingered, muddy-nailed folk

Elizabeth Gilbert,

best known for her

2006 bestseller Eat,

Pray, Love, has a

written a new

novel that has

caught our eye.

A Signature

of All Things

(Bloomsbury,

£18.99) follows the great botanical

explorations of the 18th and 19th

centuries. Beautifully written, it

tells the story of Alma Whittaker,

who delves deep into the world of

botany; following in the footsteps

of her father, Henry. He began as

a vagrant under the command of

Joseph Banks of Kew Gardens,

but explored the world when put

on Captain Cook’s HMS Resolution.

Great for anyone who wishes to

learn about this period and how

it affected the botanical world of

today. We caught up with Elizabeth

to see what inspired her to write

her latest novel.

Where did the inspiration for

this novel come from?

From my first garden, which I

began when I settled down

after years of travelling. I grew

up on a Christmas tree farm

with a mother who was a master

gardener, but I thought I had

run away from that when I

moved to New York. But like

any new gardener, I wanted to

know the provenance of what

I was planting, which led me

to delve into the history of

botanical exploration.

Does any particular

place inspire you?

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,

and the Hortus Botanicus in

Amsterdam, where the novel

initially sparked, and I ran into

a 150-year-old shagbark

hickory from Pennsylvania and

thought: ‘What are you doing

here?’ And lastly, the Botanic

Garden in Tahiti.

What’s your garden like?

An English cottage garden style.

I love to look out of my window

and see a riot of indispensable

and unpragmatic beauty.

Which three garden items could

you not live without?

Bonnie, Sandy and Catherine

(one a sister, one a neighbour

and the other a friend who is a

brilliant landscaper); they are

my garden godmothers.

Interviewed by Jessica Farmer.

The Gardens of Venice and the Veneto By Jennie Condie.

Photographs by Alex Ramsay

(Frances Lincoln, £35)

The first to

really examine

the gardens

the Veneto,

including

Venice (with

images by

Alex Ramsay, who regularly

features in The English Garden)

- most of which are open to the

public. Sit back and delve deep

into the 20 magnificent gardens

and plan a trip next year.

Mushrooms & Toadstools(Dorling Kindersley,

£16.99)

A reprint

from 1996,

featuring

more than

450 species

of fungi;

all the latest

discoveries

with scaled artwork; plus a

short introduction to each with

comprehensive advice on spore

deposit, habitat, fruiting and

range. It really is the ideal guide

for any mushroom enthusiast.

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Mill Cottage soap (£4.50 each)

Handmade in Wales from high-quality,

natural plant ingredients, and no palm

oil. Great after working in the garden, it

leaves your hands silky and smelling of

sweet orange. Bespoke bars are available

with your own

imprint (see ours,

left). Available

online at www.

millcottage

soap.co.uk

GARDENS & ARBORETUMS TO VISIT HERE’S YOUR INSPIRATION FOR GREAT DAYS OUT THIS AUTUMN

P R O M OT I O N A L F E AT U R E

MARKS HALL GARDENS AND ARBORETUMCoggeshall, Essex CO6 1TG | Tel: +44 (0)1376 563796

Email: [email protected] | www.markshall.org.uk

Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum near Coggeshall provides a great day out for the whole family. Our

extensive grounds are home to an amazing tree collection with plants from all over the world in both formal

and woodland settings. A garden for all seasons - our autumn highlights include beautiful woodland walks,

magical lakeside reflections from the millennium walk, and the stunning colour of the memorial site. Also

enjoy our tea rooms, shop, plant centre and a children’s play area.

OPEN: Until 10 Nov, Tuesday to Sunday, 10.30am - 5pm, and 15 Nov - 22 Dec, Friday to Sunday 10.30 - dusk.

ABBOTSBURY GARDENSAbbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Bullers Way, Abbotsbury, Dorset DT3 4LA

Tel: +44 (0)1305 871387 | Email: [email protected]

www.abbotsburygardens.co.uk

The enchanted floodlit garden event - 17 October - 3 November 2013. Lights turned on at dusk to 8.30pm.

Magical lighting throughout the garden. Stroll along candlelit pathways surrounded by autumn colour. Hot

food available in the Colonial Restaurant and Christmas gifts in the shop. Individuals and groups welcome.

OPEN: 10am - 8.30pm during the event, normal admission applies.

THORP PERROW ARBORETUM Thorp Perrow, Bedale, North Yorkshire, DL8 2PS | Tel: +44 (0)1677 425323

Email: [email protected] | www.thorpperrow.com

100 acres of woodland to explore - join one of our guided tours. It is mixture of colours and scents throughout

the year, but is particularly stunning in autumn. A photographer’s paradise! Join our expert for a fungus foray to

find out what is edible and what is not. There are three entertaining displays a day at the bird of prey and

mammal centre - please allow plenty of time for your visit. Events throughout the year. Also enjoy the licensed

tearoom, adventure play glade, plant centre and the special group rates.

OPEN: All year round

BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3TR | Tel: +44 (0)1214 541860

Email: [email protected] | www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk

Beautiful autumn colour in acres of glorious gardens with four glasshouses. Also enjoy our woodland walk, alpine

yard, rock pool and cascade; bonsai collection, Japanese garden and lawn aviary. Our shop is well-stocked with

quality gifts, cards, plants. Also available a car park, tea room and children’s playground. Bring this cutting for a

10% DISCOUNT OFF full adult admission to gardens until 31 December 2013 (photocopies not accepted).

OPEN: Daily (except Christmas day and Boxing day), Monday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm.

THE BISHOP’S PALACE GARDENS The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2PD | Tel: +44 (0)1749 988111

Email: [email protected] | www.bishopspalace.org.uk

Stroll through 14 acres of gardens at the home of the Bishop of Bath & Wells. Crunch through fallen leaves;

watch the arboretum specimen trees change from green to red, to burnt orange and yellow; enjoy our new

sensory trail; take part in workshops and tree-inspired activities. Under 5s free.

OPEN: Daily all year round, except January. In October, 10am - 6pm; November, 10am - 4pm,

until 20 December, 10am - 4pm.

P R O M OT I O N A L F E AT U R E

BATSFORD ARBORETUM AND GARDEN CENTREBatsford Arboretum and Garden Centre, Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh

Tel: +44 (0)1386 701441 | Email: [email protected] | www.batsarb.co.uk

Enjoy spectacular autumn colour as Batsford’s maples and cherries take centre stage in a blaze of reds,

yellows, oranges and gold. Indulge yourself with homebaked foods on the deck of the Garden Terrace café;

browse new season bulbs and plants and choose from a fabulous selection of gifts and shabby chic furniture.

Call our autumn colour hotline on +44 (0)1386 701441 for up to date information. Winner of the Cotswolds

Tourism Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2013.

OPEN: Daily, 10am-5pm.

LOSELEY PARKLoseley Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU3 1HS

Tel: +44 (0)1483 304440 | Email: [email protected] www.loseleypark.co.uk

Group Visits to Loseley Park (minimum 10 people) are welcome by prior arrangement from May to September

next year. You should allow three to four hours for an enjoyable visit. Available are disabled facilities, pre-

booked catering, a gift shop, chapel and a moat walk. There’s plenty of free parking available, and coach

drivers receive complimentary refreshment vouchers, together with free entry to our beautiful gardens.

OPEN: Sunday to Thursday, Loseley House is open from May to August, 1pm – 5pm and our Walled Gardens

are open from 11am – 5pm from May to September.

ABERGLASNEY GARDENS Aberglasney Gardens, Llangathen, Carmarthenshire, SA32 8QH | Tel: +44 (0)1558 668998

Email: [email protected] | www.aberglasney.org

A heritage garden of excellence; historic Aberglasney House and Gardens is recognised as one of Wales’

finest attractions, covering 10 acres with an Elizabethan cloister garden at its heart - the only surviving

example in the UK. Excellent shop, plant sales, art exhibitions and café.

OPEN: Daily, except Christmas day; October to March, 10:30am-4pm, last entry 3pm.

BLARNEY CASTLE Blarney Castle, Blarney, Co.Cork, Ireland | Tel: +44 (0)353 21 4385252 | Email: [email protected]

www.blarneycastle.ie

Blarney Castle’s 60 acres of gardens are a joy to explore. Visit the fern garden, poison garden, Irish garden, herbaceous

borders and historic Rock Close. Make a wish on the magical wishing steps while the waterfall cascades alongside you.

Picnic by the lake or in the arboretums, but don’t forget to kiss the famous Blarney stone! Partial disabled access to base

of the castle and gardens. Facilities include Café, entrance shop and coffee shop.

OPEN: : October-April, Monday to Saturday, 9am to sundown; in summer 9am-6.30pm and Sundays in winter 9am to

sundown. Last admissions are 30 minutes before closing. Car park operates at same opening times as listed above.

The Castle, Rock Close Gardens and Lakeland Walk to Lakeside are open all year, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

SPETCHLEY PARK GARDENS Spetchley Park Gardens, Spetchley, Worcestershire, WR5 1RS | Tel: +44 (0)1453 810303

Email: [email protected] | www.spetchleygardens.co.uk

Surrounded by glorious countryside and a deer park, this 30-acre Victorian paradise has been lovingly created

to boast an enviable collection of plant treasures from every corner of the globe. We also have a fantastic tea

room serving light lunches and afternoon tea. A wonderful day out.

OPEN: Weekends only in October, 11am-5pm.

advertorial

PERFECTpots

Choose from these select pots to grace your garden

this autumn

HADDONSTONE Haddonstone is the UK’s leading manufacturer

of fine garden ornaments and architectural

stonework, from planters, statuary and sundials

to balustrades, columns and follies. Pictured

is the charming Clarence Urn from a standard

collection of over 1000 designs, in traditional,

classical and contemporary styles. Inspirational

204-page catalogue available on request.

Tel: +44 (0)1604 770711

Email: [email protected]

www.haddonstone.com

ITALIAN TERRACE Italian Terrace design and create exceptional

garden planters, vases, oil jars and wall plaques.

They use time-honoured expertise, fine Tuscan

clay and the best technology to produce robust

terracotta with a mellow colour and aged

texture. They are based in the UK and USA, and

deliver worldwide. For more information call or

visit the website.

Tel: +44 (0)1284 789666

www.italianterrace.co.uk

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J’S POTS AND POTTED GARDENS We stock an ever changing mix of antique pots in the

form of stone troughs, copper pots, old terracotta in

various sizes, stone pots, cast iron urns, hoppers for

wall pots, lead planters and more. We will also source

individually for you.

Tel: +44 (0)1905 381679 or +44(0)7930 576881


www.jsgardens.co.uk

THE POT COMPANY The Pot Company has recently introduced the palm

pot collection to its extensive range. Made from the

trunks of palm trees, these pots are hand carved

to create a unique and striking look that will add

depth to any garden or landscaping project. The Vas

Langkai, pictured left, utilises most of a trunk and is

available in 1.2m, 1.5m and 1.8m sizes, from £162.

The Jambang, pictured right, is a large round planter

that’s been hollowed out and sanded, leaving a

smooth and rich exterior. It is available in 55cm and

60cm sizes, from £230. Both styles are perfect to use

in contemporary or Mediterranean settings. Please

do not hesitate to contact us for more information

on any of our ranges, which also includes fibreclay,

polystone and terracotta planters.

Tel: +44 (0)1892 890353


www.thepotco.com

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TEL: +44 (0) 1242 264786 EMA

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Shop with usFOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT US AT

WWW.THEENGLISHGARDEN.CO.UK

NEW TO THE SHOP THIS MONTH

BULBS AND SEEDS

FASHION

GREENHOUSES

GREENHOUSESHEDGING AND TOPIARY

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Shop with usFOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT US AT

WWW.THEENGLISHGARDEN.CO.UK

PET SERVICES

PLANTS

PEONIESBinny Plants, Ecclesmachan, West Lothian, EH52 6NLt. 07753 626 117 | e. [email protected]

Over 300 varieties Herbaceous - Intersectional - TreeFREE full colour catalogue

WILDFLOWER FARMProducers of native wildflower seeds, plants,

bulbs and trees since 1978

NATIVE CORNFIELDANNUALS SEED MIX• 100g - £4.80• 1kg - £41.00

LAPWING MEADOWS, COACH GAP LANE,LANGAR, NOTTS NG13 9HPTELEPHONE 01949 860592

Opening Times: 11am - 5.30pm April 1st - Sep 30thFREE ADMISSION!

www.naturescape.co.uk | [email protected]

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

CLIMATISED COATINGSELIMINATES HOUSE PAINTING

Climatised coatings are a superb range of external wall coatings that are tough, flexible, durable and weatherproof

• High build breathing coating suitable for all types of external walls• All latest colourings available• Nationwide service with 30 years experience• Guaranteed not to flake, peel or chip for 10 years• Not affected by acid rain or a salt laden atmosphere• Breathing Coating

This resurfacing is applied by high pressure spray by our own fully trained staff

All our work is done by our own highly trained personnel,to an exceptionally high standard of detail, rarely seen these days.

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To: Climatised Coatings (UK) Ltd, Freepost, Chester CH2 1ZZ or telephone Chester (01244) 378488

www.climatisedcoatingsuk.co.uk

WEB SERVICES

ROSESFor Every SPECIAL

OCCASIONTel: 01939 210380

OVER 1000 Varieties to Choose From

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

Happy Birthday

Special Anniversary

Specialist growers of rarer more unusual perennials.

PERHILL PLANTSONLINE SHOP

www.perhillplants.co.ukTel: 01299 896329. email: [email protected]

Mail order catalogue available (six 2nd class stamps please)

FREE UK delivery. For delivery overseas please add £3 for Europe or £5 to the rest of the world.Please allow up to 28 days for delivery.

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Take a look inside England’smost beautiful homes

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We’re looking forward toSummer 2013 with inspirationand information on to help you

find the best things for yourhome, plus some glorious

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the fabulous biker boy

Mountain magicChris Beardshaw cycles off to Europe and the Pyrenees, where he discovers familiar plants thriving in more challenging situations than our coddled British borders

My c o l u m n this month i s r a t h e r

unusual as instead of being based around the UK, this time it’s all about the mountainous

region of the Pyrenees. The reason for this departure from the norm is because a few weeks ago I took part in a road cycle race from Catalonia to South West France, crossing the Pyrenees and covering 750km - all in seven days. You might have forgiven me for not noticing anything about the breathtaking scenery, stunning views, historic towns and villages and the botanical riches of the area but, even though the trip was gruelling, I did look out for and appreciate a huge amount of floral treats on my way.

I was cycling with a couple of friends from the UK, and we joined a larger group, the infamous Black Widows Cycle Club, just outside Barcelona. We were given our weekly briefing and issued with our team kit - which was mostly pink! We had a list of 20 mountains to climb, so for those on the ball that equated to three mountain

climbs a day! It was blisteringly hot

the first day - we started about an hour and a half

northwest of Barcelona, at the foothills of the Pyrenees, and commenced the first mountain. As we made our way around, I became extremely aware of the differing habitats and environments. The river valleys were softly winding with wetlands and deciduous forests rich in ferns, covering much of the valley plain. When in full sun, the heat was extremely intense, but by contrast as we made our way through the wooded areas, the smell of the moisture and ferns was quite startling.

As the climbs progressed a little higher, I noticed they were still cultivating hay meadows, which you would have thought

were quite late for September, and they were very short, around shin height. They were also florally rich and not sown meadows - this was just the natural wildflowers seeding themselves.

As I made my way round the relentless hairpin bends, we came out of the tree line and into scrubby vegetation, where I realised it was possible to see the plants’ ecosystems first hand. There is no subtlety about this type of region - it is either a completely exposed site that is windswept or under snow for many months of the year, or there are cracks and crevices in which to cling, or boggy areas due to the constant trickling of water. The sundews, Drosera rotundifolia, caught my eye as I saw them basking in a sunny fertile spot.

Along the routes, I saw various types of

iris, oenothera, Digitalis lutea, aconitum, Sedum alpestre, Veratrum album, Eryngium campestre and Tragopogon crocifolius.I found the sheer amount and intensity of wildflower on display surprising. I also found it really exciting to see many of our known garden plants growing in these mountain terrains, but instead of being pampered and nurtured as they are in a UK garden centre, plants such as aconitum and oenothera were just hanging out of the hedgerows and cliffs. I think we forget, when we tend to our herbaceous borders, that many of our plants originate and thrive in more challenging conditions. The biggest

difference is they are much smaller and shorter than we would be used to. When you see them in the wild, they are

thriving, but not overly showy, as their stature is reduced with the conditions.

Among the plants more native to the area were the Pyrenean bellflower (Campanula speciosa), the alpine aster (Aster alpinus) and two types of saxifrage, S. aspera and S. longifolia (the Pyrenean saxifrage). Given that I saw such spectacles of flowers a couple of months after their peak, then I guess it would be staggering to visit during the main summer season.

Maybe that’s a visit I need to book - but without the racing next time! �

I found it exciting to see many of our known garden plants growing in mountainous terrain

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