East Haddon is a small attractive village 8 miles from Northampton and the graceful gates to the hall were wide open.

Old, old trees, with wide trunks and twisted branches survive along the drive,

and through the branches we are able to catch sight of the magnificent Georgian grade 1 listed building.

The garden first opened for the NGS in 1928 and was described in the Yellow Book as being surrounded by 8 acres of parkland; so I was surprised to find neatly mown lawns and not the grazed type of a country estate. I was worried that my interpretation of parkland was incorrect and a subsequent search in the Oxford dictionary provided me with the definition of parkland as ‘open grassy land with scattered groups of trees’, well, that is exactly what it is.

Set in the lawn to the left of the house, on the west side is a colourful circular border,

which can be reached from the ‘lion steps’. Before descending we stay on the path following the border of roses, still in bloom and the name of which the owner has sadly forgotten.

While the Squire Henry Sawbridge in 1780 chose his spot wisely, the view is magnificent,

the builder sensibly put no door on this northerly aspect. The present owner bought the house in 1989 and undertook much restoration to the house, he tells us that you can see the view right through from the front door.

An elegant  fountain graces the centre of the sweeping lawns on the north side.

Returning along the west side a pink border is dominated by hydrangeas lies just below the low wall.

This is really the only part of the garden with flowers, recorded as having an input from the Lutyens/ Jekyll partnership, the sundial and steps appear to be the only remnants of the original design.

Further along and through the clumps of trees a willowy X marks the spot! Behind is an informal pond.

Mature trees spread out on the lawn and include this handsome Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa, a tree thought to be introduced by the Romans it is not to be confused, and is no relation to the Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum which was first introduced from Turkey in the 16th Century.

From under the tree canopy we look towards the south side of the house. Used as a military hospital during the First World War, a maternity hospital during the second, it then became a girls school for some 20 years. What a medley of mankind have walked through that magnificent front door and enjoyed these grounds

Fresh white Iceberg roses with their lengthy flowering season are a good choice in front of the stable block built in the 1950s,

and a collection of geraniums brighten the yard between house and stables. Nothing beats the view through the modern archway.

The variety of stone and terracotta containers are overflowing.

It is containers, statues, fine garden ornaments and architectural stonework that we find across the road in the Haddonstone Show Garden.

The business which manufactures artificial stone  was established in 1971 by Bob Barrow (1932 – 1996).

His Manor house where he lived with his family became the original showrooms displaying an increasing variety of ornamental and architectural cast stone. The Orangery stands at the end of the top lawn is serving teas in aid of the local school today.

Despite an air of  commercialism you can feel that the series of gardens have been very much part of a family life.

Even on a wet day the pool is so inviting with its classical pillars clothed in climbers,

and these three ancients, Brutus, Bacchus and Bacchante, not known for their swimming skills, are keeping watch at the far end.

The sound of water is everywhere either gently spilling out over in the ‘Neapolitan’ fountain,

splashing down the tiers of the ‘Eton College Fountain’,

or simply spouting from mouths.

Areas divide into rooms which are either clipped and formal

or relaxed and free flowing.

The elements Earth, Air, Fire and Water are represented in these charming little guys who turn their backs to the tennis court and line the grassy pathway.

Each design is hand made using moulds created within the company’s studios and in time they weather to look like the natural stone.

The Regency Urn on a pedestal looks just as good empty as it does planted.

And why not give those doves a classical lift.

Powerful eagles, perhaps designed in mind for the American market,  guard this rustic brick gateway.

Through the entwined and moss-covered branches of the apple orchard we are drawn towards a circular bed,

where ‘the Gardener’ stands amongst colourful cosmos. Was it his twin we spied in a similar situation up at the Hall?

It is not all stone ornament, a box topiary is taking shape

A path runs between the wooden pergola and perennial border and the Hadrian vase at the end becomes a focal point.

An entrance in the yew hedge bring us on to the middle lawn where a gothic jardiniere grandly fills the space.

Plants overflow from the ‘Raphael’ pool sited on the bottom lawn it is overlooked by the church tower of St. Mary the Virgin.

Will Shakespeare and Inigo Jones, the latest designs taken from the Sir John Soane Museum stand waiting to entertain diners on the patio by the house.

We cross the road to find the gate is open to the well-maintained Jubilee Garden, an overflow where yet more ornaments and structures can be found,

and the sound of water continues to be heard; the water tower built in 1890 and, I imagine, not for sale, stands high above the Bayeux Fountain on the lawn below, looking good with the spires of bold acanthus.

The classical pavilion is ready to complement the landscape of any stately home here or abroad,

whilst the ruined gothic grotto looks as though it has been here for years.

It is not just a show room but an English country garden.

The collection is vast and one might wonder why you would wish to adorn your garden with any one of these items.  Consider for a moment the words of the designer David Hicks 1929 – 1998 which appear in the hefty Haddonstone brochure:

Garden ornaments provide emphasis and accent in a garden, drawing the eye in a particular direction. Most ornaments, because they are solid and static objects such as urns, seats, columns or statues provide a contrast with the living things around them.

Too large are the items to pop in the car but a pint sized owl, affordable too, is being offered for sale today,  we can’t help thinking it is the wisest of purchases.

 

——-62 & 63 ——-

The Norfolk NGS have for the past few years taken a stand at the Sandringham Flower Show. Tucked away in the Horticultural Marquee it has been hard work trying to compete with the commercial growers with their fine displays of clematis, roses and perennials.

This year, our ninetieth anniversary we were invited to have our own marquee situated on the Royal Route. The show has been running for 136 years and is organised by a hard working and efficient team of volunteers. David the Chairman rang me sometime last autumn to chat about the stand, and suggested in the nicest possible way that the stand might benefit from a little more than just a little old grey haired lady with a pile of booklets.

I quickly checked in with my hairdresser and under my highlights wondered how on earth to fill that empty space 6m x 6m marquee.

The answer is you call upon the most artistic and professional of your garden owners to help; Karen Roseberry who lives at Yeoman’s Cottage (open on Sunday 20th August) had already created some eye catching posters for us that we have displayed along the empty walls of the busy corridors of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.

Sandringham was one of the original gardens to be open in 1927 and has supported the scheme continually every year since. We felt it important to display this historical information and so Karen created a poster especially for the show:

The next problem was how to display them? Fiona, co-County Organiser came up with the idea of trellis. I pegged out the area on my lawn and decided that three 6′ X 6′ trellis panels would be suitable. However not so easy to find; yes everyone could supply 5ft but not 6ft and time was running out. Fakenham Garden Centre, regular advertisers in our booklet promised to deliver by Monday, just a day before we were due to set up the stand, and they did.

Matt, who once trained as a gardener at Sandringham has always lent a hand at the show. Well, not only a hand, it is usually a truck which this time he loaded up with the trellis panels, wheelbarrow, plants and any other props we might have lying around. With my car also filled to capacity we set off  to the show ground.

We opened up our empty marquee and Martin, the Head Gardener at Sandringham kindly lent us two arrangements from the main garden. Lacking suitable containers, we were not exactly sure how to use them.

Matt hammered in the angle irons and tied on the trellis. Head Office supplied some banners, the type that pull up and stand alone, great in an office but on uneven grass they need support. We decided to reject one of the banners, a white haired lady serving tea, purely an act of ageism I fully admit.

Soon we filled the space. On the lefthand side we displayed the merchandise from Head Office, tea towels and bags but sadly no aprons which had already sold out and inevitably was the one item that everyone wanted.

In the centre the display of posters was enhanced with plants purloined from our gardens.

And on the right, the raffle, table and chairs. Celebration fruit cake and tea pot would arrive the next day.

Newly painted Daisy combined with faithful yellow wheelbarrow provided suitable containers for Martin’s arrangements and the stand was complete. EAT YOUR HEART OUT CHELSEA!

Traffic is not the show’s speciality so the next morning the team, five of us in all arrived in good time. We were surprised to find spectators already seated with their own chairs opposite our marquee.

NGS Chairman Martin McMillan and his wife Pat dropped in from Cheshire, whilst the Chairman of the Sandringham Show briefed us on protocol. On arrival of the Royal party everyone should remain inside the marquee except for Graham, NGS Norfolk publicity officer who would look after HRH the Duchess of Cornwall, and myself as County Organiser would receive HRH the Prince of Wales.

It was a long wait. The route was roped off. Police were posted along the way, 60 of them to be precise. The sniffer dogs came through and thankfully never found the fruit cake. The crowds gathered; some 20,000 visitors were expected. And while the Royals were enjoying themselves in the Wl tent,

 

we waited. A voice was heard at the back of the tent; security had not allowed my husband in. Although a young policeman had insisted on standing in front of Daisy, we had built up a good relationship and when I explained the low security risk he kindly allowed him in. We continued to wait.

Somebody asked the way to the open garden, only to be disappointed that it was just our stand.

And then the rain came. Luck would have it as I was not sure how I was going to herd our enthusiastic Chairman back into the tent.

The royal umbrellas finally arrived and Graham, a bit of a charmer,  took the Duchess aside, helped her on with her coat and explained that the reason she was here was because her husband was our patron.

Then the Patron himself arrived, so versed in this line of work he effortlessly moved around greeting the team until I introduced him to my husband.

I would like to add at this point that this is not just any old husband but my chief editor, under gardener, and complete hardy perennial and although he nearly missed the boat this time, he is always there for me. I quietly disclosed to HRH that husband and he had shared a garden some sixty years ago at prep school, and thinking that this might go over his head I was surprised when in a moment of recognition he remembered that husband comes from the Channel Islands.

Prep school chat ensued and the conversation moved on to Queen Alexandra, Sandringham and the National Garden Scheme.  Prince Charles appeared to enjoy his visit, and the highlight for all of us was he concluded his visit by announcing that he was justly proud to be our patron.

The next day a picture of Daisy appeared in the Eastern Daily Press with three NGS ladies, not a grey hair amongst them!

——-NGS——-

 

 

It was about time I visited a group opening, so several Sundays ago I set out to see a collection of gardens opening their gates in the Leicestershire village of Willoughby Waterleys some 8 miles south of Leicester. Keen on following hounds, my daughter volunteered to accompany me not because she is a gardener but because she had only previously seen the countryside during the winter months.

We drove straight to our first garden, Willoughby Lodge Farm, situated down a track a little distance out of the village and where the family have lived for the past sixteen years. In the centre of the wide expanse of lawn was a formal pond and views across to the fields and hedges of the gentle rolling Leicestershire countryside.

Walls run along either side of the lawn with colourful mixed borders in front. The yew pyramids were inherited from the previous owner and give a maturity to what is essentially a young garden.

The artichoke asserts itself boldly in the border.

Below the lawn is a more wild area; we walk through the open wrought iron gate and follow the mown path through the long grass around the pond,

to what is described as a summerhouse, but in reality is more like a snug log cabin with a wood burner.

 

We re-enter the garden through the door in the wall, where a small and narrow, pear clad pergola underplanted with lavender leads us back on to the lawn.

Over on the other side is an enclosed brick area, previously some sort of building but now a quiet place to sit and enjoy the roses tumbling over the walls.

Driving back into the village we stopped in the Main Street to visit High Meadow. To the front of the house is a sunken lawn with a weeping willow and, walking up the short drive we enter the garden to the right of the house.

The sound of trickling water from a fountain greets us with a display of giant hostas and geranium at the base.

The reason the owners bought the house was for the views over the hedge. They had the garden professionally designed and, although it is quite compact there is plenty of space for a neat lawn,

a good sized shepherd hut with beautiful white agapanthus ‘Arctic Star’,

and opposite an ornamental vegetable garden.

The lovely clematis ‘Polish Spirit’ climbs over the trellis fencing;  it has the added attraction of being resistant to clematis-wilt.

Before visiting our third garden, Kapalua, we find the field to park the car and it is obvious that we are not the only visitors today.

Kapalua, a holiday resort in Hawaii was the name given to the property by the previous owners. Entrance to this small garden is alongside the decking containing the hot tub, from where the owners can relax, dream of holidays and enjoy the fine view over the garden and the countryside beyond.

A decorative touch of recycling is hung in the hedge,

and striking blue vases rise up from a central  flower bed.

The planting in the borders is also colourful, with lush pink monarda, purple cotinus and creamy phlox.

whilst close to the house are the more subtle tones of herbs.

Before the next garden we call in on the village hall, built originally as a National School in 1846. It is now a listed building serving the community. Today delicious teas are being served and we are delighted that Rosie the terrier seems very content to be amongst us.

A basket of begonia blooms greets us at the front of Orchard Road, the next and smallest of the gardens.

Slipping round the back we are taken by the glorious clematis with its deep purple flowers a few of which seem to pale at the top.

Well kept and tidy the garden has plenty of colour and greenery,

and the leaves of the hostas are spotless.

There is even a tiny fountain playing energetically.

Elmwood, Church Farm Lane is just a short distance away and we enter the garden down by the side of the house past runner beans and a cage of blueberries.

The shed at the bottom of the garden is partially screened by shrubs and a suitable place for patio with table and chairs.

The charming clematis Duchess of Albany scrambles over the fence.

A platform of decking stretches along the length of the bungalow and is decorated  by pots of standard oleanders.

A pear tree laden with fruit grows against the neighbour’s fence, and this is the garden we go to next.

The sun has come out now and at 2 Church Farm Lane, the garden is busy with visitors.

We chat to the the garden owner, the former post mistress, and it is obvious that gardening fills her time now. At the bottom of the garden are the raised beds of vegetables,

and a delightful wigwam of sweet peas.

In the greenhouse perfect bunches of ‘Black Hamburg’ grapes are waiting to ripen.

A raised pond with a variety of plants connects the productive area with the lawn,

Where a little summer house is the perfect place to enjoy one’s retirement.

Further along Church Farm Lane is Farmway, with its front garden richly planted and full of interest.

 To the right of the bungalow we follow the path edged with saxifrage that takes us into the garden behind.

Lavender and arches of roses fill a central pathway dividing the garden, so that vegetables are to the right,

and lawn with colourful borders to the left.

Planting is colour themed with the pinks of lavatera, dierama x clementii and monarda blending together.

and the yellows of achillea, echinacea and a choisya put on a fine show together.

The air is filled with the fragrance from these giant lilies.

Returning to our car we pop our heads into the Norman Church decorated with flowers, where is a short film is being shown about the local birdlife.

The final garden, John’s Wood is a little way out of the village. At the entrance we are informed that this is:

‘Definitely not a garden but a nature reserve for wild flowers, insects, mammals, reptiles and birds.’

And John wants to share his passion with us. In 2006 he was able to acquire the one and half acres, originally a wheat field, and planted a thousand native trees. Photographs show him amongst the saplings with his granddaughters.

He directs us down the side of the wood where a notice informs us that if the worst happens to the 300 Ash trees they will be replaced with hornbeam and birch.

The pond was installed in 2011 and it looks as though it has been there for ever.

In a clearing there is a hut which John jokingly calls ‘the visitor centre’. Six fruit trees have been planted and a raised platform, known as the pulpit which is supposed to give a view over the tree canopy, however the canopy has beaten us to it! The pink rose Blushing Lucy, the name of a granddaughter is planted to climb up against the steps.

John is keen to pass on his knowledge and notice boards inform us of the wildlife, fauna and flora. Tucked under the steps there is a touch of humour too.

Running along the edge of the wood a strip of  perennial wild flowers is a haven for many varieties of butterflies.

Further along the delightful mix of annuals are in flower; yellow corn marigold, white corn camomile, red corn poppy, blue cornflower and pale purple corn cockle.

The insects and butterfly are loving it.

We could continue along the path running by the hawthorn hedge, but instead we cut back and take the shaded ‘curly wurly’ path through the centre of this precious wood. It is the result of one man’s dream and his passion to pass it on to the next generation.

John’s dedication to trees is expressed in the profound writings by Herman Hesse that are displayed on a board by the wood, it is perhaps easier to read here: http://www.naturalthinker.net/trl/texts/Hesse,Hermann/trees.html.

We have admired great variety from this group set in the Leicestershire countryside.  The joy of a collection  is that it allows for the inclusion of not only small gardens into the scheme but also the slightly unusual. It is a glimpse into a community brought together through a love of horticulture.

——-61——-

 

 

 

Returning home from Nottinghamshire following a lovely post-wedding lunch I could not resist popping through the open garden gate in the village of Sutton-on-Trent 8 miles north of Newark.

Just as I arrived there was a cloudburst and conveniently by the entrance was a greenhouse where I hastily took shelter. Here there was a small display showing pictures of the development of the site. It is always so interesting to be able to marvel at the before and after.

Kathryn and Ian have owned the plot for over 30 years; originally living in the next door house they have built the bungalow and reawakened the garden in the past five years.

A long wooden pergola connects the gate to the bungalow, running alongside the windowless side of the building.

Clad in virginia creeper parthenocissus quinquefolia, planted just two years ago,the structure and the path take a right angle turn towards the front door.

The word pergola is from the latin pergula and refers to a projecting eave; here it is exactly that. It is interesting to think that the building of pergolas has been going on for thousands of years; used by garden makers of the Egyptians and Romans, it was revived during the Renaissance period and then many years later became much beloved by the Edwardians;  constructed in different materials, pergolas have really stood the test of time. When did they first appear in England? Well, it was the diarist and great garden visitor John Evelyn who mentioned the word ‘pergola’ in 1645 when he described the cloister of Trinita dei Monti in Rome. He then uses the word in an English context some years later in 1654 when he writes of a ‘pergola’ built by the fifth Earl of Pembroke.

Looking left out from this pergola through a riot of colour, we can see the top pond, dug out in 2015; it is looks as if it has always been there.

The statuesque Angelica gigas, and the dahlia ‘Honka Fragile’ mingle with bright orange crocosmia,

and amongst is exotic green Giant Pineapple lily eucomis pole-evansii.

I have encountered amongst some gardeners a slight snobbery about planting yellow, an attitude that I have not really understood.  Here garden owner Kathryn loves the brightness of the colour and the flat heads of achillea look very effective against the big red leaves of the banana.

If you dig out a pond the spoil has to be put somewhere, so drifts are spread under the mature trees which makes for a pleasing undulation,

and a mound of spoil at the bottom of the garden makes a raised bed planted up with shade loving plants.

This quirky head close by appears to echo the same tilt of the border.

It is not hedges that divide the different areas but lively borders filled with generous plantings varying from herbaceous to tropical.

The golden oat stipa gigantea is a perfect punctuation for the corner of the house.

A succession of ponds glide down through the garden with a bridge adding structural focus to the lowest and final pond.

Moving on round the garden I find heads venerably bowed at the entrance of the woodland walk,

where wood chip paths guide you right around the back of the property; cool and shaded, it is a complete contrast to the front garden.

Tree ferns dicksonia antartica command a presence in the fernery where there are 65 different types of fern.

There is nothing more pleasing than a neatly arranged wood stack just waiting for those winter fires.

The path leads to a garden house positioned in the corner of the plot, acting like a pivot sending the path off to the right.

Looking back you can see that the tree canopy has been raised here and the dapple shade allows for a few acers to grow.

A face in stone seems content in catching the sunlight,

and I find myself back at the beginning. The mown lawn separates the wooded perimeter from the rich planted borders against the walls of the bungalow and together they gently swirl around the property. The building is grounded well into the garden and it is hard to believe that just five years ago much of this would not have been here.

The garden gate is closing now so I must retreat back along the tedious A17. This was the second garden that I have visited in Nottinghamshire, a county that enjoys some 58 opening for the NGS;  I am sure that I will return.

——-60——-

It is my elder son’s wedding today and so it seems appropriate to write about a garden that he and I both visited a few weeks ago and which has a view of the magnificent building he will be married in.

The garden gate was open at Park Farm, Southwell in Nottinghamshire.

The owners Ian and Vanessa have lived here for over 30 years and it is obvious that much of their time must have been spent in the garden. The borders are packed with plants, the familiar mixed with the unusual in an explosion of colour throughout.

Standing with our back to the house in the centre of the lawn is a spreading old Bramley apple tree. It was in Southwell that the Bramley apple actually originated; in 1809 the pips were planted by a young girl named Mary Ann Brailsford who grew the seedling in her garden. In 1846 the cottage, garden and apple tree were then sold to a local butcher, Matthew Bramley. Ten years later local nurseryman Henry Merryweather asked if he could take cuttings from the tree and Bramley agreed but insisted that the apple should bear his name.

The first recorded sale of a Bramley was noted in Merryweather’s accounts on 31st October 1862 when he sold “three Bramley apples for 2/- to Mr Geo Cooper of Upton Hall”. On 6 December 1876, the Bramley was highly commended at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Fruit Committee exhibition.

Long herbaceous borders run parallel, from the steps to the end of the garden.

We are entertained with many combinations such as blue eryngium and pink penstemon, 

bright lobelia cardinalis gives height behind the soft salvias pink and purple. Ian is particularly fond of the salvias and has a collection of over 30 both perennial and tender.

Vegetables and fruit are arranged in an area behind the hedge of finely clipped yew.

The bushes in the fruit cage are bursting with currants. Not so easy to buy and in my opinion a jelly yet to be commercially perfected. Redcurrant has to be the one fruit to grow.

Near to the fruit is a riot of lilies; they were never planted, and are completely self-seeded so Ian is unable to give them a name.

We follow the twisting paths set behind one side of the herbaceous borders returning towards the house.  The planting is more relaxed spilling onto the path.

Through the shrubs, of which there are over 500 varieties, we often catch a glimpse of the towering Minster.

The perennial Giant Fennel, ferula communis is competing for height and looking particularly spectacular.

There is a touch of topiary about the garden, sited either at the end of a border,

standing like sentinels by the path,

or just standing singularly by the gate into the meadow.

The field is separated from the garden by that cunning design element so beloved by the 17th century garden makers, the ha-ha.

Ian and Vanessa had it built and there is no doubt it remains a brilliant design concept, keeping the grazing livestock out but with no obtrusive fencing it enables one to enjoy a continuous and uninterrupted vista of whatever you are fortunate enough to have in the distance.

Keeping within the ha-ha we walk through the wild flower meadow to the wildlife pond which is busy with insect life.

Very different from the borders on the other side of the garden but seemingly natural is a fine rockery/alpine area lying between house and pond.

In the woodland, there is a wide variety of trees, and dry wood chip paths guide us through the dappled shade,

and amongst the woodland flora are little gems like Lysimachia paridiformis var. stenophylla,

and francoa sonchifolia, also known as the wedding flower.

Coming out of the wood into the drive we pop our heads into the glasshouse which has a glorious abundance of grapes.

The final part of the garden lies on the other side of the drive opposite the house. A walled area has been cleared for a more formal pond where there is a gentle sound of water trickling down the metal leaf fountain.

Lawn surrounds the pond and shining out from the border is a glorious spray of rosa Lady Emma Hamilton with her fruity fragrance.

Tucked in by the wall is the intriguing amicia zygomeris from Mexico.

Driving away we cannot help but admire the fresh and lovely cestrum parqui, the willow-leaved jessamine, slightly tender I wonder at its unlikely survival in a cold Norfolk garden.

Much has interested us in this delightful 3 acre garden. Ian is a real plantsman and the many different areas he has created provide a rich diversification in habitat and a greater variety of planting.

You will have missed the open day for this year so there is plenty of time to plan a trip to Southwell next year, and what better combination than a pretty Georgian Town, a Glorious Minster and a Great Garden.

The bells of the Minster will be summoning us soon, so I must hurry now, shake out my hat and find my shoes. I will be thinking of Vanessa and Ian for their son is to be married too.

 ——-59——-

 

Back in May I spent a few days on a Garden History trip in Essex and one of the many interesting places we visited was Marks Hall near Coggeshall.  Arriving rather late in the day and with 200 acres to explore we had to get a move on, first walking over the bridge.

There is no Hall as such, having fallen into ruin it was taken down in the 1950s. It must have been a magnificent country house as seen in the photo that I have borrowed from the website of the University of Essex where you can find out about the history of the property: http://markshall.essex.ac.uk/history.html

A view of the Hall with the same bridge in the foreground.

The estate is now administered by the Thomas Phillips Price Trust. Price bought the estate in 1898 and bequeathed it to the nation in the interests of agriculture, arboriculture and forestry, and it was first opened to the public in 1993.

We walk past the Coach House, now a wedding venue and flower garden, which is firmly closed in preparation of the next event.

The tree collection represents the temperate areas of the world and most are in good condition and well labelled. One of the first trees we admire is the variegated Common Beech, fagus sylvatica ‘Albovariegata’.

Along the south side of the lake is the Birkett Long Millennium walk where the trees and shrubs were planted to provide autumn and winter colour. Right now there appears to be a white theme running through which, combined with the fresh green growth of the leaves is both beautiful and calming. Such specimens as Cornus kousa chinensis “China Girl” are showing a spectacular display,

and should not to be confused with Cornus contreversa.

The flowers of Euonymus hamiltonianus “Winter Glory” are dainty and white,

which contrast well with viburnum plicatum “Mareisii,”

they compliment the stunning snow white bark of the old favourite Betula utilis var. jacquemontii.

Not so very white, but intriguing is the bark of Betula davurica, the Asian black birch.

Through the trees and across the other side of the lake we catch sight of the Walled Garden. The lakes, so the story goes, were dug by Cromwell’s troops at the time of the siege of Colchester in 1648.

There are many different woodland walks but being in a hurry we have ignore the paths through the Taxodium Swamp and the World War II Memorial Site for another day. We are still in time for the garden gate to be open to the Walled Garden.

Three sides of this 18th century garden is walled with the south side open where the length of lawn, effectively mown with two heights of cut, gently runs down to the lake side.

We can look back across to those shrubs and trees through which we have just walked, reflecting in the water.

The Walled Garden was redesigned by landscape architect Brita von Schoenaich in 1999 who has divided the garden into a number of unusual areas. Incidentally Schoenaich who is famed for her sustainable planting, recently designed the square which lies in front of the newly restored London King’s Cross station.

The herbaceous border which runs along the length of the top wall is 160 metres and thought to be the longest in East Anglia. A rich variety of shrubs and perennials are grown and in the front of the border is a generous planting of Iris pallida ‘Variegata’,

whilst Echium pininana reaches for the sky.

Further along sits the handsome peacock at home in his secure surroundings.

The first part of the garden is in the form of an earth sculpture, a giant’s footprint.

which  then moves into an area where the pittosporum hedge gently weaves backwards and forwards between planting and benches.

 

The simple planting of the next area reminds me of the centre of a French village where boule is gently played under the shade of the trees.

There is in fact a large concrete boule or two, and the line of square concrete slabs are softened and interplanted with square slabs of box.

A wide path bordered by mown grass crosses semi-circles of smooth slate swirling between allium and geranium.

Finally through the shaped hornbeam hedges we arrive at a circular grass mound, the smoothness contrasted by the round of rough slate in the centre.

Stipa gigantea, well advanced in these sheltered walls seems the antithesis of the clipped box balls.

Various types of olearia are happy here, in particular olearia x scilloniensis 

and like a full stop at the end of the wall is euphorbia mellifera.

Rather than taking the obvious route back straight across the grass I decide to walk back through the designed spaces. It is the form and structure, the mixture of hard materials combined with a variety of planting, seemingly simple that makes the design of this garden so enjoyable.

Slipping back through the opening in the hornbeam I follow the slate path,

back through the ‘boules allee’

and on down to the lake where the brick bridge reflects in the water and I am reminded that although I am in a  walled garden I am also in a large arboretum.

Hurrying back we follow the line of the river passing a smaller wisteria-clad bridge

and the line of heavily pollarded “White willow” Salix alba ‘Britzensis’.

There is plenty we have not been able to see and we look forward to returning.  Marks Hall is not open on a specific day for the NGS but like some other public gardens it is listed in the Gardens to Visit book because they are kind enough to make a donation. For visiting times: http://www.markshall.org.uk/visitor-information/. It is well worth a trip but do allow plenty of time.

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The garden gate will be open this Sunday 16th July on the north side of the centre of Norwich, not far from Waterloo Park. The garden has evolved over 30 years and is very much an extension to the late 1920s / early 1930s house.

Selwyn, an artful designer by trade has taken the matter in hand and redesigned his NGS poster.

The front garden despite its modest size is not without interest. A touch of railway nostalgia mingles with the mature plants.

The low wooden seat recycled from public transport is now going nowhere,

and a clock, which has never stopped at five indeed, looks as if it never will.

A noble Wollemi pine, an endangered species, is of some height now and in no danger, here displaying  both its female and male cones.

Access to the back garden is to the right of the pot of giant lilies and through an enclosed passageway; creatively decorated it connects house, garage and studio to the garden.

As we enter the luxuriously green garden Selwyn winds down the awning and the space immediately becomes a glorious outside room.

This chap, with furrowed brow finds it all an enormous strain,

whilst this lady emerges serenely from the corner.

The collection of robust green plants  so varied and textural is calming,

and the patterns in the fronds of the ferns are exquisite.

The path leads either side of the central bed,

which is packed with healthy plants such as tree ferns, cotinus, hosta and arum lily. I feel as if I am in a garden at Chelsea.

Leaves are unblemished, almost perfect; a bud is emerges quietly on a magnolia.

Plants are arranged to complement one another and the silver veins of the leaves are picked up by the pure white of the birch trunk.

The garden is essentially divided into three parts and we leave the first and emerge out onto the lawn. You would never have guessed this architectural top once housed an air conditioning unit.

The lawns are totally weed free, mown and edged to perfection. Selwyn, who has opened for the NGS for five years, has just recently acquired a couple of pieces of sculpture and what better place to site them. You can feel the movement in this from all the way round.

Through the archway which leads into the third garden we can see the second piece pivoted centrally on the lawn. I wonder at its balance,

and on closer inspection I find the structure to be well supported.

A neighbour keenly watches us from the fence.

Behind the sculpture, the boundary wall which could be straight and flat is given a life and character by the addition of a little ornament.

We return through the wooden arch

admiring the arrangement and display of pots.

Joining the property is a garden room. No ordinary place to keep the tools and paraphernalia, on the outside it appears to be a butcher

whilst on the inside it is a saloon. Teas will be served in here on the Open Day and what a great place to enjoy that cuppa and home-baked cake.

Everywhere plants and objects are laid out, becoming an art form in themselves.

We end our visit walking along the neat bricked path back towards the house,

stopping to admire the Chilean fire bush embothrium coccineum against the wall,

and the oh so perfect pot of hostas.

A small garden it may be but there is so much to admire; artistry, humour and rich planting. It is an example that a garden does not have to be large to hold your interest.

Open this Sunday 16th July it is just one of five gardens unlocking their gates across the county of Norfolk. A great variety indeed,  I have to hurry for mine is opening too!

 

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Yvonne kindly invited me to visit her garden at Hickling in the Norfolk Broads. I ran a search of Hickling village and found a very informative website http://www.hickling-village-norfolk.co.uk/ which even gives the current weather. Unfortunately I didn’t check immediately before I set off;  at home it was boiling hot, but when I arrived at Hickling over an hour later there was a decidedly chill wind.

Black Horse cottage is nothing to do with either a horse or even a bank but is a rebuild of the premises once owned by the village butcher. It is hard to believe now that cattle once grazed in the field behind before they were slaughtered in the barn and sold through the front window.

Entrance to the garden is to the right hand side of the property where a narrow path runs through luxuriously green planting, between a small dyke and the neighbour’s fence.

The honeysuckle from next door is keen to be on this side of the fence,

and to the left, Black Horse cottage garden is revealed through the foliage.

At the end of the path is a sturdy tree house supported by willows.

Yvonne was widowed a few years ago and the garden, over two acres, is quite a size for someone on their own. Engaging the help of garden designers Robert and Kathy Lane, good friends and neighbours, the garden has been given an uplift and she is able to enjoy the space again.

The conifers beloved by her late husband have now grown large and in order to cope with size Robert advised removing their lower branches and so raising the crown. This not only does minimal damage to the tree but also provides a greater space for underplanting with shrubs,

or presents pleasant areas for sitting.

This tall pine, with lower branches removed stretches elegantly up seemingly into the shape of a pitch fork.

Shrubs include weigela florida ‘Versicolour. Robert corrects me on my pronunciation; it should be with a ‘v’ not a ‘w’ taking its name from the 19th century German botanist Professor C F Weigel.

From the same family with sulphur-yellow flowers and good autumnal colour is the bush honeysuckle Diervilla x splendens, named after a Frenchman this time, a surgeon, Dr Dierville, who first introduced this genus from the Eastern United States in the early 18th century.

Clearance work has also opened up a fine view of the distant tower of St Mary’s Church.

We move around the garden on the neatly mown areas. In places the grass has been left to grow or ‘no mow’ as Robert calls it,

and other areas have an in-between cut.

An undulating laurel hedge, snakes around cunningly hiding compost bins and bonfire.

I admire the soft yellow flowered jasmine humile, too tender for my garden,

Closer to the house the borders are filled with colourful perennials,

and water lilies grow in the small tranquil pond.

You would regret sowing bulrush by a small pond, but these, made of steel have the advantage of not being invasive and  looking most elegant. Made by James Barrett-Nobbs in Suffolk they can be found at http://acornforge.wixsite.com/acornforge/blank-cts5.

Cutting flowers are grown in the vegetable garden and part of this area has been given over to friends who use it as their allotment, providing Yvonne with a fresh supply they must welcome being in such an attractive garden.

There is quite a collection of roses; climbers include this bright pink rose spiralling up the free standing apple tree,

and it is good to see two NGS beneficiaries are represented; Rosa Macmillan Nurse a bushy, fragrant, repeat-flowering shrub rose,

and the highly scented floribunda Rosa Marie Curie.

We have arrived back at the house where against the wall trachelospermum jasminoides pairs with a variegated silver euonymus, 

and by the back door is a useful arrangement of herbs.

The selection of roses and perennials, a kitchen garden and the many mown walkways circulating around the mature trees and spacious beds will hold any visitor’s interest for quite some time. There are plenty of places to sit too. Yvonne has nobly decided to open for two consecutive days this coming weekend 15th and 16th July between 12 noon – 5pm. A relaxing place to sit awhile and enjoy a home-made tea.

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A friend of mine suggested that I might visit and write about a small garden, “you know, less rolling acres” she suggested. Well, Gertrude Jekyll thought that a garden of 4 acres was small, however I knew what she meant and so suggested she accompany me on my next trip, a new build on the outskirts of Norwich.

It was a minimalist front garden that greeted us at number 4 Wensum Crescent and with very little in the way of plants we wondered what to expect.

What hidden treasure lies behind the home of an Easter Island head?

Moira opens her garden gate to the left side of the house. Despite her colourful floral dress she quickly explains that she really does not ‘do’ gardening.

And, as we are drawn into the garden through a pergola adorned with an explosion of leaf and colour, we are somewhat confused by this statement.

The wonderfully scented Trachelospermum jasminoides sometimes mistakingly known as jasmine, is one of the climbers.

On another pillar is the elegant Fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ unfurling her crimson petals to reveal dark purple centres. There are red roses too but Moira declares that she only likes purple. In my mind I recall the poem by Jenny Joseph ‘When I am an old woman I shall wear purple’, but I really can’t remember anymore and Moira is not the slightest bit old.

Moira has had her garden professionally designed and maintained. It is most certainly an outdoor living space. Neat paths move you into circular spaces, and here one catches the sound of lightly burbling water.

We move through the lavender which is just buzzing with bumble bees.

A standard fig grows by the house,

and there is an assortment of unusual plants, many are labelled as Moira does not know their names. Against the wall is the climber pileostegia viburnoides, a type of hydrangea.

and close by is hydrangea vilusa an upright shrub just coming into flower.

The path moves us pleasantly round the edge of the garden.

Clean and weed free, little gems like this bright sedum softens the paving,

and the ground hugging phyla nodiflora

Although a new garden many of the plants look mature and well established, Eupatorium purpureum is no exception, against the back fence its dark purple stems growing magnificently tall.

In the corner of the fence is a small triangular fruit cage housing three prolific and heavily cropping blueberries growing in pots.

Moira unlocks the gate in the fence and through the rustling bamboo, it is a surprise to find an expanse of grassland stretching across to the river Wensum. This land will never be built on as it is shared amongst the homeowners.

It is a warm day and we welcome a cup of tea which we take in the shade outside the converted garage. No cake today, instead a delicious bowl of blueberries There are plenty of seating areas around that provide different views of the garden.

From here we look across the near-perfect green sward, around which hues of purples and greens blend easily together; the exotic with the familiar. It is calming and relaxing.

Through the stems of verbena bonariensis is the studio; it is of course painted in purple.

Although there is a watering system laid throughout, Moira has her watering cans, pretty in purple, at the ready.

But the garden is really not all purple, A variegated pittosporum sits comfortably with the fan of a palm with a haze of eryngium and fading erysimum ‘Bowle’s Mauve’,

and the giant leaved Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Rex’ stands regally in another paved circle.

Neil, master builder, designer and gardener arrives. He promises to tidy up before the opening on Sunday and I am truly perplexed at his need.

We have been overwhelmed by the variety of plants, the blend of colour and foliage combined with the hard landscaping that flows throughout. Moira enjoys being in her garden, not because of a love of gardening but because she has handed it over to someone else. I wonder why more people don’t just cut the struggle and do the same.

4 Wensum Crescent will be open this coming Sunday 9th July between 12 noon and 8 pm; it should be fun as it has the added attraction of not only teas but also light alcoholic refreshments.

——-55——-

Last Tuesday torrential rain prevented me from visiting Blickling Lodge. Situated near the market town of Aylsham in Norfolk, it once belonged to the Blickling estate but is not to be confused with Blickling Hall.  A break in the weather a couple of days later allowed the gates to unlock and swing open for me, ahead of the garden opening this coming Sunday.

On the approach to the house with the walled garden behind, there is a colourful mixed border

which is broken in the centre by the most comfortable looking seat swinging between pots of agapanthus.

The owners were out but Plug was there to greet me and quickly led me around to the other side of the house where I met head gardener Rachel.

Rachel was just dead-heading paeonia lactiflora ‘Festiva Maxima’, the plants of which were looking very healthy and well supported by home-grown hazel sticks.  It is a simple but effective parterre with the white flowers of hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ now carrying on the show.

We start our tour in the walled garden situated close by the house. A path bordered by a delightful mix of herbaceous and mixed planting runs down the centre.

Unaffected by the recent rain, clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’ scrambles over the iron fence at the back of the border. This is a clematis that was originally raised in France in 1900 but was then lost to cultivation until it was rediscovered by the great plantsman Christopher Lloyd. I wonder who the good lady was who gave her name to this pretty clematis.

Fruit trees are trained against the wall and are just receiving a summer tidy. Cut flowers grow in blocks along the border,

flowers such as ammi visna ‘White’, so good in arrangements,

and old favourites such as sweet peas.

On the other side of the garden the border is reserved for the neat rows of vegetables,

with a fruit cage in the corner.

Cornflowers burst out from the coldframe by the neat greenhouse.

On the opposite wall and across the swimming pool,  is a raised bed of herbs resting under a carved stone coat of arms.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘kyushu’ is content in a pot.

Against the wall is a climbing rose ‘The Generous Gardener’ and Rachel sings its praises; repeat flowering, fragrant and disease resistant. I discover that it was introduced by David Austin in 2002 and named to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the NGS.

Moving away from the walled garden and walking back past the house is a dell where a small hexagonal building has been built. It is a dog kennel, constructed 5 years ago with the added luxury of central heating.

A generous planting of hydrangeas edge the wall of the building where three dark purple clematis climb the supports.

Mature trees such as oak grace the lawn,

and a monkey puzzle tree araucaria araucana is impressive, almost menacing.

 

An avenue of yew ‘squares’ with magnolias planted on the outside, leads to the narrow obelisk.

The sky is very grey and in the field beyond the cows are lying down, it could be an ominous sign.

A pair of Portugal laurel, prunus lusitanica are clipped into lollipops and stand by the entrance to the tennis court; benches await the keen spectators .

Buttresses neatly project from the long yew hedge which takes you back to the house,

and on the other side is the avenue of yew ‘onions’, beautifully shaped they are very appealing.

A majestic bench sits in a recess,  the hedge opposite is lowered for better viewing of the cricket field beyond.

The ‘onion’ avenue narrows to a wooden bridge, recently restored after damage from a falling branch.  From here the garden becomes wild and watery.

The river Bure flows by, a haven for wildlife such as the otter,

and blue dragonflies; this is a male banded demoiselle gently pausing on the Norfolk reed.

The yellow water-lily, nuphar lutea floats in the slow moving water. It apparently smells like the dregs of wine, which is why it is sometimes called ‘Brandy Bottle’.

It is mainly wild flowers growing in this area but there are some ornamentals too, such as these Siberian Irises,

which almost look exotic.

Hazel and willow are grown and cut for use in the rest of the garden. Living willow is latticed around the back of a  bench.

Walking back towards the house I can’t help but admire not only the smooth lawns of the cricket pitch in front, but also the equipment that goes with it.

It is a well maintained garden around a family home. A variety of flowers and vegetables are grown in the delightful walled garden, and the formal areas contrast with the more relaxed and peaceful planting by the river. Open on Sunday 2nd July (tomorrow) between 2.00pm -5.30pm with home-made teas it surely makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon outing.

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