Suffolk

Paget House, an inspired modern design, near Saxmundham, Suffolk

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Last Saturday I combined calling in on my cousin with a visit to an intriguing garden open for the National Garden Scheme. Entrance was by slipping through the back gate into an informal area, and for a moment I wondered if I had come the right way.

The plan eased my mind and was a promise of greater things ahead, and as with so many gardens open for the National Garden Scheme it did not disappoint. The modern house built by the owners some 9 years ago is in the shape of a cross and is very much at the centre of the garden.

This cross shape in effect dictates the layout of the garden marking out four separate but connecting gardens. Walking down across the roughly mown lawn, I come to west side of the house where raised beds are filled with vegetables and flowers.

It is a marvellous idea to place the productive side of the garden so close to the house rather than banishing it to the far reaches of the garden. It must be a real joy and so convenient to be able to just step outside and pick your vegetables,

and to enjoy the scent of those heavenly sweet peas.

I step through the wooden covered walkway which extends out like an arm from the house and cleverly acts as a division.

Here there is a quite different feel. An informal pond is the point of focus, making good use of this northern aspect. A striking sculpture by Paul Richards sits between pond and house. It must be a delight to watch the visiting wildlife from the comfort of an Adirondack chair.

Further away from the pond is a semi-circular border is bursting with colour;

familiar favourites in amongst the bright crocosmia such as this delightful salvia,

and rich hemoracallis.

Away from the house paths lead between mature trees,

and meander through the long grass,

where there are delightful places to sit and chill. It is as though these two decorative deck chairs are having their own dialogue.

The front door of the house is on the east side where the drive sweeps in, and alongside the yew hedge is softened by sections of ornamental grass.

On the other side of the drive is an arbor which leads you into a secret garden,

where a Lutyens bench sits majestically behind a table. The hand sanitiser a small sign of the times.

The planting by the front door is soft and free flowing.

Romneya coulteri, the Californian tree poppy steals the show with petals like finely crumpled tissue paper,

and the pot plants tumble through the front door.

You don’t really appreciate how much this house is on a slope, and now, on the other side of the house and through the door and up the steps, the mood changes again.

A mixed native hedge runs along the boundary on the left hand side and fruit trees grow in this wild meadow,

contrasting with the informal but careful colourful planting next to the house.

Paving and plants wrap comfortably around the house. Familiar favourites which include lavender, gaura, perovskia and verbena.

Agastache ‘Black Adder’, Mexican giant hyssop is particularly at home here.

Each side of the house moves effortlessly out into the garden and each side is subtly divided. The wall is smothered in delightfully scented trachelospermum jasminoides and on through the open door,

I am back where I started in the vegetable area.

It has been a delight to see this garden so thoughtfully designed and such an integral part of the house. Wildlife-friendly, it is a pure pleasure and a moment of freedom for all of us in these strange restricted times.

Each Monday a variety of gardens to visit are uploaded onto the website www. ngs.org.uk So why don’t you find one near you, pre-book a ticket, and Help Support Our Nurses.

——-2020——

Batteleys Cottage; ponds, paths and plenty of places to sit.

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It is a glorious time of year for garden visiting, however I fear many of us this afternoon will be staying at home to watch the Wimbledon finals. So I am going to take you around Batteleys Cottage Garden which I very much enjoyed last Sunday when it was open for the National Garden Scheme.

Situated in the village of Wortham on the Norfolk/Suffolk border I parked on the sandy heathland and walked up the drive admiring first the charming little corner on the right,

and then decorative bicycle propped against the wall on the left.

Like so many of the gardens open for the scheme, this is privately owned, created by the owners and has a delightful element of surprise when you enter. Stepping onto the lawn to the right of the cottage you are drawn in by this intriguing centrepiece.

The neatly mown lawn (no worn Wimbledon patches here), is surrounded by borders packed with plants; a perfect place to pause awhile and take in the beautiful surroundings.

Across the way bursting out of the perennials, is an explosion of soft blue delphiniums.

It is not just the colour of these borders that is so attractive, but the texture, the rhythm and the movement. It is hard to believe that not that long ago the area was a mass of blackthorn and bramble and not a single herbaceous plant to be seen.

When Andy and Linda began to work on the garden some seven years ago they had to clear 30 huge Leylandii from the boundary. Now a gravel path winds around the perimeter allowing views across the neighbouring fields and letting in light onto the roses cascading around the arches.

The garden is seamlessly divided into different spaces; from the more formal area closer to the house,

through to a wilder area further away, creating a different atmosphere and making the whole one acre garden feel much larger.

This simple map explains the outline but does not show the tremendous impact of the rich planting.

In the centre of the garden is the summer house looking out on to a delightful pond,

an area not only perfect for wildlife but also a place where winged sculptures gracefully fly.

Andy and Linda have no help in the garden each working on average two full days a week. They do however find time to enjoy the results of their labour positioning the many seats around the garden to their best advantage. This elegant seat is set in the long grass in the orchard.

Clematis come into play in every part of the garden, either scrambling with roses against trees,

or climbing up well positioned obelisks,

this is the handsome, velvety ‘Romantika’ who will flower through to the Autumn.

The mix of light and shade has a soothing quality,

as does the gentle sound of the water flowing in the stream.

Around every corner there is something different,

sunny, characterful and almost quirky.

There are two areas for vegetables and it is a delight to see this potager sited conveniently right outside the back door.

Linda has a family link with India and it was on a trip there that she was able to purchase this stone plinth.

Returning to the lawn in front of the house I find this bewitching couple emerging gently from the mixed planting.

Inevitably I succumb to the delicious tea and apricot cake, and it is from the colourful patio outside the sun room that I can really take in the splendour of this beautiful garden.

The garden will be open next year, perhaps at a slightly earlier time so don’t miss it: https://www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/garden/29923/

And whether you are punting for the Edelweiss or the Lily-of-the-Valley I hope you enjoy the match.

Great Thurlow Hall, wet, wet, wet.(6/18).

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Last Sunday was yet another wet, wet, wet day. Unable to work in my own garden and combined with Easter excess I decided that the only thing was to visit another garden. As I approached Great Thurlow Hall in Suffolk through a deluge of rain, signs of Spring were just visible on those manicured hedges around Newmarket

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Too wet for anyone to stand at the gate to the Hall,  the entrance to the garden was diverted through the church porch next door, left of the drive.

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Crossing over the daffodil drive I headed through the thin green mossy-capped walls into the kitchen garden.

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There a wide open space now represents the skill and toil of many years. The straight path ahead waits to burst into spring perennials and roses. Over to the left, a verdant plot is home to fruit trees, and to the right is the glasshouse and much industry.

 

 

Perhaps the produce is blessed by the ecclesiastical presence.

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No loud signs here to tell you to keep out, just hazel sticks making an obvious statement.

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The wall does not stretch the entire way round; one side is rather attractively the river bank.

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The open iron gate leads onto the lawn below the house.

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Euphorbias brighten the corner where benches are positioned,

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then up the pretty steps and across the rose garden

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to the terrace where you gain a view over the bridge to the gazebo beyond. Built in 1963 this was an anniversary gift from wife to husband of forty years; I smile at the thought that the best we could do was a watering can.

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I walk cautiously along the wet York paving where the solid hedges of yew bring structure and interest,

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and frame the view on such a murky day.

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The formation of the pond is a perfect shape for the vista beyond and the despite the weather the fountain plays on.

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Some chaps really don’t mind the weather.

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Against the house is a tangle of wisteria, determinedly dormant it is hard to imagine how beautiful this will be in a few months time.

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Not everything is dormant however; the red leaves of this cherry are trying their hardest.

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The garden was created by the present owner’s grandfather during the last century. The wooded area, carpeted with snowdrops now in the green, is to the left of the house and screens the farmyard; the sounds of the cattle remind us that this is working farm. There is a variety of trees, some of which were planted by members of the family to commemorate the Queen’s Coronation in 1953.

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Ha ha, we are at the end of the lawn,

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where the slate ball seems to have gently rolled away from the house and come to rest.

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Unlike Wordsworth, I have to confess that I am not a great fan of daffodils but it is on a day like today that they certainly play their part and look so attractive reflected in the water.

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and of course there are so many varieties.

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It is a watery landscape with the river Stour flowing through much of this garden.

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The mown path makes one follow the course of the river and along the banks willows weep and bridges tempt you over to the other side,IMG_0839.jpg

and clumps of delicate primroses grow.  Are they, in general particularly good this year?

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It is very peaceful, but occasionally there can be heard the sound of rushing water.

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The five bar gate is a reminder that we are in rural countryside surrounded by grazing pastures.

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The path deviates off to take you around the lake.  It is a haven for wildlife. On the island is a monument placed in memory of the present owner’s grandmother.

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Walking back towards the house I find this bench in the most perfect position. This is a garden that has been opening for the NGS for 60 years. In time you will be able to sit and admire a Gingko biloba presented by George Plumptre in recognition of such longevity.

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The drifts of daffodils are planted along the bank to flower in succession, one band is in flower, the next ready to come and close to the water they are still tightly in bud.

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It is not just the plants that are reflected in the water.

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Over 130 people visited today, not bad for such a wet day but private gardens like Great Thurlow Hall are popular and with years of opening will have acquired a considerable and loyal following. Opening again on the first weekend of June, I do recommend you should plan a visit, the children will love this watery space.

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——-2018——-