Garden visiting from the armchair; a trio of books, blogs, and Instagram. (2/18)

February 11, 2018April 15, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 9 Comments

During these past few weeks I have been rather housebound. So, content with a log fire and the fragrant sprigs of evergreen Sarcococca confusa Sweet Box cut from the border, I have been visiting gardens from the comfort of my armchair.

I was kindly given The Secret Gardens of East Anglia before Christmas in gratitude of completing my Ninety gardens. The author and the photographer, both very much experienced in their own fields, delight upon a variety of gardens large and small and demonstrate that gardens are just as much about people as they are about plants. The Foreward is written by Beth Chatto who says that although she enjoyed welcoming visitors to her garden in Essex she rarely had the time to get out and visit other gardens, a regret since ‘we can all learn from one another’. Barbara Segall entices us into each garden, writing about their history, the influences and style. Her eloquent words are complimented by the beautiful photography of Marcus Harper who captures the atmosphere, colour and sense of the garden and includes a portrait of the owners, which quite simply can say so much. It is heartbreaking to think that Harper did not live to see the book published; the more reason to get out and explore those that I have yet to visit.

I was most grateful to be recommended this second book by an NGS colleague and when I told my neighbour Rebecca, a nurse not a gardener, that I was reading Head Gardeners she could not understand why on earth I was interested in such a seemingly dull lot of people. Well, don’t for one minute think that is the case. Ambra Edwards reveals what a diverse and interesting group they are, having come in to gardening through completely mixed circumstances and inspired by very different influences. The photography is slightly confusing at first; one wonders for what reason Charlie Hopkinson has captured a certain pose, only for it then to become clear in the writing. Both writer and photographer expose the many angles of the modern Head Gardener, a truly multi-tasking individual. Indeed in the words of the author, they are the unsung heroes.

I have recently joined a local history group and this term we are concentrating on the Stuarts. So my third book The Renaissance Garden in England by Roy Strong was a re-read. Originally published in 1979 it is still the most authoritative book on the gardens of the Tudors and early Stuart period. Roy Strong addresses not the horticultural aspect of these gardens but rather the design and influences, describing them as a lost art form. The gardens are swept away, and apportioning the blame on the hand of Mr Brown, his dedication reads:

IN MEMORY OF ALL THOSE GARDENS DESTROYED BY CAPABILITY BROWN AND HIS SUCCESSORS

With no gardens to photograph, the book is illustrated with pictures, plans, diagrams, views and engravings which help to evoke the characters and concepts of the great formal gardens of Tudor and Stuart England

As well as writing my own blog I also follow a few others. It was The Anxious Gardener that really inspired me in the first place. David Marsden is a gardener for two large gardens in Sussex, neither of which receive visitors. Feeling they deserved a wider audience he started to write about them which he has done for several years. He has a huge following and I am not surprised because he writes amusingly and his photography is stunning. Read more here: https://theanxiousgardener.com/

Every Saturday morning I receive a garden history lesson from Dr. David Marsh who has been writing fascinating blogs for the Parks and Gardens UK for a few years. His subjects range from the ‘Sweet Pea and its king’, ‘the colour of Carrots’ and more recently posts on Humphry Repton. The piece on Derry and Toms roof garden in Kensington includes some marvellous videos clips. Click on the Parks and Gardens UK website: https://parksandgardensuk.wordpress.com/.

Things come in threes so my third blog is https://gardenvisitoruk.com/. This excellent site is very useful and ……….

was dreamed up to share a love of gardens of all sizes. When visiting a garden anyone can read about what the garden has to offer but what I hope to share is a ‘gardenadvisor’ report – personal findings and snippets that the official websites might not mention.

I was advised recently that if you are going to participate in Social Media, choose one and do it well. I have never really been keen on Facebook and I tweet very occasionally but this winter I have, along with many other gardeners discovered Instagram. It is a perfect medium for gardeners; quick and easy it is not so much about self-promotion but more about photography. I have my own site ‘the_garden_gate_is_open’ but I particularly enjoy these three:

‘jane_ann_walton‘ a keen and clever gardener who takes beautiful photographs.

‘tillyedith‘ a young mum who enjoys plants and lives in Italy.

james_todman who has his own business in Worcestershire specialising in hedging and topiary.

This winter has not been particularly cold but it seems to have been eternally long. I find it hard to believe that by this time last year I had already visited six gardens opening for the NGS as part of my 90 challenge. My little purchases of snowdrops have come into flower and I have to confess that I think I might becoming a teeny, weeny bit of a galanthophile.

So I am off to visit one of the many snowdrop gardens as part of the Snowdrop Festival https://www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden/snowdrop-gardens/

Sheringham Park

Repton and his business

January 28, 2018January 29, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 3 Comments

It is the bicentenary of the death of Humphry Repton, he of the Red Book fame. There are many events organised and gardens gates opening throughout the year. This piece was so interesting that I am reblogging.

The Garden History Blog

HAPPY NEW YEAR! If you hadn’t already realised 2018 is Repton Year, when we’re commemorating the life and work of the last great landscape designer of the eighteenth century. Unlike the Festival for his ‘predecessor’ Capability Brown there is no great central nationally funded organization. Instead Celebrating Humphry Repton will be a collaborative effort, which, even though although it can’t match the funding of CB300, looks certain to match the enthusiasm and spread of interest nationally. County Gardens Trusts and other groups will be arranging events around the country throughout the year to celebrate Repton’s work. You can find a list – continually being updated – at this dedicated webpage on The Gardens Trust website. If you would like to get involved or receive updates email repton@thegardenstrust.org. The more people who join in, the better the celebration!

And of course the blog is going to play its small part. Repton has…

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Pembroke College, a peaceful and pretty peramble. (1/18)

January 14, 2018January 15, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 17 Comments

It is just over a year ago now that I began to blog about my garden visits. The first was Robinson College, Cambridge and I remember being surprised it was open on 2nd January. It is still very much open for the NGS and I thoroughly recommend a visit: Robinson College

However finding myself back in Cambridge in that awkward time between Christmas and New Year I stumbled across yet another college garden. Having spent a happy morning in the excellent Fitzwilliam Museum I was just wondering what to do next and how to avoid the throng of ‘salesaholics’, when I found the 14th Century gate of Pembroke College conveniently open.

The site is made up of a series of interconnecting enclosed spaces and the well established gardens are very much part of the fabric of the college. I entered via the porter’s lodge on Trumpington Street (just left of the horses below).

Pembroke_College,_Cambridge_by_Loggan_1690_-_gbooks_prG_KpObd3UC_PA80-IA1.png

Bird’s eye view by David Loggan 1690

Pembroke is the third oldest College in Cambridge and I began in the medieval Old Court. It was indeed a haven of calm, away from the jostling crowds of shoppers. The lawn, like green baize, stretched out serenely, so smooth it was of course strictly out of bounds. So I followed the paving right handed and walked towards the chapel.

A group of agaves huddled together seem to wave at me, and cause me to pause for a moment to read the many names on the war memorial tablet. The chapel here was Christopher Wren’s first building.

The upright growth of the Juniper ‘sky rocket’ seems to echo the tall chimneys, and although the little gate is closed,

access to the next court can be gained via a ramp; a simple feature and one I wish more gardens would employ; unless you have a wheelchair you have no idea of the importance.

So many roses are still flowering in December and will look even more colourful together with the catmint during the summer months.

Behind the chapel is the Victorian Red Building; four petalled flowers in stone grace the lower parts of the building,

whilst in the border across the lawn the real white petals of the hellebore are bright against the dark soil.

The crab apples of Malus robusta Red Sentinel look as fresh as they might in the autumn.

Moving round to the library lawn, I should show you the entire fine statue of William Pitt, who sits with his back to the library, but it is his foot that fascinates me pointing as it does towards the neat square turf.

The gardener has been here for 50 years and the many varieties of well-tended shrubs cheer up a corner here and there and providing interest during these bland winter months; either grouped together,

or planted singly, like the bold and trusty evergreen Aucuba japonica, with its splattered leaves… did someone once spill their cream?

Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’ illuminates a shaded pathway,

and the bluish-leaved melianthus major makes a handsome combination with the purple-leaved pittisporum.

Nearby the berries of Nandina domestica are abundant and joyful. This is a plant that I had never previously come across, and am grateful for the coincidence that it is profiled in this month’s The Garden magazine.

I thought these were outdoor decorative christmas baubles until on closer inspection I realised that they were the dried fruits of the pomegranate, punica granatum.

Moving northwards away from the library court is an informal area, known as the Orchard. Medlars and mulberry grow behind the viridescent round pond which was created from a wartime water tank,

A great avenue of mature London Planes, their upper boughs a tangled pattern against the wintry blue sky.

An arbor provides a little mystery to the entrance of the Master’s Lodge. Whilst the nearby Fellows’ Garden remains closed today,

the Foundress Court bordered on two sides by the newest accommodation, is wide open and the Henry Moore Figure in a shelter 1983 is for all to admire.

Foundress Court has a strong connection with Nihon university in Japan, something which is perhaps suggested in the design of the inner courtyard.

A simple pot, almost a modern still life, does much to break the monotony of the smooth walls.

Leaving the new build I walk towards the ancient bowling green; considered to be not quite the oldest in Europe it is however unique in having a ‘rub’, that is the ridge that runs down the centre. The green is only for Fellows to play which they do with wooden bowls that go back to the 18th century and are sliced rather than spherical. Notices implore us not to walk on this precious ground but there are plenty of benches placed all around for those of us who must be content to sit and admire.

The aged tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera is bursting out of the paving.

Over the hedge is New Court, originally built in the fourteenth century when it was known as First Court, where students play croquet on the lawn. A delightful area, it is surrounded on three sides by a low stone wall border made up of many unusual plants complimented by a delicious variety of decorative shrubs against the court walls:

The graceful catkins hang down from a Garry elliptica,

and the silvery grey Teucrum fruticans flows down to the paving.

A splash of colour is provided from the bright berries of cotoneaster.

Ridley’s Walk is named after Bishop Nicholas Ridley, one time student, Fellow and Master who was martyred in 1555 for his faith. I am sure the Bishop would be pleased with the diversity of plants growing along the walls which even includes a mature banana tree, Musa basjoo; obviously happy in the warmth of this corner it has been known to have borne fruit.

The walk leads into the final garden, Ivy Court. Simple in its layout with ten clipped yew, and four grass quads, there is in fact not a single leaf of ivy.

Another cunningly devised ramp takes you up into the arch.

Disabled access in fact ends here but it has been a delightfully easily-accessible garden, with it gentle ramps and smooth paths of generous width.

I am back at the beginning in the Old Court. Many Abutilon grow against the warm walls of this ancient college, and on this chilly but bright day this little gem looks particularly charming as it grows through the branches of a ceanothus.

And finally, there is the Solanum jasminoides, a member of the potato family; it looks most decorative on the window ledge under the reflecting pane of glass.

So much there has been to enjoy in this garden in mid-winter, and it could be said that if I had been allowed, I would have found many flowers to pick for a fine ‘nosegay’ today.

With new notebook in hand and a camera from Father Christmas I am all set to visit the many gardens to be open in 2018…

——-Jan 2018——-

T’was the week before Christmas. (*****)

December 23, 2017January 20, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 36 Comments

T’was the week before Christmas I’d finished the year

Ninety great gardens so far and so near

The stockings were hung on the gateposts with care

In the hope that the NGS raised such good fare

All gardeners now were so snug in their beds

With visions of plum trees that danced in their heads

With camera on auto and notebook on hand

From cottage to castle I travelled the land

Allotment, walled garden, the street and the square

Hospital, Manor House, Hall and parterre

Through twenty-four counties I cut quite a dash

Most gardens were open, and most didn’t clash

In all sorts of weather, even fresh snow

the owners of gardens put on a fine show

.The statues and sculptures so big and so bold

The carvings and sundials so bright to behold

Water in fountains in ponds and in lakes

Wheelbarrows, mowers and rusty old rakes

Of snowdrops and dahlias I now know so much

To some it is knowledge to most double-dutch

The cakes were delicious but never would last

I used to think thin but now I think vast

That Gardens are good for you – never in doubt

So off you go next year – get out and about

It’s the end of my mission as I drive out of sight

“Happy Christmas to all and a hearty good night”

Stoke Mandeville, Horatio’s Garden. (90)

December 16, 2017December 19, 2017 / thegardengateisopen / 29 Comments

For The Ninetieth garden I was invited to see a very special garden at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.

The day of the visit, last Monday the sky was a dull grey and there had been heavy snow the previous day.

The Hospital is famous for its National Spinal Injuries Centre, one of the largest specialist spinal units in the world. Just outside the entrance is this life size (5’6″/1.70m) statue by Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson of Professor Sir Ludwig Guttman. Affectionately known as “Poppa” he was the global founder of successful spinal cord injury treatment. The government asked him in 1948 to set up the specialist spinal ward which then expanded into this amazing centre. He is also father of the Paralympic Games.

The garden has not actually been created yet, but the intention is to transform this a rather bland paved area adjoining the Spinal Care Wards into a garden; and so bringing a touch of nature and beauty to patients and their families in an accessible oasis of calm attached but away from the clinical environment. This will be Horatio’s Garden.

Photo from http://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk

Same site but a rather different scene that greeted us last Monday!

Horatio was a young man who was a volunteer in his school holidays at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre, Salisbury. He and his father, a spinal surgeon at Salisbury Hospital came up with the idea for a garden and Horatio organised a questionnaire to find out what the patients wanted. Horatio was never to see the garden which was created in his memory after he was so tragically killed at the age of 17 by a polar bear in northern Norway.

http://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/

Horatio’s Gardens have been completed in Salisbury and Glasgow, and now Stoke Mandeville is the latest creation. The ‘L’ shaped site is situated in the middle of this busy hospital.

Garden designer, RHS Gold Medallist and great gardening guru Joe Swift was on hand to explain his design.

This is the projection of his perceived plan:

Picture taken from http://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk

Excavation work started back in August when Sir Robert McAlpine generously supported the removal of 1,800 tonnes of spoil. The tyre marks show the route of the trucks and lorries that exited the site through the public car park.

The site was levelled and is being prepared for the permeable bonded resin paving to be laid, providing a smooth surface and making an easy transition from ward to garden for the patients in beds and wheelchairs. It is not always easy when you first have to encounter being in a wheelchair and this outdoor area will assist in gaining confidence.

Picture borrowed from http://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk

Today a trench was being dug through the heavy clay for the drainage.

Of course no site comes without its problems. First the lengthy business of moving the huge NHS power generator; tucked around the corner it is now sporting a smart new turquoise colour which helps it blend in with the building behind.

It is difficult to imagine but this will be the water feature,

Computer graphics show an elegant raised pool at a height suitable for wheelchairs. I’m afraid you will just have to imagine the sound of the gentle flow of running water.

Picture borrowed from http://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk

Perhaps the red kite soaring above was taking advantage of a bird’s-eye view.

The view from above shows the flow of the design with curves providing intimate bays, a place for those private moments never realised whilst on a ward. Spinal injury patients often need to endure a long stay in hospital.

Picture borrowed from http://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk

This unremarkable area was where the generator once stood alongside the brick wall;

it will soon to be the garden room. Being built off-site, it is expected to be installed in the New Year. Light and airy, here patients will be able to enjoy the garden even when the weather is inclement. Kitchen facilities will enable them to make a cup of tea and perhaps share lunch with visitors. Those who wish to, will also be able to participate in the volunteer-led activities that the Horatio’s Garden charity organises.

Outside the garden room a communal space will be used for informal social gatherings of patients perhaps for lunches or even live music.

Picture borrowed from http://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk

Nearby an accessible spacious greenhouse will be built. Specially equipped for patients to help with the gardening, it will be used to propagate plants for the garden and give an opportunity for patients to get involved with working with the head gardener and volunteers or just come and chat and watch. Regular garden therapy groups will use the greenhouse and the raised beds, for therapeutic activities. Herbs, salad leaves and fruit will be grown for patients to pick and enjoy.

Picture borrowed from http://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk

Horatio loved apples and so they will be well represented amongst the variety of trees that will be planted throughout the garden.

Further round the corner is the paediatric ward where the proposed garden will be used by children with spinal cord injuries giving them and their families a beautiful natural space away from the difficulties of hospital life.

Picture borrowed from http://www.horatiosgarden.org.uk

The gentle driving force behind Horatio’s vision is Dr Olivia Chapple, Horatio’s mum. Relinquishing her role as a General Practitioner she now volunteers full time for the charity not only as Chair of the Trustees but also as a porter pushing patients in their beds out into the gardens. Joe is enthusiastic about the garden and Olivia is eternally grateful for all the support her vibrant charity receives. I left Joe in a site meeting and Olivia interviewing for the important role of Head Gardener.

Every charity needs support, and there are plans for gardens at Oswestry and London. Giving is so easy…

The National Garden Scheme has donated £130,000 to this project. It is an inspirational concept and with such a brilliant and sympathetic design it cannot help but bring a sense of well-being to the many spinal unit patients.

What a great finish to my Ninety and I do so look forward to reporting on its completion in 2018.

——-90——-

The Manor House, Bledlow; sculpture and setting (89)

December 10, 2017 / thegardengateisopen / 7 Comments

Back in May we stayed with friends in North Buckinghamshire and they suggested we might visit Bledlow Manor, the home of Lord Carrington. A beautiful drive through the Chilterns brought us to this lovely estate and we were able to park under the line of flowering chestnut trees.

The house had been in the family since the end of the 18th Century and when the Carringtons moved here in 1946, it was in need of much renovation. There was no garden of mention at that time and work did not begin in that area until 1969. Created together, it was Lady Carrington who had the interest in plants; her obituary in the Telegraph in 2009 reported “My wife,” Lord Carrington always said, “is the plantswoman,” adding (in a reference to her encyclopaedic knowledge of botanical names): “She doesn’t really talk English, she talks Latin.”

Lord Carrington, the last surviving member of Churchill’s cabinet, and just short of age 98 was standing outside the front door ready to greet visitors. After exchanging a few pleasantries we slipped through the tall pineapple-topped gate posts to the right of the house.

We decided to head straight down to the water garden, known as the Lyde Garden, and just for the moment snatching a view of the terrace running in front of the house,

and swiftly passing the armillary sphere to the right, with the intention of returning to this part of the garden later on. The yew and box are trimmed like perfect cut slices of cake.

The Lyde Garden is situated across the road and is actually accessible at all times of the year. Well-made steps guide us down through the leafy wilderness,

and at the base level the path bends gently round and through an oriental wooden structure,

from where you can sit awhile and enjoy the peace and the circular pond, the centre of which has a group of metallic flowers poking up above the still waters.

The river Lyde rises here and is a tributary of the Thames. Originally watercress beds, it is now planted with ferns, gunnera and hostas.

Cool and watery, the weeping willows have now replaced the diseased wych elms.

Crossing back over the road we arrive onto the lawn in front of the charming Adam house which sits gracefully amongst low summer borders.

At one end of the lawn are crisply cut buns of yew,

and at the other, ornamental fish ponds surrounded in brick, a design which perhaps reflects the time of construction.

The garden is not just about the plants but is a glorious setting for a fabulous collection of sculptures which the Carringtons began collecting in the early 1990s.

The first piece of art, strategically placed and called ‘Primitive Form’ is by the Italian born Marzia Colonna. Today it has been enhanced by outstretched arms.

Purchased in 2005 it fits perfectly amongst wedges of box where it can be viewed from all angles.

The brick pathways lead out into an open, less structured area. Mown lawns sweep around borders packed with a huge variety of shrubs.

Then around the corner we meet gorgeous ‘Gorilla’ by Michael Cooper and made from Belgian fossil marble commissioned in 1993. Lord Carrington explains how it came about:

“Michael Cooper is a friend and near neighbour of mine and, some years ago, I asked him whether he would be prepared to do a piece for a new garden I was making at that time and in which there was an empty plinth. ‘I will do you a gorilla’, he said and there it stands, or rather sits, today – greatly admired and loved by all the children who visit the garden during the summer. Michael has the most wonderful talent for portraying animals, as those of you that have seen his sculpture in many public places will know .”

The Carringtons were keen to support young artists, and this piece was commissioned in 1991 when Alastair Lambert was still a student at The Royal College of Art.

Paul Vanstone was also still a student at the Royal College of Art. Vanstone recalls that following a visit to the College in 1993, Lord Carrington invited him to the garden and after spending a day there he commissioned Fallen Angel.

In 1998 Barry Mason’s Water Sculpture was added to the collection. Mason’s early work was conceived to be installed in landscape settings rather than art galleries. This catches the sunlight as it magically spins around.

Some way from its homeland and happy amongst the cow parsley, “Rainbird”, a Ground Hornbill is by the Showa sculptor Saidi Sabiti. It was purchased in Harare in 1993.

It was a charming moment when I saw a child hop up and sit for some time on one of these ‘Three Fruits’. Enjoying their natural shape, he rubbed their smooth surface with his hands. No restrictions of an art gallery here. These were created by the British artist Peter Randall-Page in 1991,

who also produced, four years later ‘pomegranates’.

Sheep can be heard grazing in the field beyond, and Red Kites fly overhead. John Robinson’s (1935 – 2007) ‘Immortality’ in polished bronze was purchased in 1992. Robinson describes its conception:

“Soon after my mother’s death, our eldest son married, and as these things go, after a while his wife was expecting a baby. My position had suddenly changed. Instead of being the middle generation, I became the older one, a grandfather. I began to think of doing a sculpture that would capture the passing on of the precious flame of existence within a family, and I needed a symbol.

I believe that Immortality is made up of one’s memories of the past, as well as those one leaves behind. I see this Symbolic Sculpture not only as a continuous journey through generations, but also the scroll on which all of life’s experience (DNA) is recorded. “

‘Rondo’ is by Charlotte Mayer and was acquired in 1997, A Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, she says:

“A work of art should speak for itself. It should need no verbal description although a title may give a subtle hint of what is in the sculptor’s mind”.

I never discovered who this was by, small but not insignificant nestling by a buddleia; perhaps its identity will be revealed.

Nestling amongst the shrubs since 2006 is ‘Torus’ a piece by Jonathan Loxley, who usually now works in marble.

Perfectly positioned in a small clearing is the serene ‘New Renaissance’ created in 1993 by Patricia Volk, the Belfast-born ceramic sculptor.

Terence Coventry’s ‘Avian Form’ has stood here since 1999. Lord Carrington happened to be nearby when we were admiring it, and jokingly he said ‘he doesn’t like you, you know’. And perhaps he was right.

Oh, and this little figure is actually alive. Lord C names his wire-haired dachsunds after prime ministers; having already a Margaret but before Theresa, he decided on Dame Norma Minor, ‘”well, she couldn’t be Major” he laughed.

A fleet of wheelbarrows raised against the hedge are almost an art form.

Skirting around the tennis courts we come into the south garden. A magnificent metal bowl decorated with swirling fish stands at the head of a double row of viburnum carlesii which lead up to a sunken pond,

where ornamental herons are enjoying an afternoon’s fishing.

Over the hedge is the two storey gazebo; made of Buckinghamshire material it was inspired by a visit to Hidcote.

Steps lead up from this south garden to a small enclosed area. From the raised urn you walk diagonally across to arrive at the front of the house where we originally entered.

Tea is served in the open cart sheds and today there is a specially large cake in celebration of 50 years opening with the NGS.

Time is running out and we have not seen half the garden yet. We race back across to the armillary sphere where we turn right through the archway in the yew hedge. Here is ‘Coracle’ by William Pye commissioned in 2001. Its gentle ebb of water is mesmerising.

In the next section of garden this unidentified piece at the end of the brick path seems to dance, its outline lifted by the dark background hedge.

We wonder at the rhythmical design of this slightly oriental trellis.

The map describes a snail garden and we think we have found it.

Another set of pineapple-clad gate posts welcome us into the walled garden where a haze of lavender lines the path up to the gazebo.

It can’t all be works of art; there is a practical side to this garden too. Over to the left rows of vegetables, not yet in full production, are being prepared, and over to the right the alliums are flowering with the peonies still tightly in bud.

In the centre of the wall is the a mural of Vertumnus, God of Vegetation: painted in the manner of Guiseppe Archimboldo, it is by Owen Turville.

Out onto the lawn near the main entrance is Barry Mason’s Oculus. Originally commissioned by English Heritage as part of the ‘Year of the Artist’ celebrations it was sited in the ruined nave of Hailes Abbey near Cheltenham and was donated to Lord Carrington in 2003.

Photo taken from https://www.ngs.org.uk

Only 2 gardeners look after these noble acres and it really is time to go now for they are sweeping up behind us and the shadows are long. We purchase some honey and say our goodbyes. The great man is still here and must be pleased with his 350 visitors or so,

I say once again ‘you don’t have to be a gardener to enjoy a garden’. Here the garden is not without its many features of herbaceous borders, mature shrubs and hedges, fine lawns, ornament, parterres, topiary and water but it also combines as a gallery.

An inspiration and a visit hard to beat.

——-89——-

42 Falconer Road, all a twinkle in Bushey. (88)

December 2, 2017January 20, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 9 Comments

When I began my Ninety Garden Adventure back in January, I did not imagine that there would still be gardens opening in November. The entry in Gardens to View appeared encouraging if not a little intriguing especially with the opening time advertised as 4pm. I could not resist a visit on my circuitous route to London.

The short description of course just acts as a guide; you really have no idea what lies behind. There was no garden gate and a few of us gathered outside, a little confused by the change of time from 4pm to 5pm. Owner Suzette answers our knock and expresses her dismay that it is not yet dark but invites us in through to the conservatory.

I feel more like a guest than a visitor; it reminds me of the 18th Century when garden visitors would apply to the property beforehand and then would often be shown around by the owner who acted rather as the host.

The orchids are beautiful in the conservatory and it is like entering an antique shop which then extends out into the garden.

I was grateful that I had arrived early because I could take advantage of the last of the natural daylight. While the family were setting up the illuminations, I wandered around absorbing the eclectic contents of this small and cunning space. Knick-knacks and plants clamber up the wooden steps;

china jars are arranged on the small ornamental metal shelf set against the fence amongst the trailing ivy.

In a corner area the myriad of bejewelled hangings dangle from the confusion of wisteria, and are accentuated by the mirrors behind.

Bird cages are everywhere, either small and propped on posts surrounded by bamboo, hydrangea and richly-coloured acer,

or simply upon the ground looking slightly oriental.

This little collection is suspended gracefully together and is just starting to glow in the fading light.

Small statues gather on the miniature bridge,

and the old gardener’s boot is providing a convenient home for a succulent,

Plants overflow from the old metallic watering can,

nearby to the miniature ones arranged and “sedumed” on a glass-topped table.

Carefully stepping through the paved garden there is so much to see. By the side of a rhododendron sits a rusty old stove,

and the clock defies time with its hands set permanently at twenty three past twelve.

Low walls are built with a collection of artifacts,

and there is just room for a small hexagonal glasshouse.

Having been absorbed by the myriad of cages, chimney pots and curios, I reach the end of the garden and retrace my steps to await the approaching darkness.

Back inside I am able to admire the photographs displayed of the garden decked in its summer dressing, elegant and floriferous. Suzette generously opens over two weekends in July and August and has been doing so for the NGS for over 5 years.

While I wait for the brightening of the lights outside, I gaze at the collection of bird cages hanging inside and wonder what the generic name for such a collector might be.

Just outside the conservatory things are starting to glow, it is hard to distinguish the difference between light and lobelia.

I knew this would be a tricky one to photograph but woh, I am not quite sure if it is a result of the mulled wine or inadequate equipment.

Ah ha, it all become clearer as I switch to iPhone, and the garden takes on a warm and magical look.

More visitors have arrived and the children ooh and aah as they gaze at the glitz and the glow.

Bird cages flutter into light,

making a pretty sequence throughout the garden,

In the dark there is a different atmosphere and some ornaments remain familiar whilst those previously unseen, appear in the show.

The glasshouse retracts behind the twinkle of green lights,

and looking back it is proof that gardens need not be necessarily just about plants and it is obvious the visitors are just loving this evening display.

I return to the conservatory once more where just outside green lights dance around the naked stems of the wisteria,

and inside it there is a warm glow.

Suzette has shown such generosity. It has been a magical visit, something just a little bit different and entertaining for all ages. I can’t help thinking if we want to encourage the next generation into the garden we might all take a leaf out of Suzette’s book and be a little bit more imaginative in our gardens at night time.

——-88——-

Lakeside House, a welcome and watery restoration. (87)

November 24, 2017January 20, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 6 Comments

The calendar of garden visiting is on pause now, and with the skiing season fast approaching one of the gardens I look back at with fondness, is the extraordinary garden at Brundall, once known as ‘The Switzerland of Norfolk’.

The garden was created in 1880 by a Dr Beverley who, along with planting an arboretum, dug out a cascade of ponds as seen in the centre of the postcard below. An entrepreneur named Frederick Holmes-Cooper then purchased the grounds in 1917, built a new house for his family which he called ‘Redclyffe’ and set about making ‘Brundall Gardens’ a visitor attraction with a fine hotel and restaurant.

Postcard 1920

In 1922 it was reported that 60,000 people flocked to see the gardens. Visitors travelled by bicycle, foot, rail and river disembarking at the jetty just by the restaurant.

Postcard advertising day trip to Brundall Gardens

Of course I arrived by car, and it was a cold day back in April. The garden, much reduced in size now is owned by Janet Muter. In the mid 1980s she and her husband bought a newly-built house on the site, just above the cascade and set about restoring the garden. It had suffered much neglect since its closure in the 1930s and subsequent requisition during the war when the property was used as an enemy aircraft plotting station.

I was very touched when Janet presented me with the book, Rescue of a Garden that she has recently written about the fascinating history of her garden.

So I cannot resist starting our tour with a picture of the house taken from the book showing the building in 1986, which she describes amusingly as ”A house undressed”:

Rescue of a garden by Jane Muter

No longer so naked, it is clothed in mahonia and clematis armandii,

and an attractive little border softens the hard landscape by the front door.

From the house we cross to the other side of the roadway which is in fact the drive to the neighbouring house. I have to confess I am a little confused; a rustic hut but where is the lake?

Crossing back over towards the house I admire the mixed planting in the flower bed, and continue to wonder at the apparent lack of water.

Then, walking through the trees towards the south side of the house, I realise that this has just been the warm up. The curtain raises and as I look down, the spectacle unfolds; a series of three delightful ponds descending to a lower lake.

I am standing upon the patio where a collection of colourful acers grow in pots. You can see that the grassy slope falls away very steeply.

We gently follow the path down on the right-hand side admiring the mixture of mature trees and shrubs, some in flower, that have been planted over the years.

The large-handled pot points the way and its shape is complimented by the planting around it. Perhaps a gentle reminder that this was a site once inhabited by the Romans.

The first pond is the smallest. There are no straight lines in this garden; pool, plants and pots smoothly flow in a curve. On occasions, a fountain plays in the centre.

The path leads away from the water’s edge down through swathes of ground cover; vinca, pulmonarias, lamium and ivy dotted with white honesty.

Bluebell flowers are just emerging and I catch glimpses of water through the branches,

and finally at the furthest point we venture out through the trees to arrive at the lily lake at the lowest level.

Large and untamed, the lake was almost inaccessible in 1985.

The Muters cleared fallen trees, excess reeds and rushes. Janet has always been mindful of the wildlife, the enjoyment of which is an important part of this garden. A beach was created and the gravel path seems to ebb and flow in harmony with the water’s edge.

There are some lovely gems planted on this side; the exquisite aronia melonocarpa

and pinky darmera peltata, its large leaves yet to grow.

Popular primula japonica is very content here.

Water lilies spread out in a Monet manner across the lake from the far side, where the sound of a railway can be heard as a train rattles by.

After a while we ascend the side of the lower pond where sweet woodruff grows amongst the fresh green unfurling fronds of the ferns.

At the top of the lower pond we cross over and look back. It is deep and requires dredging every year.

The middle pond is in fact in the care of the neighbour. Annually it is drained to remove the leaves. These water gardens do not just flow timelessly, they need maintenance. There has not been much rainfall in recent months and so the water level is low.

The top pond has a variety of plants emerging around its edge and it is the selection of euphorbias that catches my eye today,

with the ajuga edging the carrstone wall. The stone would have originally been brought over from the western side of the Norfolk.

An old tree trunk supporting a climbing rose combines with an ancient pot to provide a touch of antiquity.

We are grateful to have steps to climb this last part but I worry that I have kept Janet outside for too long. A hardy type as she might be, she is an octogenarian and it is a chilly day.

We pause on the top step to take in one last look over the haze of light blue periwinkle. I am in awe as to how someone can garden on such steep terrain.

Watery and wonderful, this can have been no easy garden to restore and maintain. It is hard to believe that for half a century it was hidden away by undergrowth. With careful restoration and a lot of hard graft, the Muters brought it back to life and while enhancing the beauty with their love and knowledge of plants, they have encouraged not only the wildlife to return but also the visitors. I quote from Janet’s book:

‘And in 25 years of opening my garden I have never known anyone leave litter or steal so much as a cutting, well not when I was looking anyway. Whilst rescuing my garden it has helped to raise thousands of pounds for many charities, but mainly for the National Garden Scheme.’

Lakeside House opened for two days this year over the May Bank holiday and raised nearly £3,000 for the NGS.

We are of course very grateful to Janet who will be opening next year by arrangement only. In the meantime you can enjoy this wintery scene and do read the book; it is an interesting story.

——-87——-

Ramster, open for 90 glorious years. (86)

November 18, 2017January 20, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 8 Comments

I cannot draw to the end of my ‘ninety’ without including the historic rambling wooded gardens of Ramster in Surrey. It was one of the original 609 gardens that opened for the NGS back in 1927 and has opened every successive year since. It is the only other garden along with Sandringham to hold such an impressive record.

Originally named Ramsnest, the garden was created out of an Oak woodland in the 1890s by the then owner Sir Harry Waechter, a British businessman and philanthropist.

The local nursery of V. N. Gauntlett & Co Ltd., specialists in all things Japanese, conveniently adjoined the garden and their influence is very much in evidence today.

In 1922 the property was bought by Sir Henry and Lady Norman and has remained in the same family being passed onto the fourth generation in 2005. Ramster Hall tucked away in the Surrey Hills is a private home but earns its keep by hosting weddings and corporate events.

At the annual NGS conference recently Miranda Gunn (third generation) gave an amusing account of the garden. She explained how in the early years an honesty box sufficed at the entrance, but times have changed and on arrival the driver of the coach full of visitors asks three simple questions: Where are the loos, where are the teas and what is the name of the dog!

Wooden obelisks mark the entrance to the 25 acres and the map shows plenty of meandering paths to explore and helpfully outlines the hard path route giving some access to wheelchairs.

A fallen Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii, has been turned, actually chainsawed, into this porcine family by Simon Groves http://www.grovessculpture.co.uk/home.html.

Opposite, a redundant tennis court has taken on a new lease of life,

a quiet enclosed flat area where a gentle fountain plays into the dark waters of the raised pool,

with a variety of pots, and places to sit. It is a contrast to the wooded undulating 25 acres yet to come.

There is a gentle unhurried atmosphere here, a place to wander with plenty of benches along the way,

placed strategically under trees such as this deciduous conifer the Swamp Cypress Taxodium distichum,

or tucked in under what is known as the ‘Grouse Hole’. From here you can sit for awhile

and admire the ‘Gauntlett’ Cranes standing still in the green lagoon.

Seating is also made simply out of fallen trunks,

or enriched by the chainsaw of Simon Groves.

From the winged back log you can look down on the bog garden, where an acer is acquiring an autumnal glow and tall thin purple verbena bonariensis rise up in front of the fat green gunnera manicata leaves.

Logs are used on the walkway; neatly sliced, they allow the children to experience the Gunnera jungle.

Following a rough woodland path clearly marked as unsuitable for any type of wheels I reach the lake, the furthest point of the woodland. It is hard to imagine what it must have been like in those early years with something like 40 gardeners. I am reminded of the story Miranda recounted; remembering the days when a team of gardeners was employed in the fifties and false teeth were all the rage, her mother would go out into the garden calling them and have to wait a considerable amount of time while the team would rush back to their potting shed to be reunited with their teeth and so appear with a gleaming white smile!

Throughout the woodland, autumn tints are creeping in particularly amongst the acers; the large leaves of this young Acer palmatum Osakasuki, have nearly all turned,

while this mature Acer rubrum ‘Scanlon’ has just a very few leaves. It amazes me how on one specimen the change is so varied, a breakaway branch so brilliantly red whilst the rest of the tree remains determinedly green.

Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Elstead’ is beautiful too, a fine tree it is also noted for its deeply ridged bark.

However it is the rare Castor aralia Kalopanax pictus var maximowicizii that wins the prize for its glorious bark, the wondrous patterns of nature.

Ramster is not only famous for its autumn colour but also for Rhododendrons and Azaleas, and many readers will have seen the wonderful display shown on Gardener’s World back in May. Not a flower to be seen now it is the naked limbs which still have such beauty; the tri-trunked specimen of Rhododendron Loder’s White.

and a frenzy of multi-stemmed Rhododendron ‘Cynthia’.

Some ‘naked’ trees are put to good use; a support for a beautifully scented honeysuckle Lonicera ‘Copper Beauty’ which flowers from June to September.

Another member of the honeysuckle family and still in flower is the Heptacodium miconioides known in N. America as Crape Myrtle or seven son flower.

There are the mighty giant trees such as the towering Sequoia giganteum Wellingtonia,

and the straight Atlantic cedar Cedrus atlantica glauca. The couple seated below are season ticket holders and share their love the garden by showing me photos of the past seasons.

It is near here in a clearing that Miranda Gunn has positioned her grandchildren.

A delightful arrangement in bronze resin titled Oranges and Lemons it is by Christine Charlesworth. Lola, Nessa, Ollie, Tom and Bethan were not an easy commission and took two years to complete, finishing in 2011. There is such rhythm and movement in this piece that it is no wonder that Charlesworth was selected as the official artist for the 2012 London Olympics.

Behind the group of figures is the glow of a red Acer, contorted with colour,

it is part of the Acer walk, the Japanese influence incorporated a century ago.

A lantern is poetically placed amongst shrubs and contributes to the Anglo/Japanese feel.

I meander for sometime past lakes and ponds,

down steps and over bridges; it is a fun place for children to explore.

Returning to the car park I pass under the deliciously-looking but inedible baubles of the Dogwood Cornus porlock ‘Norman Haddon’,

and then quite out of the blue, and it is out of the blue because everything is red, is a lonely hydrangea, a reminder of the acid soil that lies below and I envy hugely.

Back in the car park the peculiar fruits of the Medlar Mespilus germanica are yet to blet,

and a Red London Bus awaits the next party of wedding guests.

Ramster is closed now until the Spring; its very informative website boasts of it providing the best cake in Surrey. I should check it out when it opens for the NGS on Friday 11th May 2018.

——-86——-

Timber Hill, an autumnal flush of camellias and fungi.(85)

November 9, 2017March 14, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 10 Comments

October 15th was a glorious sunny Sunday and I was among several visitors who enjoyed an NGS open day at Timber Hill near Chobham in Surrey. Stepping through beautiful Autumn crocus Colchicum speciousus ‘Conqueror’ it is hard to believe that something of such beauty can be quite so poisonous.

Looking from the terrace of the house where statues surrounded by tiny pink roses dance and play, there was a definite feel of summer not yet over and a circle of Campanula fills a crack in the paving,

and pots are full of vibrant fuchsia, petunia and verbena. Even the sweet peas still look colourful, green and fresh.

Walking across the lawn I find a twiggy pheasant perched up in the Mulberry tree and for a brief moment mourn that my own fine specimen back home was recently felled by a storm. Wind chimes alert me to the present and for a very brief moment I hit fame as a visitor recognises me as “the blogger”. She is one of the Berkshire team, a county whose support in this project has been admirable.

The owners have lived and gardened here since 1951.The well-kept borders are full of colour; clumps of Tradescantia jostle for position next to Skimmia,

and the tall feathery plumes of Miscanthus appear silvery white.

Close by a butterfly, a Comma takes the opportunity to open its beautiful wings and bask in the sun.

There are several out this afternoon, Commas and Red Admirals together enjoy the drooping berries of the Himalayan honeysuckle Leycesteria formosa.

The garden softly merges into parkland. A Roebuck created by Cotswold based artist Katy Risdale (http://katerisdale.co.uk/) stands amongst the young trees, an area that helps link the garden to a maturer plantation further away.

The chunky leaves of Quercus affinis, an Oak from Mexico, appear scorchingly orangey red in the sunlight.

The feathery leaves of this large Maple are only just thinking of turning,

whilst this younger cousin Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ is already a fiery red

The woodland is not just about Autumn colour; there are over 200 camellias planted here. Not to be confused with the japonicas which flower in Spring, the Sasanquas, introduced to the West in 1869 by the Dutch traders often flower in the Autumn. Camellia sasanqua ‘Plantation Pink’ is such an example, graceful and single-flowered it smells very slightly.

Somewhat darker, the very prolific Camellia sasaqua ‘Hugh Evans’ is also scented,

whilst glorious ‘Gay Sue’ is considered to have the best fragrance of all.

The woodland floor is strewn with little hedgehog-like Sweet Chestnuts,

with occasional patches of cyclamen hederifolium, the ivy-leaves almost as decorative as the charming little flowers.

A good selection of fungi is very much in evidence, a subject of which I know so little. Luckily for me another visitor, out for the day from London seemed to be what I can only describe as a “fungophile” and helpfully identifies the varieties. This, upright and perfect, he explains was a Parasol Macrolepiota procera,

and when it all gets too much it then simply keels over.

The Shaggy Ink Cap goes by another splendid name of Lawyer’s Wig, Coprinus comatus,

They are all edible and my new-found friend enthuses about their culinary benefits and particularly enjoys this spongey type, the fleshy Orange Birch Bolete, Leccinum versipelle.

However, the Magpie ink cap Coprinopsis picacea is not so desirable being rather poisonous,

as is the familiar Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria.

He fears that these clusters may be Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea. There are apparently seven different strains of this deadly fungus, innocent-looking it spreads black bootlaces unseen underground ready to attack failing plants, which can often include many a fine old tree. Nature’s way but gardener’s nightmare.

Looking around in this lovely wood I am relieved to see that there are many healthy specimens. In a clearing I find a chiminea, probably not needed today; nevertheless a pleasant gesture if it should turn chilly. It is also touching to see the garden owner showing a less mobile visitor around in his motorised cart; most gardens have little access for the disabled. He pauses a moment to throw a log onto the lit fire.

Paths wind through the wood and through the clearing where I catch sight of the splendid 65 year old Liquidamber styraciflua.

Coming out of the wood you can see for miles. Swathes of dark green in an undulating landscape, it is an interesting fact to note that Surrey despite being commuter belt is the county with the highest concentration of trees in the UK.

I turn back towards the house and admire this mighty Oak, and cannot decide if it was planted as one and somehow grew into three.

Back by the house is a climbing Callicarpa bodinieri the Beautyberry; it is such an extraordinary colour, almost unnatural, but here it looks good intertwined with a vine.

Of course after such an interesting afternoon and with the journey home ahead, the day would have been incomplete without tea, so I joined my colleague from the NGS Berkshire team and sitting outside enjoyed a delicious piece of carrot cake.

Timber Hill is a garden with all-year-round interest and will be opening next year for yet more camellia (japonicas) and spring bulbs on the 17th March 2018, magnolias and spring blossom on 7th April and again for autumn delights on the 7th October. You should put it in your diary.

——-85——-

The Garden Gate is Open

Garden visiting, looking at what is through the garden gate, especially those open for National Garden Scheme, with just an occasional foray here and there.

Garden visiting from the armchair; a trio of books, blogs, and Instagram. (2/18)

Repton and his business

Pembroke College, a peaceful and pretty peramble. (1/18)

T’was the week before Christmas. (*****)

Stoke Mandeville, Horatio’s Garden. (90)

The Manor House, Bledlow; sculpture and setting (89)

42 Falconer Road, all a twinkle in Bushey. (88)

Lakeside House, a welcome and watery restoration. (87)

Ramster, open for 90 glorious years. (86)

Timber Hill, an autumnal flush of camellias and fungi.(85)