A touch of Spring at Ivy Croft

February 9, 2022February 9, 2022 / thegardengateisopen / 6 Comments

It was a joy to be out visiting gardens again and on my way driving to Hay-on-Wye for a jolly weekend, I found a garden open for the National Garden Scheme just the other side of Leominster, and very conveniently for me it was open on the Thursday.

You do not need to be a gardener to know that gardens opening at this time of year are all about snowdrops, and you don’t have to be a gardener to enjoy them. At Ivy Croft splashes of welcoming snowdrops appear all around the garden, either in the borders where they seem to be nudging those perennials to hurry up and push through,

whether in clumps or drifts, growing in grass or under trees, snowdrops look so appealing and just give a little ray of hope.

These were keeping warm growing up against the house. Garden owner Roger could not remember the exact name of these ‘Galanthus elwesii, a comfort to me that even the experts can get the labels muddled.

We begin our exploration of this four acre garden with the area by the house. There are those familiar winter gems all around and growing near the front door is the divinely scented Chimonanthus praecox also known appropriately as Wintersweet. I regret taking the saw to mine and if you have not got one I urge you to go and buy one.

Below, the handsome clump of soft blue winter-flowering iris catches my eye. These Algerian iris Iris unguicularis flower from November through to February, the individual flowers look quite exotic in a vase.

All gardens look a little bare at this time of year but as we venture to the front of the house an elegant seat and stone troughs add another dimension,

and to embellish the scene there is nothing like a touch of topiary …

You can see how evergreens are a necessity in any garden particularly in winter; here they soften the hard landscape and guide you along the path past the reddish brown stems of the Acer griseum.

Every Spring I mourn the fact that I have not planted enough hellebores, and as Spring gathers apace, I simply forget. These just look so heavenly.

We need some colour at this time of year and what better plant than these cheeky cyclamen emerging out of the grey stone.

Walking away from the house, the vibrant stems of the Cornus draw us into the wilder area of the garden. Wild it may look but I know these parts of the garden can be a lot of work.

I can’t help but admire the green of the conifer, its branches elegantly flowing down to the ground and am surprised to find it is Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Impricata Pendula’. If you check out The Woodland Trust website it cheerily informs you that the wood is rot-resistant which is popular in Japan for making coffins.

Gardens are not all about flowers; Roger uses woven willow in several places in the garden, either as a screen or as a quirky seat arbour.

and it is easy to forget the beauty of the small cones of the deciduous common alder Alnus glutinosa,

whilst the evergreen Garrya elliptica, drips with silver tassels. This is a bush which I find suffers the cold but dislikes the wind.

The garden was created some 25 years ago and has an air of maturity about it. Neat paths wander through wintery shrubs and trees, glimpsing every now and again the promise of spring,

and out in the open while the lawn looks so verdant and trim, the ornamental grasses seem to be experiencing a bad hair day.

How a drop of paint gives a simple wooden bench a touch of vibrancy, a focal point in a spacious area; the blue seems to blend harmoniously with the bright green.

A Mulberry is the central feature of the working vegetable garden, where paths are sensibly wide and firm waiting for the laden barrow to pass through the organised beds.

Surrounding the vegetable garden are trained fruit trees, one adorned with the mysterious mistletoe, which grows quite prolifically in the orchards around the county.

It is difficult not to admire this splash of Hamamelis mollis; several varieties grow in the garden, but this is near the car parking area and the scent is uplifting. To the right are the pleached limes underplanted with ‘oh so perfect’ box balls.

Behind the parking area is the whitest of birches contrasting with the evergreen fine yew buttresses, and what a perfect way to cheer up an unremarkable building. I am inspired to recreate the idea.

Roger is a true galanthophile and has collected and cultivated quite a selection: they are clearly labelled boasting endearing names. My friend Jill falls for a beautiful yellow ‘Treasure Island’ until we notice the price. To be fair it is not an unreasonable amount as some Snowdrops can reach staggering prices but we just aren’t in the market. So she goes for a different yellow, Galanthus ‘Spindlestone surprise’ while I settle for the ‘Godfrey Owen’ with its six outer petals, and also the virescent ‘Rosemary Burnham’, whose white petals look as though they have been brushed lightly with green.

Ivy Croft is open for the National Garden Scheme for Snowdrop Thursdays throughout February and March, and is open throughout the year. For details of this garden and other snowdrop gardens near you check out https://ngs.org.uk/view-garden/14669. To see Roger’s list of snowdrops and some lovely photographs of the garden in summer, go to http://www.ivycroftgarden.co.uk/. I hope to pass this way again.

*******2022*******

5 Burbage Road, Herne Hill; a tiny touch of Spring.

March 17, 2018April 15, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 8 Comments

Following the book launch of the National Garden Scheme’s Gardens to Visit at the Royal Festival Hall last Thursday I decided to walk along the Thames, jump on a train at London Bridge and travel to North Dulwich. As I walked the 5 minutes down Half Moon Lane the sun came out and there was a feeling of Spring in my step.

The garden, situated behind an Edwardian-style house is just 150 ft x 40 ft, but from the terrace it looks so much bigger.

Rosemary and her husband have lived here for over thirty years, so the garden is well established. On the terrace there is every sort of container, pots, watering cans and old-fashioned sinks.

White Bergenia, blue rosemary and pink hellebore provide a welcome splash of Spring colour.

Rosemary is a botanical artist and there is definitely a touch of artistry in the garden. Positioned on the side wall, the iron stag’s head with antlers twisted into holly leaves has a good view.

Lawn, trees, topiary and euphorbias are combined to provide shape and form, a rich tapestry of green.

I take the path that runs down along the left side of the garden; in just the first few steps there is a delightful variety of shrubs.

The sunshine is pushing open the new leaves of this Photinia glabra, although not as red as the more commonly seen Photinia x fraseri ‘red robin’, it is a delightfully rounded evergreen.

A bee is really getting into this pretty camelia.

The squawk of a parakeet can be heard as it flies overhead, no doubt keeping his eye on the raised bird baths. The garden is cleverly divided, whilst remaining ‘open plan’. Divisions are not oppressive but subtle allowing the eye to see over or through. The lawn appears to squeeze through the line of rounded box balls,

and moves towards a fountain gently bubbling over the rim of the tall jar. Fritillaria gracefully grow from tubby twin pots placed at the corner of the paved surround.

Three mature apple trees grow in the centre of the garden; below this one is a daphne and the scent is a delight.

More box balls intermingle with shrubs and perennials, and the brick path behind brings you into a bricked area.

The mood changes with a medley of metallic containers; nothing is left unplanted. Even the tree in the centre is not as natural as you might think.

Opposite, the wave bench by Anthony Paul marks the gravel garden. Surrounded by wooden sleepers the idea of this dry area was inspired by the great Beth Chatto.

Up through the gravel grows this little gem; at first glance I think it is a crocus but on closer inspection I realise it is a tiny species tulip.

Carrying on down the path towards the end of the garden I look back at the skilfully pruned apple tree,

the prunings of which are used to line the woodbark path that leads across to the bug hotel at the end of the garden. The garden is open in three days time and Rosemary is concerned that it is nearly a month behind. She worries that some of the daffodils are tightly in bud,

but there are splashes of Spring, such as this Pulmonaria pushing up through the ivy,

and a pink patch of cyclamen.

Brilliant hellebores, pink, red and white are out all over the garden.

Plants are positively thriving here, the result of well worked soil, and there can be no doubt that compost bins are clearly an important ingredient in this garden.

In every inch of this garden there is so much variety, and returning along the opposite side of the garden is a cloud-pruned Phillyrea latifolia, its dark green glossy foliage so striking in the afternoon sun.

For a moment there is a strong scent of fox; it is a curious coincidence as from out of the border Charlie appears…

… he is in pursuit of the goose on the lawn.

This tender sculpture can’t bear to watch and ever so gently turns away.

Back just below the house there is a ‘plank of pots’ with the suggestion of an alpine collection.

Against the garage wall is a decoratively trained climbing rose, a sort of final swirl to this creative garden.

I am itching to return home to pick up my secateurs but before I leave I am amused at the idea that these happy plants have moved to the windowsill to gain a better view of this delightful garden.

The weather forecast for the weekend is not great but this should not prevent an enjoyable visit to this treasure of a garden. Keep calm and visit a garden.

——-2018——-

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).

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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——-

Walkern Hall; Tiny Flowers and Tall Trees. (11)

February 25, 2017February 3, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / Leave a comment

I have travelled a few miles in the car over the last couple of months and I enjoy looking at the countryside rolling past. But what really upsets me is the layers of rubbish littered along the roadside. What I think might be snowdrops turns out to be discarded wrappers or cans. A glimpse of ‘travellers joy’ growing in the hedges turns out to be shredded plastic draped in the branches. It is a sight for sore eyes.

So it was a relief to turn off from the major road and drive along the neat and narrow lanes in an agricultural area of Hertfordshire. The garden owners had done a splendid job in signposting the way. An old rustic Garden Gate was ready to open.

Walkern Hall is surrounded by farmland. We parked in the farmyard, with English Longhorn cattle content in the fields in front of the house.

The garden owner was born here and wife Kate, a second generation NGS volunteer is on the Hertfordshire team. She gave us a warm welcome. So too did the blue sky.

We are directed to walk past the front door where an owl observes from above whilst a lion sits at the base.

The ground is dotted with aconites and snowdrops. This year they have been late in coming but are probably looking at their best right now.

The hazel catkins have also been coming out and look particularly fine by the Summer House. The inside of this intimate outdoor room is enhanced by the most beautiful wooden bench which curves gently round.

An impressive gate, but firmly closed, leads into the old walled garden sited some distance from the house. No longer teams of gardeners growing produce for the house, it is now enjoyed by teams of tennis players. I worry about stray balls flying into the magnificent glasshouses.

To the right of the gate is a Garrya elliptica enjoying the shelter of the wall. I make a note to move mine which has become totally browned off from the East wind.

The shed, sited at the end of the wall, appears more suited to an allotment rather than a garden of this size, but possesses a simple charm.

This garden is not about mixed borders and decorative flowers. It is more a landscape of green space and big trees. Mature and majestic, the trees stand uncrowded, growing away from the house.

We stride back towards the house which can be glimpsed through the Holm Oak Quercus Ilex .

A hugely tall London plane stands proudly on the lawn in the afternoon sunlight.

It is not hard to imagine this impressive fountain gently spouting water and entertaining a Victorian house party. I wonder at its history; who made it and why is it here? Curiously sited it does not seem to line up with the house, but is randomly placed on the lawn. It is perhaps that very fact, combined with an architectural splendour of a bygone era that is entertaining us today.

A small magnolia with swelling buds is waiting for Spring. It grows at the back of the house with snowdrops spreading freely around its base.

Out of sight is the back gate, a treasure in ironwork. It is well bedded-in and appears to have been open for years.

Back on the lawn we have a debate about the trees. The one on the left is definitely an oak, but the one on the right? By a stroke of luck the tree man for Hertfordshire is amongst the visitors.

He tells us that it is a turkey oak Quercus cerris, explaining that it is taller than the English oak and its acorn cups are hairy. He shows us the leaf and twig.

Enlightened we move back to the terrace on the south side of the house. It is a small area recently planted with good effect. The young evergreen lollipop shape contrasts well with the deciduous giants.

There is Box providing formality and Winter Box filling the terrace with glorious scent.

Visitors enjoy the teas served in the courtyard and are able to keep warm by the fire.

Molly is for ever hopeful.

Time to leave this spacious landscape with its impressive trees. One last look at the drifts of those tiny flowers before we drive on to London.

and although the owners are very friendly there is a reminder that this is a very private garden!

——-11——-

Robinson College: Old with New and Mistletoe too. (1)

January 8, 2017January 15, 2018 / thegardengateisopen / 2 Comments

I was very surprised to find a garden open for the National Garden Scheme on Monday 2nd January. So with Christmas and New Year safely over for another year we set off on a bright but very cold day to visit Robinson College, Cambridge. The first of my 90 garden challenge.

None of the familiar yellow signs were displayed because this is a garden open most of the year. Directed by the NGS Gardens to Visit book, we entered through the Porter’s Lodge. It is the proceeds from the garden guide that you buy from the Porter which are donated to the NGS. The guide is a complete joy and provides the history, a comprehensive list of the plants and maps:

Entering the very modern courtyard we were disappointed to find the chapel with its John Piper windows was not open.

The entrance to the garden was not terribly obvious and it took us a little while to figure out which steps to take.

Up and over a stairway we found ourselves in the college garden. It is icy cold and the bridge is a touch slippery. Leaving the main building behind us we crossed over the Bin Brook into what is an amalgamation of gardens from Edwardian to Modern.

It is not specifically a winter garden as such but there was plenty of interest, either in the form of colourful bark,

or winter flowering shrubs such as Mahonia with yellow flowers exploding like fireworks.

The Sarcococca or winter box generously lining the path was smelling a dream.

Throughout the gardens there are plenty of places for scholars to sit, to think and to dream. Was the sail-like stainless steel sculpture meant to imitate the shape of the Wellingtonia (sequoiadendron giganteum ‘Pendula’) growing across the flat lawn. Or is it the other way round?

“Sailing into the future’ by Philip de Koning

Also called the Weeping Redwood, this mighty tree is almost human in form and looks as if at any moment it might pick up its branches and lumber right across the lawn.

A beautiful vase stands in front of an older college building,

and to the side is a cluster of seed heads of Verbena bonariensis which add a little interest and highlight the smoothness of the green beyond.

Even the unripened figs are a delight in the morning sun.

Not all the buildings are modern and at the entrance to this house is the inevitable bike with a Jasmine nudiflorum growing magnificently.

A metal fence with a central moongate not only provides a frame for the newly planted ivy Hedera hibernica to climb but also divides an eating area:

The Bar table seems refreshingly modern but somehow keeps a natural feel. The giant golden oat Stipa gigantea brighten the border behind.

Lutyenesque steps are an striking feature and also cleverly link a serious drop in ground levels.

Round the corner a splash of colour catches my eye, cyclamen so small yet so bright:

Old, old espaliered apple trees stretch their boughs along the straight path.

The outdoor theatre was created in memory of Maria Bjornson a celebrated stage designer. The empty stage now waits for its next summer performance:

Mistletoe Viscum album inhabits the surrounding trees growing on the outside of the college grounds; always so high up in the branches and out of reach,

within the garden it grows on the apple trees at eye level. You just don’t appreciate how very pretty it looks; the opaque berries are enchanting.

We were the only visitors in the garden that morning except for one Japanese student, the odd squirrel, a noisy cock pheasant and much to his surprise, and ours, a muntjac deer. Sited on the other side of the pond and viewed from many angles are two ghostly objects apparently in silent communication:

“Conversing Figures” by Christophe Gordon-Brown

We return to the main college building. It is the juxtaposition of the old and the new which is so striking; an aged tree lies propped up in front of the modern red brick building.

The sound of rushing water can be heard as it travels under the many levels of brick passageways,

and it is the many layers of gardens that have been so absorbing. We have enjoyed the sculptures and the spaces throughout the garden; the enclosed and the open, the wild and the tamed, the formal and the relaxed with a huge variety of plants and trees. It is a perfect garden for the scholar not just to sit, study and contemplate but also to eat, watch and even to act. We look forward to returning in the summer.

——-1——-

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.

Winter interest

A touch of Spring at Ivy Croft

Like this:

5 Burbage Road, Herne Hill; a tiny touch of Spring.

Like this:

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

Like this:

Walkern Hall; Tiny Flowers and Tall Trees. (11)

Like this:

Robinson College: Old with New and Mistletoe too. (1)

Like this: