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THE ENGLISH GARDEN
THE ENGLISH
GARDEN
A HAYTER
PETROL
MOWER
MAY 2009 • ISSUE 140 • FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES BEAUTIFUL GARDENS • WWW.THEENGLISHGARDEN.CO.UK
MAY
MAY 2009 FOR EVERYONE
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The English Garden (UK issue) ISSN no 1361-2840. Printed in England.
EDITOR’S LETTER
Contents
MAY
9 Photo of the month Dawn breaks over a Devon garden -
and we find out how the photographer captured it
10 Word of mouth All the latest things to do and gardens to see
13 A year at Bodnant The laburnum arch and white wisteria
are in full flower up in north Wales
18 Testing… Testing…HelenYemmtries out trowels
21 The vegetable gardener’s diary Jackie Bennett gets
22 30
✿
55
sowing French beans and peas in her Norfolk garden
Focus on GloucestershireNurseries, gardens and
places to eat in the heart of the Cotswold county
RHS Chelsea Flower Show preview In this special
Glorious gardens
22 GLOUCESTERSHIRECotswold charm Sheephouse
garden has been transformedinto the perfect potager
13 32
✿
39
WEST SUSSEX A room of one’s own Cowdray’s
TudorWalled Garden gets a wonderful new lease of life
EAST SUSSEX A walk on the wild side The long quirky
39
cottage garden that’sa natural haven for all sorts of creatures
✿
46 HAMPSHIRE The art of abundance A painterly
plantswomanis behind the flower-filledgardens of Wren’sFarm
Bees
✿
98 A skep in the right direction Meet the man who makes
traditionalskeps - bee houses - for bee-keepingand decoration
✿
100 Plight of the humble honey bee The top five things
you can do as a gardener to help save our buzzing busy friends
✿
115 Sweet treats Attract bees and other essential insects with
a gallery of colourful nectar-richplants for your garden
73 Design
66 GUIDE TO... In search of perfect paving? Give your
outdoor floor a new look with our top picks and handy tips
73 DESIGN GUIDE The New Classic English Garden
The gardens of Badminton House may look like a dream from
eras past, but they are actually only 25 years old
✿
81 DESIGN FOCUS Lawn free and leisurely An urban
contemporary garden that successfully links inside to out
TEGUK140 Contents final 31/03/2009 11:36 Page 7
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110
32
PAGE
13
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22 82
PAGE
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73
PAGE
46
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39 105
105 32
Regular features
✿
88 From the kitchen garden Francine Raymond brings us
92
asparagus soup and a range of tasty oils and vinaigrettes
Eco-watchAnne Gatti looks at ways to keep the noise down
and eco-count low when using garden machinery
88
130 In a green shade Helen Gunn is inspired by lovely lilac
✿
rhododendrons,even after collecting and selling them for 30 years
112 Border lines Joe Reardon-Smith of Parham House in Sussex
56
warns of being tempted by too many plants
✿
118 Roadshowseason
119 Competition WIN
Join our expertsfor educationaldays out
one of two Hayter Harrier 48 petrol mowers
On the cover ✿
008-TEG-May-UK:Layout 1 1/4/09 11:11 Page 1
TEGUK140 Photo of Month final:UK 24/03/2009 16:37 Page 9
‘
This shot was taken at 5am as the sun rose from behind the hills at Bertie’s
Cottage, Devon. I was precariously balanced on top of a chicken shed, trying
not to fall through, as gardener Patti O’Brien worked away on her vegetable
plot. I had a couple of minutes to get the shot right before the sun got too Click on to
high - two exposures and it was in the bag.’ www.theenglish
garden.co.uk
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER to see more garden
Jason Ingram is a freelance photographerliving in Bristol. He specialisesin images of pictures and upload your
gardens, plants, food and people, working all over the country for various magazines, books www.gpauk.org own photos.
and design groups.To see more of Jason’swork, go to www.jasoningram.co.uk
Word of mouth
May day! May day! Gardens, fairs, sales and shows, where it stops no one knows.
Let our pick of events come to your rescue - you can even win tickets for Chelsea
OCEAN BREEZE
Indian Ocean’s outdoor
furniture collection, on sale
now at Selfridges, Oxford
Street, includes a range of
new accessories in
stainless steel including a
sundial, garden globes,
bird feeder, watering can,
torches and these snazzy
windmills (above) in sizes
20-30cm tall, from £8.95-
£14.95. Also available by
calling tel: +44 (0)20 8675
4808 or visiting website
www.indian-ocean.co.uk
5 bee-friendly gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond Developed Open seven days a week, 9am-5pm. Tel: +44 (0)24
in 1993, the bee garden at Kew has three styles of 7630 3517. www.gardenorganic.org
beehive from simple skeps to modern wooden hives. RHS Wisley, Woking A great place to see bees in
Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5655. www.kew.org the trees, buzzing away pollinating the blossom of
The National Wildflower Centre, Liverpool A great apple, pear and other fruits. Tel: +44 (0)1483 224234.
place to learn about how to be wildlife friendly. www.rhs.org.uk/wisley
Home to 19 species of butterfly as well as bees Highgrove, Glos HRH The Prince of Wales has a wild
NEW SHOW The and birds in 35-acre Victorian park grounds (above). flower meadow with endangered native plants, and
Grade I-listed gardens And The English Garden readers get 2 for 1 entry! his royal bees are so happy with the set-up they
of Holdenby House near Tel: +44 (0)1517 381913. www.nwc.org.uk make organic honey now sold directly from the
Northampton (above) are Garden Organic Ryton, WarksThe insect-attracting Highgrove shop in Tetbury.To visit, apply in writing.
the location for a new attributes of a wildflower meadow and a cornfield as www.princeofwales.org.uk
gardening and flower well as lots of lavender and a host of different roses. For more on bees, turn to pages 98 and 115.
event.The Holdenby
Garden Show, sponsored
by Haddonstone, will YUM GUM Eucalyptusdebeuzevillei, the snow gum
include a programme of (left), is now availablefrom BarchamTreesin Cambs.The
talks and demonstrations; container tree nursery is offeringmature specimens of this
stands for plants, garden Australiangem, which stands out because of its white bark,
CHELSEA 2008/JON ENOCH
accessories and gifts; live with branchessometimes touched with pink or orange, long
music and activities for wide leaves and flowers straight from the branchesthat
kids. Saturday 9 and resemble spider chrysanthemums.It is one of the hardiest
Sunday 10 May, 11am-5pm. eucalyptusand eventuallyforms a broadly pyramid shape to
Tel: +44 (0)1604 820011. 9-13.5m.Youcan now order a 3-4m specimen in a 65-litre
www.holdenby.com pot for £475 from their website, www.barchamonline.co.uk
TEGUK140 Word of mouth fianl 31/03/2009 10:47 Page 11
MAY
MAY
IN ACTION
A year at BODNANT
TROY SCOTT-SMITH PORTRAIT/RICHARD HANSON
Head Gardener and expert plantsman Troy Scott-Smith demonstrates the practical
monthly tasks carried out by the team at the National Trust’s Bodnant Garden in North Wales.
In May, it’s all about pruning and blooming as spring’s grand garden party begins
▲
PHOTOGRAPHSTROY SCOTT-SMITH
MAY
IN ACTION
F
THE LABURNUM ARCH IN FLOWER
garden looks at its most striking, Conceived and built in the 1880s by Henry
the light is at its most intense and Davies Pochin, the Laburnum Arch at
Bodnant (right) is one of the world’s great
the colours are at their most saturated.
iconic garden features. Beautifully
The peak month is May and the mood at proportioned, the slightly curving metal
Bodnant is one of exuberance and joy. tunnel is minimal and elegant in winter, but in
There is a garden party, in its truest sense, May it erupts into a blaze of golden racemes,
with flowers that hang from the tips of long
in full swing and it’s not to be missed.
drooping stalks, each up to 45cm (18in) in
As soon as you enter the mood is set; a length. This is the famous hybrid, Laburnum x
border planted with rich colours with a watereri ‘Vossii’, whose flowers are far
superior to either of the parent species.
gauze of the luminous blood-red Geranium
When flowering has finished, two of our
sanguineum, and annual Lychnis coronaria gardeners spend several days dead heading
whose soft, rich velvet magenta flowers sit using secateurs. This not only removes the
amongst its foliage like Belgian chocolates. highly poisonous seed pods - a must in a
public garden - but also directs all the plants’
As you explore further there are more
energy into performing this amazing act again
earthy toned borders on the Lily Terrace next year. We also feed them with a balanced
whose highlights are provided by rich fertiliser such as blood, fish and bone.
CUTTING BACK ESTABLISHEDSHRUBS Pruning in any garden is essential, but particularly in smaller scale and more compact gardens.The sense of
order, definition and scale that pruning injects to a scene is invaluable. Each plant will have differentrequirements as to when and how to prune; if in doubt,
check up in a good pruning manual.Then it’s a matter of striking a balance between pruning everything to look like a currant bun (contrived and
manipulated) and ‘tinkering’ (which amounts to not pruning at all). Get in there and be ruthless, but also be sympathetic to the plant’s natural character.
MAY
IN ACTION
GOOD BEDFELLOWS I think the best way to WISTERIA PRUNING AND CARE The Croquet Terrace fountain and steps are shrouded in a
display rhododendrons is to choose plants web of wisteria in May, a joy of the early summer garden, deliciously scented and often
with slightly different flowering times - then carrying a light second crop of blossom in August. The longest flowers (up to 45cm long) are
the flowering extends over two or three those of Wisteria floribunda, but W. sinensis has the best fragrance. Prune in February to short
months, and the individual plants each get in spurs and then simply remove the long wispy extension growth in summer; around June, after
turn a green background from their the flowers have faded. Birds can sometimes nip off the early buds - black cotton stretched
neighbours upon which to flower. over the growth should deter all but the most determined of these pests.
NOW’S THE TIME TO... flowering. Remove any dead or NEXT MONTH:
● It is incredibly easy to root fuchsias damaged stems and then cut back Troylooks at irrigationand staking the
from cuttings and now is the time to to fill their allotted space. perennials.Bodnant Gardens,Tal-y-Cafn,
take them. Snip non-flowering shoots ● Start thinking about which biennials Colwyn Bay,Conwy LL28 5RE.Tel:+44
5cm long and put them into a rooting you want to grow next year, as sowing (0)1492 650460. Book now for a Head
medium. After only 10-14 days, these will start soon. Gardener’swalk, 3 June; Falconry display,
will have rooted and be ready to pot ● Stake, stake and stake again.The 28 June. www.nationaltrust.org.uk
on into larger pots. effort made now on staking perennials
● Sow hardy annuals where they are to will be rewarded later.
flower if you have not already done so. ● Keep up the mowing and edging
● Wait for the water to warm up if you of lawns. It’s vital to the look of the
are thinking of adding fish to your garden and will show off your
pond - the shock will be less if you perennials to their best advantage.
introduce them into warmer water. ● The weather can be unpredictable,
● Prune all montana, alpina and so continue to protect tender plants.
macropetala type clematis now, after Ventilate greenhouses on warm days.
DIG FOR
metal shaft joins the handle is covered with
a shiny metal cover. Keeping a trowel dry is
an unrealistic proposition and wood naturally
swells and shrinks. Therefore with time this
VICTORY
HelenYemm unearths the most appropriate
metal covering can come adrift, and
eventuall y the shaft may even start to turn
within the handle. This is utterly infuriating
and quite a performance to get sorted out -
so I thought I would mention it here in the
hopes that one of those aforementi oned
trowel for a spot of light digging design chaps might take heed and come
up with a solution.
PHOTOGRAPHS RICHARD HANSON
As often with these tests, it is about how
much you want to pay, but everyone needs
an all-purpose trowel that will last a good
while and make planting and repotting a
pleasure. Here are the results of my findings.
TEGUK140 Testing Testing final:UK 31/03/2009 11:19 Page 19
TOOLS ON TEST
TROWELS
Helen This stainless steel tool has a bronze blade of this trowel
also liked soft, contoured rubber handle ‘assists the flow of nutrients’ to
just a couple of inches longer plants, or ‘disturbs soil
than traditional ones and magnetism’, as the makers
slightly curved at the end. claim. However this wooden
It won’t get Wonky Handle handled, slim, straight, pointed
Syndrome (as mentioned trowel was a joy to use. Slicing
opposite), though it could through my claggy clay soil as
get easily lost in the border. if it were chocolate cake, it was
www.spearandjackson.co.uk the lightest trowel of all those I
Also fromTool-Shed. tested. From Implementations.
Tel:0845 6441808. Tel: 0845 3303148.
www.tool-shed.co.uk www.implementations.co.uk
I looked for the usual qualities you need in a garden tool you will use repeatedly,
such as balance, lightness, sharpness and general overall wieldability’
GET GROWING
MAY
1
2
Fri
Sat
A vegetable
3
4
Sun
Mon
gardener’s diary
5 Tues In her regular series, Jackie Bennett gets serious for spring
with peas, French beans, lettuce, tomatoes and chillies
6 Wed
C
an the night frosts really have gone for good?
7 Thurs Nothing can stop the march of spring and once into
May, there is no more need to be cautious- whatever
8 Fri your heartdesires, plant it now.In vegetable terms,this means
9 Sat sowing or planting out all those things that have been waiting
for ‘no more frosts’. French beans and peas, mangetout, basil,
10 Sun Florence fennel, coriander and, in the cool greenho use,
young tomato, pepper and chilli plants.
11 Mon
MAY 4 I am trying two packs of peas; one of sturdy
12 Tues ‘Onward’, a main crop variety that produces marrowfat peas
on short plants 60cm (2ft) high and a slightly taller
13 Wed mangetout (those grown for the fleshy pod rather than the
peas inside) called ‘Reuzensuiker’,both from Mr Fothergill’s.
14 Thurs Sowing is easy.Make a shallow trench with a hoe and stagger
the peas across it, pulling the soil back over with the hoe
15 Fri afterwards.Pay heed to the old saying - ‘One for the mouse,
16 Sat one for the crow, one to rot and one to grow’ - and be
generous. Peas are tasty to all sorts of creatures, so I cover
17 Sun mine with mesh tunnels and draw the ends tight.
18 Mon MAY6 The tulipsare havingtheir final flourish and it is a real but it’s so satisfying to get a 100% success rate. Make a
treat to go and pick them from the cutting bed to bringinside. mental note to sow some more to stagger the crop and to
19 Tues Because the soil was so poor in this bed, they are not tall and sow some spring onions such as ‘White Lisbon’.
lush, but short and sturdy. Nevertheless, each has its own
20 Wed personality; sophisticated pale creamand green‘SpringGreen’, MAY 20 A greenhouse without glass can be an asset. Ours
neat and petite ‘Claudia’, soft and subtle ‘Mistress’ and the has several panes missing, which makes it perfect for plants
21 Thurs peony-flowered‘OrangePrincess’have done theirwork. I pick once they are established, allowing good air circulation and
them all and put eachvariety in a single vase aroundthe house. stopping it overheating. I buy a mix of young tomato plants
22 Fri I will lift them later when the leaves have died down, not from the local DIY store, and at the Malvern Show (see page
because they won’tsurvive the winter here, but because I like 85) I pick up two beautiful organic chilli plants. All are put
23 Sat
to ring the changes and try some different ones next year. in pots with fresh compost to avoid any soil problems and
24 Sun seem to put on growth in days, not weeks.
MAY 17 After a trip to France, I came back with two packs
25 Mon of Haricots Nain. The French naturally take beans very
PEAS AND BEANS TO SOW
seriously and there are more varieties in the average garden
26 Tues centre than one can possibly load into a handbag. Like any IN MAY AND JUNE
French beans, they need to be sown 5cm (2in) deep and ● Sugar snap or mangetout - to be picked young,
27 Wed about 23cm (9in) apart in rows, and given some sticks and before the peas inside develop.
stringfor support.Haricot beans are traditionallyleft to mature ● Petis pois - small seeded peas, eaten young
PHOTOGRAPHS RICHARD HANSON
28 Thurs in the pod and then harvested and dried for winter use, but and fresh.
they can just as well be eaten fresh - they should be ready to ● Dwarf French beans - ideal for pots and window
29 Fri pick in eight weeks. My varieties are ‘Triomphe de Farcy’, boxes. Try ‘Dwarf Opera’
which looks as if it will be mottled, and ‘Fin de Bagnols’,
30 Sat
which is a fine, green one.
● Climbing French beans - to be grown up poles
like runner beans. Try purple-podded ones or those
31 Sun The lettuce sown last month has germinated and it looks with purple flowers like ‘Climbing Cobra’.
so healthy I can’t bring myself to thin it out. I know I must,
GLORIOUS GARDENS
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Cotswold charm
It would be easy to be daunted by making a garden in a county known for
quintessential country style, but over the past 12 years the Gardiners have
created a masterpiece that stays true to its salubrious surroundings
▲
PHOTOGRAPHS JERRY HARPUR WORDS VANESSA BERRIDGE
GLORIOUS GARDENS
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Gardening here must be a tall order - it’s one of the Cotswolds’ prettiest
villages, with a number of well-known gardens in the vicinity
S
o often when I visi t a garden, I’m told views down a valley of woods and cattle grazed fields. Hills
that ‘there was nothi ng here when we rise up again gently on each side away from the garden.
came’. It’s always very impressive to see what The house itself dates from three periods: its core is an
people have done with a blank sheet, but early 15th-century farmhouse, with later additionsof a barn
somehow - I don’t know why - it’s even more in the 1600s and then a Georgian façade. The Gardiners
cheering to hear that garden owners have work ed on created new terracing immediately in front of the latter, but
or around what was there. kept a wide lawn below, flanked by two large herbaceous
That seems to me to be the case with Lawren ce and borders. This façade is covered with a creamy ‘Madame
Lindsa y Gardiner at their home in Painswick in Alfred Carrière’ rose and an unidentifiedwisteriathat flowers
Gloucestershire. Gardening here must be a tall order - it’s abundantly in May. It was part of the appeal of the house.
one of the Cotswolds’ prettiest villa ges, with anci ent ‘I’d always wanted a wisteria,’ says Lindsay,‘but we’d never
yews lining the churchyard path and a number of well- managed to achieve such a wonderful one before.’
known gardens within the vicinity. Born and bred in the The barn was converted into part of the house with a
count y, the Gardiners have a real feel for the Cotswol d large galleried room. Outside, one wall is covered with Vitis
countryside, and, perhaps because of this, when they coignetiae. The facing bed, edged with Lavandulax chaytoriae
bought Sheephouse in 1996, they worked with the lie of ‘Sawyers ’, is plante d with Allium holland icum ‘Purple
the land. The garden slopes down from the house, with Sensation’ for May,followed by Lilium regale and roses, such
as ‘Prosperity’. A rambler rose, the pale pink ‘Belvedere’,
foams over a wall, and acts as a backdrop for a knot garden
designed by Robert Bryant, who also worked closely with
the Gardiners elsewhere in the garden.
Although it had slippedintodeclineunderpreviousowners,
there was a structureof existingtrees and hedging.One area,
originally intendedas a tennis court, was framed on one side
by a hedgeof Thuja plicataand on two othersby green beech.
This was enclosed on the fourth side by espaliered Bramley
apples and turned into an ornamental potager, inspired by
Rosemary Verey’s potager at Barnsley House.
Because the enclosure was slightly irregular in shape,
Robert decided to design it as a circle broken up into five
segments, edged with box, with gravel pathwaysconverging
on a central stone urn planted with trailing surfinias and
▲
GLORIOUS GARDENS
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
‘It’s lovely to sit by the pool on a summer’s evening with a glass of wine, listen
to the sound of water and watch insects and birds flit in and out’
a cordyline, ‘to give airyness,’ says Robert. At the point of Galanthus nivalis, Viburnum x burkwoodii and, for autumn,
each segment are two box pyramids and a stan dard Cyclamen hederifolium.
Winchester Cathedral rose, and there is a steel archway at It is high maintenance, Robert admits, but he provides
the entr ance to each path way. Cordons of dessert and interest for the Gardiners throughout the year. ‘It is full
culinary apples and pears are trained up the arches, with of colour in high summer, and in winter, it doesn’t
a range of varieties to allow cross-pollination. look devast ated. There are a number of evergreen trees
The beds are planted with a mixture of vegetables and and planting through out is carefully design ed for
flowers, such as sweet peas, dahlias and chrysanthemums, successional interest: there are, for instance, great drifts
which Lindsay cuts for decorating the house. In summer, of Hydrangea arboresc ens ‘Annabelle’, which blooms
the Gardiners are self-sufficient in vegetables, with multiple profusely in July and August, but has flower heads that
croppings of shallots, onions, leeks, lettuce, rocket, cress, are attractive in mid-winter too.
beetroot, runner beans and broad beans - Lindsay says she
finds herself run off her feet, picking vegetables and fruit, Sheephouse, Stepping Stone Lane, Painswick, Gloucestershire
and making jams and chutneys. GL6 6RX. Tel: +44 (0)1452 814282. The garden will be open
Beyon d the potager is a series of swirli ng borders, for the Red Cross on Sunday 28 June, 2-6pm.
a mixture of shrubs, such as yellow Spiraea ‘Goldfla me’
Turn over for garden notebook
▲
and Potenti lla fruticosa ‘Abbotswood’ and perenn ials.
Early snowdrops, hellebores, narci ssus and Crocus
tommasinianus are followed by pink tulips and bergenia in
spring, and then by yellow hemerocallis and fiery red
Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ later in the summer. Yuccas and stipas
given contrasts in texture.
Paths of Berkshire flint lead down to a gaze bo.
Below are two pools, which cascad e into one anot her
(and are filled with ‘monster’ koi carp). They drop away
towards a statue of Galatea, hands on hips. ‘It is lovely to
sit there on a summer’s evening with a glass of wine,’ says
Lindsay, ‘liste ning to the sound of water, and watching
insects and birds flitting in and out.’
Beyon d is a southwest-facing ericaceou s rockery,
with rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias for spring
colour, and a woodland bed of cherries and acers, and
GLORIOUS GARDENS
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
The notebook
Sheephouse in Gloucestershire is a south facing, ornamental garden covering one and a half acres.
The soil is limey, with heavy clay in parts but loamy in others
GORGEOUS GALATEA
From Greek mythology and
neo-classicalliterature,a
representationof ‘She who is milk
white’ (above) stands on a pedestal
by the ponds, flanked by tall
evergreensand grasses. She is KNOT EASY
Galatea, the statue Pygmalion The knot garden (above) was designed by Robert Bryant,
sculpted and fell in love with, who used a design from 1600 that he found at the RHS
which was brought to life for him Lindley Library in London.Vigorous Rosa ‘Belvedere’,which
by Aphrodite. runs over the wall, grows as much as 3-4m (10-15ft)a year.
SPOTLIGHT
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
‘Two of our Gloucestershire gardens have opened for us annually since 1927,
the first NGS year - Stanway Water Garden and Icomb Place’
Norman Jefferys, NGS county organiser for Gloucestershire
RodboroughCommon is known for rolling hills and far-reachingviews across the county. It is also
renowned for wild flora such as the pasque flower and early purple orchids in spring, as well as rare
WESTBURY © NTPL/STEPHEN ROBSON
butterfliessuch as the Adonis blue, which has reappeared here after a 20-year absence. Right on the
common standsThe Bear of RodboroughHotel, a 17th-centurycoachinginn with the choice of
garden room, terrace, walled croquet lawn or gardens in which to take afternoontea.The traditional
option comprises a selection of finger sandwiches,scones with clotted cream and jam, and sliced
cakes served with coffeeor a selection of teas.The Champagne version has all of the above but also
a dish of strawberriesand a glass of bubbly each.The Bear of RodboroughHotel, Rodborough
Common, Stroud, Glos GL5 5DE.Tel:+44 (0)1453 878522. www.cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk
A room of
ONE’S OWN
Restoring a forgotten walled garden, where Tudor kings and queens once walked, has been a
dream come true for gardener Jan Howard and a source of inspiration for her design business
PHOTOGRAPHS CLIVE NICHOLS WORDS PATTIEBARRON
GLORIOUS GARDENS
WEST SUSSEX
W
ith flowery parterres, ornate pavilions
and lavender-l ined walkways, the
Walled Garden at Cowdray seems like
an enchanted, timeless place. It is no
surprise to learn that this was once a
Tudor pleasure garden where Henry VIII as well as
Elizabeth I strolled when they visited the castle. It is far
harder to beli eve that just eight years ago it was
undiscovere d, the least interest ing part of the Cowdray
Ruins at West Sussex. Nobody would know that, however,
because the door to the one-acre walled garden was
closed to the outside world.
The person responsiblefor opening that ancient wooden
door and restoring the walled garden is garden designer
Jan Howard, who is also the creator of a range of fanciful,
rusted iron plant supports and structures called Room in
the Garden. She started her business in 1995 when she
walked through a black archway in her garden, decided
she hated it, and realised she could do better. ‘Back then,
there was nothing on the market that was both beautiful
and functional,’ she says. ‘I had a eurek a momen t and
decided to design and manufacture elegant plant supports.’
She chose rusted iron so that the supports - soon to
incorporate gazebos and pavilions - would look like they’d
been in the garden forever, and thus give even a new garden
a feeling of age. The business went well; all gardeners know
▲
GLORIOUS GARDENS
WEST SUSSEX
the importance of good underpinnings for peren nial s, ABOVE Sedums and
climb ers and roses. These are what you might call the heucheras also edge some
gardeningworld’shaute couture corsetry,so had great appeal. colourful beds. RIGHTTwo
Howev er, Jan needed a showcase, not just a presence large trees, a walnut and a
at flowe r shows. ‘A lot of people seemed to think that Judas tree, provide shade
the next stage after rust is disintegration, so I wanted a for any modern regal
timeless place in which the supports could be seen to last guests who wish to visit,
through the seasons. I also wanted a place where I could while water trickles from
show how to integrate them with plants. In winter, quite the many spouts of this
bare, they look wonderful; in the summer, covered with Le Blanc bronze fountain.
plants, they almost disappear.’ BELOW, LEFTTO RIGHT
Jan and her husband Mike, a teacher,looked for a house Relax by the bananas
with office premises and a small garden, but couldn’t find at the glasshouse; a
anything within their price range, so tried to lease. They sculpture of a bugling
approached the nearby Cowdray Estate, were shown a angel peeks out from
couple of place s, and then, as an afterth ought, the old behind some planting;
walled garden, a one-ti me allotment patch for standing clematis climb obelisks
tenants, with an adjacent cottage. ‘Although the garden was made by owner Jan,
hidden, forgotten, the atmosphere within the walls was beside yellow roses.
tranquil and beautiful. This was the place,’ she recalls.
There was no question of failure, because they had sunk
their last penny into the proje ct. ‘It was a tough ride
because the garden was an offici al ancient monument
as well as Grade I-listed. Engli sh Heritag e had to give
us permission to even touch the Tudor brick walls, which
needed repo inting. The landscap ing team needed to
level the soil, but they weren ’t permitted to remove
even a spadeful from the site.’
Jan’s vision was clear from the start: she would reclaim
the romantic pleasure garden. ‘I wanted it to be traditional,
with parterres filled with flowers, and no enclosed rose
tunnel s to detrac t the eye from the fantast ic borrowed
landscape that Capability Brown designed, or, of course,
from the ruins of the old castle.’
There were two trees worth keeping: a Judas tree and a
venerab le old walnut, which still fruits prolifically. She
▲
‘Although the garden was hidden, forgotten, the atmosphere within the
walls was tranquil and beautiful. This was the place’
TEGUK 140 Cowdray Walled Garden final:UK 25/03/2009 17:05 Page 36
GLORIOUS GARDENS
WEST SUSSEX
The notebook
The Walled Garden at Cowdray is an enclosed, sheltered garden of one acre with a south-facing aspect. The garden
is bordered by the River Rother and the soil is therefore very fertile, free-draining and a rich peaty loam
FOUNTAIN FEATURE
The magnificent bronze fountain (below) is
the focal point of a walkway of lavender-
edged beds. It spouts water from a series
of boar’s heads around its circumference,
and was sculpted by Lloyd LeBlanc of
LeBlanc Fine Art. www.leblancfineart.com
GLORIOUS GARDENS
EAST SUSSEX
A walk on the
wild side
The perfect habitat for greater crested newts, grass
snakes and Burnet moths, this natural, eco-friendly
garden in East Sussex is a refuge for gardeners too
▲
Sunniva Harte’sgarden
near Brighton has several
different spaces including
this elegant lush area of
pastel colours and old
cottage garden favourites.
GLORIOUS GARDENS
EAST SUSSEX
ABOVE LEFT An old rustic bench adds a decorative touch by concrete paving that has been softened in appearance with self-seeded grasses and flowers.
Pevensey marshes lie beyond. ABOVE RIGHTThe raised vegetable garden where runner beans, beetroot, Swiss chard and salad burnet grow. BELOWThe
buds and blooms of Rosa ‘Albertine’. RIGHT A table and chairs front a jungle of Geranium ‘Silver Queen’,Allium schubertii, euphorbia and Welsh poppies.
Seeing no point trying to garden in the face of nature, she is keen for gardeners,
including herself, to ‘acknowledge what they can and can’t have’
T
o be really green, doesn’t a garden have to be woolly round As a garden photographer and writ er, and some-tim e professio nal
the edges, to be extra well-endowed in the muck and out-of- gardener, Sunniva has seen plenty of sophistication, and it’s a trick she
sight department? Sunniva Harte’scountrygarden at Pevensey plays well in the first, smart part of the garden, with Magnolia ‘Goliath’,
in East Sussex is living proof that it need not be so. It is roses and lavender prece ded by hellebores and dwarf tulips. But it is
surroundedby organic farmland, yes; it beyond this area that the garden seem s more
ends in romantic meadow grass, yes; but it is never comfortable with itself. The little pond tucked in
shabby. ‘Managed wildness’ is what she calls it, and behind a bed draws little attention to itself, but it
managed it certainly is, with very great care. is three feet deep and has become home to eight greater
The garden began life 11 years ago as the blankest crested newts. Impressive they are too, like little
of canvases, giving Sunniva the chance to design a dragons the size of trout.
garden in line with her green principles, making what Most meadow gardens focus on bulb s, early
she calls ‘a response to my environment, stylistically perennials and perhaps orchids, and are then cut in
as well as materially’. The result is a series of garden summer like a hay meadow, but in this garden the soil
spaces - you couldn’t really call them garden rooms - is too rich for fine, flowery meadow grass, and Sunniva
that run down the length of the garden: first, a lawn sees no point trying to garden in the face of nature.
beside the house with tall walls and sophist icated She is keen for gardeners, including herself , to
borders around it; second, a more informal area with ‘acknowledge what they can and can’t have’. Instead,
colourful curving beds and a small pond, with a sitting area beside her she just lets the rough grass flower and fall over in its own good time under
west-facing studio, and an absurdly pretty outside loo; third, through a wind and rain, never mown or strimmed, and this is just what her newts
wooden gate, lies a little vegetable patch; and finally, a meadow garden need, and grass snakes too. Burnet moths are also residents and in June
running down to open fields at the far end. you can find their pupae attached to the sides of stalks like little yellow
▲
GLORIOUS GARDENS
EAST SUSSEX
LEFT A narrow path is mown through the meadow grass, past bushes of roses, to the vegetable plot. ABOVE LEFT Lucca the cat takes a break at the foot
of the raised area between daisies and Rosa rugosa. ABOVE RIGHT Crataegus prunifolia, Daphne odora, foxgloves, geraniums, alliums, nepeta and
Bowles’ Golden Grass. BELOWThe caterpillar of a Burnet moth chows down on the lovely grub.
Her grandfather always planted by the moon and she is keen to follow - ‘Things grow
stronger and need less water if you plant them at the right time’
slugs, before they turn into moths of the most glamorousblue-black, spotted she is keen to follow, especially in her vegetable patch. ‘It makes sense,’
with magenta. If the meadow grass itself is coarse, it does not mean the she says. ‘Things grow stronger and need less water if you plant them at
meadow garden is unromantic, and Sunniva has scattered it with crab the right time in the lunar cycle. The system pioneered by Rudolph Steiner
apples, swee t-scented phil adelphus, sand-lo ving Rosa rugo sa and the and Emerson College at East Grinstead was incredibly helpful to me. I find
occasio nal paddle-lea ved clump of elecamp ane. A it really works.’ Her patch is not large, just four plank-
mown, one-man-wide path weaves its way between edged beds, but she raises generous crops of beans,
these on its way to the bottom of the garden and back and on the sandy soil she has good results with carrots
again. Where there is need for something a little firmer and golden beetroot as well as salads.
than turf underfoo t, she has incorporated large flat She recycles too. Interesting tins are washed out
pieces of weathered, broke n concre te with grass to make plant pots, and one of her water butts was
between them. The spaces between have filled with once a commercial plastic fruit juice container.
grass and the mower can pass over the whole lot with Garden canes she gets from thinn ing the fully-
ease; the effect is most relaxed. hardened,mature stems from her own bamboo clump.
Sunn iva inherited her green leani ngs from her It’s all very, very organised, but relaxed at the same
grandmother, who actually welcomed blackbirds and time: that’s the garden’s charm.
squirrels indoors and even let blue tits fly into her
bedroom. ‘It’s about being human,’ says Sunniva. ‘We Sunniva Harte’sprivate garden at Pevensey,near Brighton
have no right to exclude anything from a garden.’ Except the odd slug in East Sussex, is open by appointment only, with all proceeds going to charity.
maybe, for which she puts down pellets if things get desperate; she uses a Please call ahead on tel: +44 (0)1323 762908 to arrange a visit.
little Weedol here and there on the paths, too, but nothing on the borders.
Turn over for garden notebook
▲
Her grandfather always planted by the moon and it’s a way of gardening
GLORIOUS GARDENS
EAST SUSSEX
The notebook
Sunniva Harte’s garden is a long and thin 90m x 12m (300ft x 40ft) with sandy, fertile soil. One end is tucked
amongst walls and buildings, while the other exposed to the wind and looks onto open farmland
RESTFUL SPOT
It helps to extend the character
of a garden if its sitting places
have different characters. Here,
there are light metal table and
chairs beside the buildings, a
weathered old bench nestled
firmly into the meadow grass
(right) and a swing-seat at the
far end facing out onto farmland.
WATER WAYS
If you are serious about collecting rainwater, have a few attractive
watering cans that can be kept full beside your rainwater butts
(above), so that when it does rain the butt itself can fill to maximum
capacity. Sunniva’s water is metered and on her sandy soil she POTTY PIECES
must save every drop she can. Tiny terracotta pots lined up on
a wall (above) add a natural
decorative country touch, and
OWNER SUNNIVA’STIPS any that get broken by wildlife
● Don’t cut down your borders in November, do it in make great crocks.
February.The old foliage suppresses the weeds and then when
you clean up in spring the plants get off to a weed-free start.
● Relax about lawns. If you just keep mowing, the smaller GARDENS AND NURSERIES TO VISIT
weeds will thrive - self-heal and daisies - and they look great in a ● Highdown If you garden on lime, visit. Worthing,W. Sussex
dry summer when the BN12 6PFGTel:+44 (0)1903 501054. www.highdowngardens.co.uk
grass is poor. ● MerrimentsGarden and Nursery Four acres of varied modern
● If you have lots of gardening, with nursery attached.Hawkhurst Road, Hurst Green, E.
slugs, start off all your SussexTN19 7RA.Tel:+44 (0)1580 860666. www.merriments.co.uk
vegetables in pots, and put ● Pashley Manor A series of elegant formal gardens with parkland.
them out when they are Ticehurst, E. SussexTN5 7HE.Tel:+44 (0)1580 200888.
stronger. It’s really worth it. www.pashleymanorgardens.com
● If you mow your ● Stone Cross NurseriesStone Cross Roundabout,Dittons
meadow grass, never do it Road, E. Sussex BN24 5ET.Tel:+44 (0)1323 488188.
before the end of July or www.stone-cross-nurseries.co.uk
August, because many ● Usual and Unusual Plants Onslow House, Magham Down,
insects need that time to Hailsham, E. Sussex BN27 1PL.Tel:+44 (0)1323 840967.
complete their life cycle. www.uuplants.co.uk
The art of
abundance If the rose-covered walls of Wren’s Farm could talk, they
would tell of hard-working plant addict Petal Wilson’s
colourful collages of cottage classics
▲
GLORIOUS GARDENS
HAMPSHIRE
GLORIOUS GARDENS
HAMPSHIRE
V
iewed from any angle on a hazy ‘The soil is poor, a free-drai ning chal k that’s that runs parallel to the south-facing wall of the
summer’s morning, the garden at always hungry and absorbs loads of compost house. ‘It’sa perfect place to grow tender plants,’
Wren’s Farm forms an enticing each year. Planting anything involves the use of she points out. Amongst the treasures thriving
composition of flowers and a pickaxe and metal spike,’ she says. there are indigofera, jasmine, oleander, honey
foliage that embraces windows, Fortunately Petal is no stranger to compost bush and pelargoniums. ‘I keep them close to
doorways and special places. ‘I’m not arty in the and challeng ing conditio ns. A keen gardener the house where I can keep an eye on them.’ On
conventionalsense,but you could say I paint with since the age of 12, she established a fabulous the easterly end of the terrace, she plant ed
flowers,’ says Petal Wilson, who has transformed rose garden in her previous home, and is unfazed climbing roses such as Rosa White Clou d,
an unappealing farmyard in Hampshire into a by hard work - ‘It comes from a Scott ish ‘Penelope’ and ‘Albertine’, the powerful scent of
classicEnglishcottage garden filledwith an elusive upbri nging.’ Her garden at Wren’s Farm is its pink flowers discernible even from deep
blend of fragrance and flowers. essentially walled, flanked by buildings on three within the kitchen. The kitchen door opens
It is no mean feat, especial ly since just 12 sides with the fourt h partl y enclosed by a directl y onto the terrace, flanked by a rath er
years ago when Petal and her husband Ra detached, converted barn, now Ra’s office. There magnificent clump of Euphorbia characias
moved to Lower ‘Portugese Velvet’, its
Bordean, there was ‘The secret is to live with a garden and to make changes gradually. flower heads turning
little growing in the I started out by planting one border,and it grew from there’ fluorescent green when
farmyard apart from backlit by the early
an old walnut tree, and the barns were only are gaps to each side, allowing glimpses of a morning sun. To the west is a pool which,
partly converted. ‘We converted and renovated lower garden set against a backdrop of the South replacing a tumble-down greenhouse, is sunk
the old farm buildings, adding an outer frame Downs. ‘We have a beautiful view of hills, fields into the reclaimed York stone. A central fountain
of reclaimed bricks around the windows to and woods - it was one of the main reasons for sprays variegated iris, golden mimulusand dainty
better define them against the light flint walls.’ moving here,’ Petal says. arum lilies. ‘A garden isn’t complete without the
Only once building work was complete could Initially,she startedwork on the areas closestto sound of water,’ says Petal. Behind the pool
she turn her attention to the farmyard. ‘We had the house,concentrating on one bit at a time. ‘The stands an imposing, cast-iron cistern that is fed
to remove tons of broken concrete,’ she explains. secretis to live with a garden and to make changes water by a lion mask fountain trickling into the
‘Even now, I unearth enormous chunks of gradually,’ she explains. ‘I never put a design on pool, from where it is recirculated by a pump.
concrete,stone or flint - somehowmore and more paper - I just started out by planting one border, As a final flourish, the curving top edge of
manages to rise to the surfa ce.’ Nor did the and it grew slowly from there.’ One of the first the cistern has a collar of ivy, and on each
challenges stop once the rubble was removed. areas she tackled was a raised York stone terrace side clumps of bamboo, hosta, cordyline and
BOTTOM,LEFTTO RIGHT Rosa ‘Penelope’ climbs up the former barn behind herbaceous beds of roses, delphiniums, euphorbia, foxglovesand
stachys; also in the beds are Cirsium rivulare‘Atropurpureum’,poppies, hardy geraniums and black elder; a bench on the lawn for a comfortable
rest beside climbing solanum and Rosa ‘Albertine’.
ABOVE On theYorkstone terrace, a table and bench wait for visitors beneath the arbour,shaded with vines, Rosa ‘Cooperi’, Clematis ‘Carnaby’,with
Euphorbia characias ‘PortugueseVelvet’ and roses visible beyond. BELOWA view over white peonies and roses to the gravel bed with catmint,
eremurus, grasses, lavender and eryngium, as well as sanguisorba, linaria, genista, campanulas and poppies.
rodgersia create a leafy setting. Nearby, in the well in one position, I’ll try them in another, spikes of hooded flowers that goes well with
centre of the terrace, stands a pergola clad in a but if they still don’t get on, then it is time roses. ‘I first saw it growing alongside roses at
vine, various clematis and the unusual, much- for the compost heap.’ Sissinghurst, growing at just the right height to
admiredwhite Rosa ‘Cooperi’,which all intertwine Failure is rare, but among her many successes hide the bare, lower stems,’ she points out. There
to form a leafy canopy above a dining table and are certain signature plants, including Stachys are clematis - notably Clematis durandii, a variety
bench. ‘We sit out here a lot during fine weather, macrantha, a hairy-leaved perennial with purple without tendrilsthat requires a lot of tyingin - that
enjoying informal meals,’ says Petal. skirts a small, lichen-coloured doorway until
The view encompasses the garden and the meeting a climbing variegated euonymus. There
distantDowns, a glorious pictureframed in white are also rarities such as Marrubium incanum
roses,pinkClematis‘Carnaby’and a froth of flowers (horehound), a perennial that stands out in the
in the bed below- yellowCephalariagigantea, white gravel bed with whorls of lilac flowers, just one of
Crambe cordifolia, baptisia, and the crimson an ever-increasing collection of unusual plants.
blooms of Rosa L. D. Braithwaite. ‘It’s such a The gravelbed lies to the southof her husband’s
fabulous, deep velvety red - it’s without doubt office, its walls decked with ‘Pink Perpétué’ and
my favourite rose,’ she adds. Bonicaroses.‘Despitebeing on chalky, free-draining
Rosesare clearlya greatloveand run throughout soil, it needs no watering,’ insists Petal. Edged in
the garden, woven into a tapestry of perennials, old clay roof tiles to separate the gravel from the
evergreen shrubs and topiary. ‘I like to describe grass,thisbed is largelypopulatedwithself-seeding
my garden as ‘cottagey’,but within a formality of plants such as poppies, linaria, foxgloves and
clipped box or santolina,’ she says. It appears grasses. ‘And I just pull out any seedlings that
artfully orchestrated, but Petal insists that there is appear in the wrong place,’ she says. In addition,
nothing exact about her methodof gardening.‘I’m there are aromatic plants such as catmint, lavender,
forever moving plants around - if they don’t do sage and santolina mingling with pineap ple
▲
GLORIOUS GARDENS
HAMPSHIRE
ABOVE Looking beyond the roses, euphorbia and geraniums to the topiary lonicera on the lawn and the hills beyond.The box-edged island bed on
the left contains groundcover of astrantias and roses. BELOW An almost hidden door is edged in climbing Euonymous fortunei, Rosa ‘Aloha’ and
Clematis x durandii, and fronted by box pyramids.
plant, sea holly, cardoon,sanguisorba and Cirsium knot garden crafted from two kinds of box, Robin’. ‘It needs to be pruned twice a year to
rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’, all of them known for ‘formality with chaos in the centre.’ To each side keep the distinctive red shoots,’ she adds.
being drought tolerant. stand island beds, a tiered arrangement of roses With little help apart from a gardener who
Opposite the gravel bed lies the lower border, and perennials - astrantia, trifolium, delphinium, mows the lawns, and Ra who digs holes and
backed by a hawthor n hedge and a special salvia and lupin among st others - rising to a prunes the climbers, Petal gardens for countless
acoustic fence, designed to soundproof against central, evergreen standard Photinia x fraseri ‘Red hours throughout spring and summer.‘I’m a fair-
the noise of passing traffic on the neighbouring weather gardener, though, and during the winter
road. Unusually,it is painted in an off-black shade I have a total rest - I hardly go into the garden,
from decorative paint specialists, Farrow & Ball. and even forget the plants’ names.’ It is a time
‘The normal black was too glaring, but this softer for reflection, planni ng and dreaming of new
shade makes the fence less obtrusive, while also additions. ‘I’m a plantaholic, so whenever I find
forming a great backdropto the catalpaand white new plants, I have to create a new border for
foxtail lilies, roses and peonies,’ explains Petal. them,’ she says. ‘That’s how this garde n has
Backgrounds are all important in this garden, grown - it’s totally plant-led.’
not only ancientflint and brick, but also reflective
steel. On one wall, she has fixeda long mirror that Wren’sFarm, LowerBordean,HampshireGU32 1ER.
catches the unpreparedvisitorby surprise with its The garden at Wren’s Farm opens in aid of
surrealistically distortedreflections.‘I love showing charity for the NGS on Saturday and Sunday 20 and
people round - gardens are for sharing,’ she notes. 21 June, 2-6pm. Groups are also very welcome by
With its wonderful flowers, it is no surprise appointment, and there are usually plants for sale.
that visitors come in summer,but winter too has Tel: +44 (0)1730 263983.
its subtl etie s with a permanent struc ture of
Turn over for garden notebook
▲
GLORIOUS GARDENS
HAMPSHIRE
The notebook
Wren’s Farm is set against the background of the south Downs, with poor, free-draining chalk soil. It has many areas
including a south-facing terrace with pond, climbers and tender plants; gravel bed; knot garden; and borders
AVIAN AMUSEMENT
These two topiary birds (above) are formed from
Lonicera nitida. ‘When I started clipping the bushes,’
says Petal, ‘they lent themselvesto these shapes.
They’rejust a bit of fun, as are the balls and spirals.’
CONTACTS
OTHER GARDENS IN THE AREA
WET AND MILD These gardens are all local and open for the NGS on
Set into the York stone terrace is a small pool planted with mimulus, arum lilies, the same days as Wren’sFarm. www.ngs.org.uk
irises and waterlilies (above). Behind this, a lead cilstern is fed a trickle of water ● Bramdean House, Bramdean, Hants SO24 0JU.
by a lion’s head spout, topped with a crown of ivy. Other planting in this area 21 June, 2-5pm.Tel:+44 (0)1962 771214.
includes cordyline, astilbe, hosta and bamboo. ● Down Place, South Harting, Petersfield,
Sussex GU31 5PN. 20-21 June, 2-6pm.
REFLECTIONS OF SURPRISE Tel: +44 (0)1730 825374
A clever illusory touch of Petal’s lies ● Hinton Ampner, Alresford, Hampshire
in the shade of the walnut tree, where SO24 0LA. 20 June, 11am-5pm.
she has fixed a long mirror that is Tel: +44 (0)1962 771305.
cleverly disguised by a window box
of Iris laevigata, a leafy fig and golden
philadelphus(below).
OWNER PETAL WILSON’S
TOP TIPS FOR HEALTHY ROSES
● Prune in early spring, cutting out one main
branch a year on each rose to encourage growth.
● Apart from liberal
doses of well-rotted
farmyard manure, feed
with a proprietary fertiliser
in early spring and July.
● Limit spraying against
blackspot and aphid attack
HANGING OUT to a preventative spray in
This hanging bird table (above) has a spring and again in early
real copper roof with a 'verdigris'finish. summer, only if necessary.
Get a similar one by Bempton, made If blackspot attacks after
from FSC wood and complete with that, life’s too short to
hanging cord. H12in x W8in. £21.99at worry about it.
www.gardenbird.com
sales@anthonydegrey.com
TEGUK140 Chelsea cover final:UK 30/03/2009 09:13 Page 55
RHS SHOW
PREVIEW
SUSANNAH HUNTER/RHS
Chelsea
Flower Show 19-23 May 2009
The great spectacular begins right here with our preview
COMPILED BY CINEAD MCTERNAN
RHS SHOW
PREVIEW
Going for
GOLD
Showcasing an exciting array of garden design at the
very highest level, key themes at this year’s RHS Chelsea
include sustainability, foreign influences and edible gardens
directed into a pond flanked by shallow Fen Ben’s hovel - a traditional Fenland
overflow pools, planted with iris, hosta shed made from reclaimed materials
and Primula beesiana. This system
also creates free-draining areas that
are perfect for geums, aquilegia and
geraniums. Stand MA21
look out for...
Locally sourced, reclaimed steel mesh gabions densely planted
with ivy to make a living wall to further help absorb water
RHS SHOW
PREVIEW
Chelsea
Stand
RHW9
TEGUK140 Chelsea interview final:UK 30/03/2009 09:50 Page 61
RHS SHOW
PREVIEW
The interview
What’s it like preparing for the greatest show on earth?
We asked leading rose grower and Great Pavilion veteran
Peter Beales (far left) and Chelsea newcomer, designer
Luciano Giubbilei (left) to share their thoughts
Peter, this is your 41st RHS Chelsea Flower Luciano, you’re not normally known for using side, because horticulture is a business after all,
Show;do you stillget nervousbeforethe show? many plants in your designs, but this is not but the balance must be carefully considered.
Yes, I have sleepless nights and have a reduced the case with this garden. Was it difficult to
appetite during the lead up to Chelsea. choose which ones to use? If Chelseais the Oscars of the gardeningworld,
I had the colour combination and the key plants who or what should win...
And Luciano, is designing a show garden for that I wanted to use in mind from the start, and Best supporting role?
the first time an overwhelming experience? from there everything has developed through PB: Roses of course!
I have been focusing so much on all the details visiting Crocus, my plant supplier. LG: Grasses.
that I haven’treally thought what it will be like, but Best newcomer?
I don’t have particular expectations. Peter,have you seen Chelsea change over the PB: Obviously, a rose! And probably one of ours.
years you’ve been doing the show? LG: Iris ‘Coeur d’Or’.
What’s the most daunting aspect of Chelsea? PB: The changes I’ve seen are not about the Best nursery?
PB: Definitely the worry about the roses not ambience, which always remains enjoyable, but, PB: Blackmore and Langdon.
coming into flower in time. from a plantsman’s point of view, the hard LG: I have to say Crocus, but they are the best!
LG: For me, it is organising the diary - it has been landscaping seems now to be more important Best designer?
quite a challenge. than the plants. I suppose we have to live with PB: Chris Beardshaw
the ever-changingfashions. LG: Tom Stuart-Smith
How long have you spent preparing?
PB: Almost immediately after the show the next Do you think Chelsea needs to change to And finally… Peter,do you remember winning
year’s one is forming in my mind. But in terms of reflectthe shifts in horticultureor do you think your first gold medal? Who did you tell first?
design, it starts to come together in January. it is doing enough to include topical issues? The companywas much smallerthen and my wife
LG: I presented the garden to Laurent-Perrier in PB:The RHS are constantlyremindingus to reflect was with me at the show, so the first person
early July, and from that moment onwards I the changes that are taking place in horticulture I told was my mother.
started to researchall the elements that I needed: and lifestyleand so these issues are alwaysin the
the stone; detailing the water feature; speaking front of our mind when we design our stand. Who will you call when you find out what
to the artist, Nigel Hall; planning with the LG: I feel that it needs to find its simplicity medal you’ve been awarded, Luciano?
contractor,Crocus and the water featurespecialist because the whole thing about gardening and It will be my adopted British grandmother
Andrew Ewing; and travelling to plant nurseries designing is simple.The show and the public can Vera Gordon. She is adorable and someone
all over Europe to find what I needed. So, only benefit if there is clarity and direction in its that I really value. She brings me back to earth
yes, it has been quite some time, but I intent. I understand the need for the commercial every time I meet her.
suppose you can never have enough time
to prepare everything.
BELOW Peter Beales Roses in the
How do you feel about following in the Great Pavilion, stand GPE10, promises
footsteps of designers like Tom Stuart-Smith a lavish displays of magnificent roses.
and Jinny Blom, who have createdgardensfor
Laurent-Perrierin the past?
LG: I have great respect for previous designers.
In fact it was an introduction by Tom Stuart-Smith
that enabled me to meet with Laurent-Perrier.
I have alwaysadmiredTomfor his work but mostly
for his approach. I see him as an ambassador for
our profession,someone that makes you want to ABOVE Luciano’s Laurent-Perrier Garden, stand
be better. Mostly though, I am enjoying this MA18, sees geometric lines blurring boundaries
experience without thinking too much about between nature, art and architecture.
the past or the future.
▲
ROSA THE WEDGWOOD ROSE
The delicious grapefruit scent and vigorous
climbing habit of this English Musk hybrid
make it a good choice for pergolas and arbors.
Also, its large flowers bloom from the main
stem all the way up the plant.
Height 3m. £14.96 for bare root.
David Austin Roses, stand GPC22. Tel: +44
(0)1902 376333. www.davidaustinroses.com
CORDYLINE ‘SUNRISE’
At home in a courtyard or exotic garden,
this structural plant looks equally good in a
container or border. Feed monthly and water
regularly throughout summer. Bring indoors or
protect in winter. Height 1.2m.
£15 for a three-litre pot.
Hillier Nurseries, stand GPD15.
Tel: +44 (0)1794 368944. www.hillier.co.uk
RHS SHOW
PREVIEW
RHS SHOW
PREVIEW
Insider info
All you need to know about the show from our very own
editor TamsinWesthorpe, as well as expert tips from designer
Thomas Hoblyn and garden photographer Jason Ingram
VISITOR ESSENTIALS
● Buy the catalogue - it is
essential. To order your copy in
advance by tel: 0844 2090353.
JASON INGRAM
Call by 29 April. £6.50 inc. p&p.
In search of
perfect paving?
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GUIDE TO
PAVING
Things to consider
before you buy
WHO WILL LAYTHEM?
● Installation and ground preparation will often cost
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action to avoid flooding. For more information on
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Truststone Cotsdale, a new ● If undertaking the installation yourself, seek advice
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Knot with infills from provide guidelines. Make sure you have all the
Stonemarket (left), has appropriate safety wear.
fantastic durability, colour and ● Instead of buying plate compactors and stone
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plenty of character, it’s the
perfect focal point for any THINK ECO
garden, with hand-dressed Before ordering new paving, have you considered
edges giving a natural look. using old stone or paving in your garden? Gaps can
Tel: +44 (0)24 7651 8700. be infilled with gravel or planting if the paving is of
www.stonemarket.co.uk different sizes or damaged.
Where possible try to buy locally.You may be lucky
and find paving for free or aged paving at reclamation
‘When you’re choosing paving, consider the other textures
yards. Try placing an advert in the local paper or visit
and materials in your garden to help unite the finished www.freecycle.org Be aware that this paving won’t
design. For a traditional garden, go for ethically sourced, be guaranteed.
rather than concrete or reconstituted stone. Sawn and For Indian sandstone and Chinese slate, try sourcing
smooth is best for a smart, contemporary look.’ from ethical importers who are signed up to the Ethical
TradeInitiative(ETI). If you are environmentallyminded,
Charlotte Rowe, garden designer
when buying concrete paving ask if it has been created
(turn to page 81 to see one of Charlotte’s designs)
using recycled aggregates such as pulverisedfuel ash
or ground granulated blast furnace slag.
FRIEND OF THE EARTH? Ask your neighbour if they’re undertaking similar
-
Marshalls are signed up to the
ecodly paving work - it is far more eco friendly to make one
Ethical Trade Initiative and are n large order than two smaller ones.
committed to improving the frie
lives of the workers who make CARING FOR YOUR PAVING
its products. The Haworth In order to keep your paving looking as good as
Moor Range offers a selection new, follow our care guide:
of sandstone and natural stone ● Avoid slippery paving by using a pressure washer
(Antique Natural Stone, right), or yard brush and a drop of Jeyes’ Fluid.
that is bought from an ● Keep weeds at bay between cracks. In extreme
independent source to ensure cases you may have to resort to a weedkiller.
the imported natural stone ● Sweep up fallen leaves and berries in autumn to
paving has not been produced avoid accidents.
by young people. ● Use a product such as Biozyme OT8 Biological Oil
Tel: 0845 8205000 or visit Stain Remover to remove petrol and oil. Tel: +44 (0)23
www.marshalls.co.uk 8025 8966. www.blue-diamond.co.uk
DIRECTORY
PAVING
Paving directory
For decorative delights to spruce up your outdoor floor, look no further than our stockists list
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DESIGN GUIDE
NEW CLASSIC
Garden
profile
OWNERS
Duke and Duchess
of Beaufort
DESIGNERS
Russell Page and
François Goffinet
GARDEN DETAILS
Badminton,
Glos GL9 1DF.
www.badminton-
horse.co.uk
SITE Open Cotswold
country site
SOIL Brash clay
STYLE Formal design
with informal planting
admint on Hous e was restored and at the age of 56, there really was not and author Avilde Lees-Milne, who lived on
its name to the medieval battledo re and Page’s associate, Belgian designer François The result is a structured but luxuriousl y
shuttlecock game in the 1870s - has always Goffinet, stepped forward to help complete planted garden of many parts that wraps itself
been associated with hunting and, since 1949, the scheme . His main contri butio ns were around the eleg ant hous e with great style,
equestrian events includin g the famous the four box parterres on the south side of with flower plan ting in a soft base palette
BadmintonHorse trials. When the 11th Duke, the house . Gardenin g advic e was also at with dark tones of burgundi es, plums and
David Somerset, inherited the title in 1984 hand from the well-known garden historian purples threaded throughout.
DESIGN GUIDE
NEW CLASSIC
The hornbeam hedge at Reflecting the influence The paving flags for the The base of the
the back of the parterres of Russell Page and paths were found stored rectangular pond is
was a François Goffinet François Goffinet, box is away in a stable on the concrete topped and
choice. It requires a major part of the south estate, saved from a edged with York stone.
clipping twice a year garden design, but two previous life.They are The Duchess recently
and the Duke would decades down the line, Pennant stone. made the seal at the top
really prefer yew, the Duke and Duchess lip more watertight and
although the Duchess are finding it hard to then raised the water
enjoys its lighter green keep it all in good level to get an ‘infinity
colour and feels it lifts health and good shape. feel’ which has greatly
the atmosphere. improved the look.
DESIGN GUIDE
NEW CLASSIC
The symmetrical spheres The flowers that infill The colour theme is The grass paths are kept
are of small leaved privet behind the box and in kept to soft pink and immaculate with a strict
(Ligustrum ovalifolium) front of the hedge are white with a little blue. regime of mowing and
which the Duchess feels mainly Japanese Peonies are the favoured feeding.The gardens are
is much underestimated. anemone, A. x hybrida flower although white fortunate that they do
It needs clipping just ‘Honorine Jobert’ and foxgloves are allowed to not suffer a very heavy
▲
once a year and is well the occasional pink self-seed within reason, footfall of visitors.
behaved apart from a ‘Königin Charlotte’.They and the spheres of
tendency to throw out need to to be watched Allium hollandicum and
an occasional long shoot. as they have a tendancy A. cristophii match the
to be invasive. privet balls.
Garden rooms
The Badminton Estate proudly
boasts two magnificent long
conservatories as well as a splendid
orangery.
THE CONSERVATORIES
To the east of the house stand the present
conservatories, which were built in 1780
and have fantastic high apexed ceilings
(top row, right).
The walls of both are covered from
floor to ceiling in wooden trellis, painted
pale blue, and they are packed with
scented geraniums.
The Duchess’ absolute favourite is
the very pretty hybrid shell-pink ivy
Pelargonium ‘Millfield Gem’, which
climbs to the top of the conservatory.
THE ORANGERY
Situated down by the swimming pool,
the orangery is used these days mainly
to keep the splendid array of tender
summer-flowering bulb agapanthus
(below left and below centre). All of
the varieties at Badminton are so old, no
one knows their names anymore.
Some just come in for the winter
with the Mexican orange blossoms
(choisya), alongside Aloysia triphylla
(lemon verbena) and also the African
hemp, Sparrmannia africana. Climbing
roses such as ‘Alister Stella Gray’ and
wisteria cover the outside walls (right).
In front of the orangery is a dense
planting of long established iris ‘Jane
Phillips’ (below right), which were
replanted in the past month after
building work.
DESIGN GUIDE
NEW CLASSIC
Water features
THE SWIMMING POOL
AND FOUNTAIN
The stunning swimming pool and
fountain (above) sits in front of the
orangery and was designed by the
Duke himself.
DESIGN FOCUS
URBAN
LAWN FREE
AND LEISURELY
A small contemporary space with enough blooms to satisfy any
ardent gardener connects house and garden with aplomb
▲
PHOTOGRAPHS CLIVE NICHOLS WORDS DAVID ANDREWS
CHARLOTTE ROWE
A designer known for her bold
architectural style matched with
soft planting, she is based in
London but has also taken
contracts in the US and Europe.
Suite 10, 2 Station Court, Imperial
Wharf, London SW6 2PY.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7736 8672.
www.charlotterowe.com
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFTThis platform is the perfect place for an al fresco
meal; wooden decking by the water conjures thoughts of sunny pierside
holidays; a Majorelle blue wall demands visual attention; a treat of a seat to
paddle your feet; take a rest on this bench to appreciate the luscious planting.
BOTTOM LEFTThe house seamlessly extends out and merges into the garden.
he brief for this contemporary The garden seamlessly stems from the house, of Egypti an limeston e and interj ected by
DESIGN FOCUS
URBAN
The deck is made of The free-standing, Structured blocks of The use of Cornus A 2m x 4.5m pool sits
Western red cedar, as are lime-washed walls planting create a jigsaw alba ‘Sibirica’ with below the edge of the
the benches.This provide colour and act of lines that connect Trachelospermum timber capsule, allowing
softwood has a charming as effective screens for with the deck and jasminoides against the people to hang their feet
natural-washed appeal. objects the owners don’t terraces, pulling the fence, underplanted with over the edge.The
Anything darker might want on show, however, whole garden into a sedums, miscanthus, pool is an essential
detract from the they also have sculptural single working unit. The akebia, euphorbia and connection between the
surrounding plants and appeal in that they work evergreen blocks are monarda, creates a more indoor space and the
contrast to detrimental visually to draw your separated by perennials, natural, wild habitat garden - its calm
effect with the light eye down to the creating a relaxed along one side of the reflective surface is a
and bright qualities of bottom terrace. balance of naturalistic path leading to the perfect match for the
the terrace. wild planting against bottom of the garden. wooden extension and
formal arrangement. its large glass screen.
084-TEG-May-UK:Layout 1 1/4/09 11:23 Page 1
TEGUK140 Malvern Show final:UK 31/03/2009 11:08 Page 85
SHOW PREVIEW
COMPETITION
E
very garden, large or small, needs trees. For spring
blossom, autumn leaf colour or for textured bark in RULES
winter, nothing adds drama to a garden like trees. Entries limited to
one per household.
How would mature trees change your garden’scomplexion?
Entrants must be
Would a stately avenue give your newly built home the
18 years or over.
gravitas it lacks? Would a tall, living screen instantly The competition
transform an unattractive view into the tranquil outlook is not open to the
you have always wanted? employees of Archant
As an exclusivecompetitionfor The EnglishGardenreaders, Specialist or Majestic
MajesticTreesof Hertfordshirewill design, plant and/or build Trees, or their families
and agents.
up to £10,000worth of hard and soft landscapingfor the lucky
The winner is the first
reader who presents the most persuasive case for
correct entry chosen
a garden makeover.The winner will be announced in a later after the closing date
issue of the magazine, and The English Garden of 15 May 2009. The
will follow the design and build process over the summer, prize must be taken
culminating in a special feature on the winner’s garden to before the end of
be published in the autumn. 2009. No cash
alternative available.
To enter, answer the question on the entry form (below)
Full competition rules
and submitphotographsof your garden(digitalor prints),along
available on receipt of
with a summary of up to 200 words as to why you believe
SAE. The judges’
your garden would be most dramatically transformed by the decision is final; no
addition of mature trees. Send the entry form and additional correspondence will be
information to The English Garden Majestic Trees competition, entered into. You may
Archant House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Gloucester GL50 1BB photocopy this form.
✁
THE ENGLISH GARDEN MAJESTIC TREES COMPETITION - MAY ISSUE 140
HOW TO ENTER: Complete the entry form and include the correct answer to the question below (it may help to
read pages 59-61 in our March issue). On a separate piece of paper, describe, in no more than 200 words, why
adding trees to your garden would yield the most dramatic transformation, and what effect would be achieved.
Question: Why does an Airpot-grown tree (right) establish so quickly compared to trees grown
in conventional containers?
Answer:
Name (Mr/Mrs/Ms):
Address:
Please tick if you subscribe to The English Garden. ❑ Please tick if you do not wish to receive information about products and services from Archant Specialist by phone ❑ by post ❑ or from
other carefully selected companies by phone ❑ by post. ❑ Please tick the box if you do not wish to receive further information from Majestic Trees. ❑
Natural bathing in
your own garden
On the days when some pond owners would Locating the pond at the deepest or lowest The water plants carry out biological cleaning.
like to swap with their frogs, a swimming point in the garden gives it a very natural feel Not only do they look attractive, but they
pond is the answer! It provides a natural and putting it next to a patio gives the produce oxygen and remove excess nutrition.
environment for animals and plants, and appearance of being beside a lake. The plant roots and gravel harbour many tiny
improves the micro climate in the garden. Not micro organisms which assist in the cleaning
only does the pond blend in with the garden cycle. The choice of plants is important
during the summer, but in cold areas it can also and our professional team will help you to
be an ice rink in the winter. choose correctly.
SEASONAL
FOOD
SEASONAL
FOOD
DRESS TO IMPRESS with sea salt and black pepper, and whizz briefly
Tradition decrees one part vinegar to three parts in a blender.This is particularly delicious on crisp
oil as the basis of a dressing. Add sea salt and cos lettuce, topped with poached eggs.
black pepper to taste, definitely, and a little Dijon A favourite marinade: In a soup dish, add a
mustard, some harissa or Worcestershire sauce, splash of light olive oil, a sliced lemon and the
maybe. Make up your dressing in a screw-topjam juice of another, some capers, a little garlic and
jar, blending the ingredients by shaking them salt and pepper, and marinate a sliced aubergine
vigorously. Save in the fridge, but refresh in the mixture for a few hours. Drain and grill, and
frequently,as dressings go stale, especially those serve with the marinade reduced as a sauce.
with added crushed garlic.Try experimentingwith I love this with soft goat’s cheese in herby oil
a little mashed anchovy for a Caesar dressing; with black peppercorns, or some feta bathed in
add some crumbled blue cheese for protein; or lemon oil with mint.
for a healthier option, replace the oil with low-fat
yoghurt and the vinegar with lemon juice.
A favourite dressing: Take a bunch each of VISIT FRANCINE AT THE KITCHEN GARDEN
watercress and parsley, a sprig of tarragon and a Francine’s garden in Troston, near Bury St Edmunds, is open to the public for the NGS on
bundle of chives;then add two dessert spoons of Bank Holiday Sun and Mon, 24 and 25 May, 2-5pm. Come and visit the hens, ducks and
champagne or mild vinegar, four tablespoons of garden, and see the new iris bed and willow pond fence. www.kitchen-garden-hens.co.uk
olive oil and a carton of soft white cheese.Sprinkle
GREEN ISSUES
Garden machinery
Eco-watch
A necessary evil for all but the most dedicated of green gardeners,
Anne Gatti looks at environmental ways to use mowers and more
O
ne of the perks of being a garden writer Then there’s the potential damage to the wider and environmentalists say that the more people
is that occasionally you are offered (or environment that garden machinerycauses. Tools sign up, the more money there will be for the
can beg) gadgets to try out. A couple of powered by fossil fuels are responsible for carbon development of green energy in the UK.
years ago, I tested two leaf blowers, the kind that dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases, If you are not with a greenenergysupplier,then
vacuum as well as blow, and chop the leaves to which are directly associatedwith climatechange. you should consider battery-operated tools and
boot. Even though my garden is small, I thought Scientists warn that the need to cut our CO2 machines, especiallyones that run on lithium-ion
this bit of machinery would be a nifty time saver, emissions in particular - and the Energy Savings batteries. This technology has impressive eco
especially for the leaves that settle on the gravel Trust says we in the UK are the least efficient credentials:testing by independent technicianshas
part of the garden. It’s a year-round job as the energy users in Europe - is critical if we are to given results of 60g of CO2 emissions for a lithium-
eucalyptus drops leaves in all seasons, but one I avoid the extinctionof up to a quarter of all plant ion-powered mower cutting 300 sq m of grass
put off as longas possiblebecause it makes a racket species and land animals. compared with 780g from a petrol-powered one.
like an industrial-sized vacuum cleaner. So what should the eco gardenerdo about using These batteries are used by companies like Bosch
A MORI Research poll found that 1 million machinery? Well it’s possible, of course, to do all and Wolf Garten in a range of machines from
people moved homein 2007 becausethey couldn’t these jobs by hand - think of the calories you’d hedge cutters and shearsto shreddersand mowers.
stand the noise produced by neighbours. I don’t burn and the savings you’d make by cutting the According to Roger Tombs of Bosch UK, the
know how many of those involved noise in the grass with a push mower. But many gardeners just batteries used in their mowers will power the
garden, but if you visit the forums on the Noise don’t have the time, especially if they have miles machinesfor up to 30 minutes,dependingon the
Abatement Society website height and condition of
you’ll find plenty of cases. the grass, and take one
What should the eco gardener do about using machinery? It is
One lady put leaf blowers at hour to recharge, which
the top of her list of garden
possible to do jobs by hand, but many of us just don’t have time makes them a viable
machinery that causes option for most gardens.
‘anguish’ to neighbours, followed by trimmers, of hedging to clip or hectaresof lawn to mow. The At the end of their lives, these batteries should be
shredders and high-pressurecleaners. greenest option is to choose your machines with returned to the manufacturer so the various
I would add petrol-driven lawn mowers too. noise, energysourcesand emissions in mind.Many elementscan be extracted and reused.Husqvarna
When we are sitting out having lunch and our manufacturers now offer ‘quiet’ models, which offers a self-propelled mower that tops up its
neighbours choose that particular moment to cut typically run at 84 decibels (Robomow and also nickel-metal-hydride battery (better for the
their large lawns, we are forced to eat, without the Automower range from Husqvarnapurr along environment than a nickelcadmiumor lead) with
conversation,listening to the roar of the engine. at an impressive 64 decibels). Unfortunately,they solar power, is quieter than a household vacuum
The legal limit for a mower with a 50-70cm are often more expensive to produce. Electric cleaner and runs for up to an hour on one charge.
cutting width is 98 decibels (a boiling kettle models will be quieter than petrol-driven ones, You could also considera recyclerlawnmower,
measures 50) but the National Noise Association and if your supplier uses energy from renewable which shreds the grass very finely and then
says that levels above 85 decibels may harm our sources such as wind,wateror solar(see opposite) fires the clippings back to the base of the plants
ILLUSTRATION MAEVE CLANCY
hearing. Presumably short blasts of this kind of then you will be making a significantreduction in where it acts as a mulch, reducing the need to
noise are not likely to do permanent damage, but your personal carbon emissions. One provider water and feed the grass, and saving you time.
if every time you step into the garden you are claims thatswitchingto greenelectricitycan reduce Some models are petrol-driven but Toro and
subjected to a battery of mowing, trimming, the annual carbon footprint of an average AL-KO offer an electric one, which if combined
shredding, and power hosing, then your mood is household by two tons. Less than 1% of our with a green energy supplier would make for
unlikely to be tranquil. electricityis currentlygenerated from thesesources a sound eco choice.
Our website is packed with design tips, photography, competitions, events and advice
on jobs to do now. Fully interactive, you can have your say too. Visit us at...
www.theenglishgarden.co.uk
READER COMPETITION
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pictures today
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CRAFTS
BEES
A SKEP in the
right direction
Many people are turning back to traditional methods in these unsure days, and what could
taste sweeter than a sup of honey from an old-fashioned, handmade bee skep?
PHOTOGRAPHS PAUL FELIX WORDS SIAN ELLIS
ee-keeping in Britain dates from to hand: wicker ones covered in clay and cow for the job, place d openin g upwards on
‘Skeps are natural and made from sustainable resources. They recreate a dream of
a past period, a time when most cottage dwellers had bees’
WILDLIFE
BEES
HONEY BEE
Our bee population is in serious decline, but gardeners can make a difference
UK fell by 30% between 2007
and 2008, according to British
bee-keepers, and tragically,
last winter alone one in
three colonies died.
● It’s not completely clear
WORDS CINEAD MCTERNAN why bees are dying. Scientists
believe the Varroa mite is
responsible in part, sucking
5 bee-friendly ideas blood of infected insects and
weakening their immune
1
PLANT THE
RIGHT FLOWERS
Encourage honey bees to
visit your garden with cottage style
2 PERK UP
PUBLIC SPACES
If guerrilla
gardening isn’t for you,
systems. As honey bee
colonies are so densely packed,
disease spreads quickly.There
are physical and biological
annuals and perennials.If you have the British Beekeepers’ remedies, such as hygienic
enough room, why not let a patch Association(BBKA) bees that remove dead,
go wild? It’s worth considering suggest encouraging infected larvae from hives,
alternativesto pesticides too, as your local authority to but the mites are developing
chemicalsare harmful to bees.Try plant flowers to attract resistance to chemical
organic products or encourage bees in areas they look treatments, with the result
friendly predators to control pests. after, like roundabouts, that nearly all wild honey bee
Visit www.organiccatalog.comor parks and gardens. If colonies have died out. Bee-
www.just-green.com for more. its staff resources are keepers are the last hope to
Turnto page 115to find out the limited you can always treat these infections.
best nectar-richflowers to grow. get a group of friends ● Pesticides, prolonged spells
together and volunteer. of wet weather - such as our
past two summers - and
BECOME A
3
declining habitats of traditional
BEE-KEEPER
Take up a new hobby
and become a bee-keeper, it’s
4 HUNT OUT LOCAL HONEY
You can’t beat the flavour of local honey
and it is even more delicious when it has been
hedgerows, chalk grassland,
hay meadows and wildflowers
are also an issue for honey and
the ultimate way to help honey made from the flora of your area. Find your other types of bee. To help
bees. For all the information nearest honey producer by visiting your farmer’s market or go to combat the problem, the
you need, contact your local www.beedata.com/localhoney to search the database. Honey Bumblebee ConservationTrust
branch of the BBKA, which you Fairs take place throughout the year; speak to your local bee- is encouraging gardeners to
will be able to locate through its keeping association for details and make a note in your diary of plant traditional native plants
website www.britishbee.org.uk the National Honey Show, 29-31 October at St George’sCollege, such as bluebells, rosemary,
Here you’ll also discover Weybridge, Surrey KT15 2QS. www.honeyshow.co.uk geraniums and honeysuckle.
courses, essential equipment to
get you started and how to
manage the bees themselves.
If this sounds a little daunting,
why not offer your garden as a
home for a beehive?
LOBBY YOUR MP
According to the BBKA, over the next five years
bee related activities will contribute £800 million
to the agricultural economy. Yet the government only
5 READER BOOK
GIVEAWAY
We have 10 copies of
Beekeeping by
Your local bee- spends £200,000 a year on honey bee research. Joanna Ryde to give
keeping Many, including Lord Rooker - former minister away,published by
association will for the Department of the Environment, Food New Holland and
help you find a and Rural Affairs, and responsible for this on sale for £7.99.For a chance
keeper in need of finance until last October - believe this sum to be to win a copy, send an email to
more space and insufficient to prevent the impending disaster. info@theenglishgarden.co.uk
before you know it Sign the BBKA petition and write to your MP to with the subject line ‘Bees’,
your flowers will drum up support for The Bee Health Research answering this question: How
also be enoying Funding Campaign. Visit www.britishbee.org.uk much is spent on honey bee
the benefits. for campaign details. reseach each year?
NURSERY
RHODODENDRONS
the green
to think that nearly 30 years ago, much
of the land around The Old Glebe House in Devon was
no more than a sloping field used for grazing horses.
Its transformation into the beautifully landscaped garden
it is today is testament to the imaginationand hard work
of rhododendron specialist Nigel and his wife June.
A local enthusiast’s ardour accidently sparked Nigel It soon becomes clear that smoothing out the field
Wright’s profound passion for rhododendrons. Thirty was one of the simpler jobs undertaken to create this
garden. From hulking earth to fill a dip, digging a lake,
years on, his garden and nursery are still flourishing
constructing a bridge, building a summer house and
PHOTOGRAPHS ROWAN ISAACS WORDS CINEAD MCTERNAN creating a wild meadow, the Wrights have been bold
with their plans. And this doesn’t include making 30
borders and island beds, which over the years have been
planted with hundreds of different rhododendrons and
▲
azalea s. Meeting Nigel and June, however, you’d be rhododendron-filled woodland. ‘I remember just taking
forgiven for thinking they had merely made one or two a couple of plants home after that first visit,’ says Nigel,
minor adjustments to the original plot. ‘but as I soon started to buy more varieties, I needed to
They may be modest about their achievements, but find ways of displaying them in our garden. Island beds
their enthusiasmand passionis infectious. June professes were perfect and it was fun deciding on the different
to be a hopeless gardener, and as an artist prefers colour combinations. Grouping low plants at the front,
visualisinghow the plants, colours and structures should with medium height and taller rhododendrons behind
knit together. Nigel is hands on, and it is his love themalsogives you the chanceto see themfrom all angles’.
affair with rhododend rons that truly defines the He is particularly keen to include early and late
garden. It is a show case for more than 800 varieties of varieties for colour over most months of the year and
rhododendrons and azaleas,which cleverlydemonstrates species with different leaves to give year-round interest
how to use them in too. ‘They are all
different settings, such individual charact ers
It is Nigel’s love affair with rhododendrons
as a hedge or an and become like old
island border, on the
that truly defines the garden friends,’ says Nigel.
periphery of a bog Nigel locatedanother
garden or as a feature specimen, he now also runs spot for his plants when he and June tackled a
a successful nursery from the grounds. waterlogged area of the garden caused by a series of
It is surprising to learn that this wasn’t the original natural puddles running from the top of the lawn down
intention for the garden. In fact, Nigel’s initiation into to the field at the far end. Resolved to ‘make the most
rhododendron fever was thanks to an introdcution to a of what was already there’, June designed a succession
local enthusiast. Inheriting the troublesome Rhododendron of pools, edged with marginals andsom e of their
ponticum and a few other cultivars on buying the Old favourite azaleas, including R. luteum, ‘Gibraltar’ and R.
Glebe, he sought the advice of a local rhododendron vicosum ‘Antilope’. Longing to have ducks, water lilies
expert and nurser yman, Major Reyn olds. With no and reeds, she also seized upon the opportunity to
experien ce of these shrubs (previously gardening on channel the run off from these pools to create a lake
the chalky soil of their Bucki nghamsh ire home), with an island connected by a Monet bridge at the
Nigel was captivat ed after a tour round the Major ’s bottom of the garden.
TEG UK 140 Nursery Rhodos final:UK 26/03/2009 12:23 Page 107
NURSERY
RHODODENDRONS
Quirki er addit ions followed, all designed to draw FAR LEFT,TOP TO BOTTOMRhododendron’s are ideal for attractingbees and insects;
attentio n and accentuate the specimens. A favourite, R. ‘Ring of Fire’ flowers in mid- to late spring;‘W.F.H.’is a compact low-growing variety;
especiallyfor the Wright’sgrandchildren, is a rope bridge azaleas are closely related but generally bloom late May to early July. LEFT Dark-leaved
that spans a 26m (85ft) ravine that divides the garden rodgersia is a perfect foil for mixed azaleas. BELOWThe rope bridge spans a rhododendron-
in half. ‘It was inspired by a bridge we had seen during filled ravine and connects the garden,making a circular walk for visitors to enjoy.
a trip to New Zealand,’ remembers June. ‘It took Nigel
10 Saturdays to make with the help of a local chap and
they used half a mile of rope. I’m pleased to say so far
it has lasted 10 years, and when you stand in the middle
of it you get spectacular views of the rhododendrons
below, and those planted up along the gulley towards
the house. You see the islands beds when you look back
across to the lake.’ A living eucalyptus gazebo, viewing
platform and box-hedge turret also amuse in different
areas and give refreshing aspects of the garden.
Behind the scenes (where visitors are welcome to take
a guided tour), there are three-y ear-old plants in 11
nursery beds, ordered by colour, and a series of net
tunnels that are filled with one- to two-year-old plants
in 1.5-litre pots, ready to be sold to the public. Nigel
uses Nearing Frames, an American invention specifically
used to propagate woody shrubs, to take up to 1,000
cuttings each year (see above ). ‘I did try breedin g
rhododendrons and azaleasin the early years,’ says Nigel.
‘It was a painstakingly detailed process and the results
were hit and miss. I also learned how to graft plants,
but found species often reverted back to the rootstock,
especially if I used the vigorous Rhododendron ponticum.
▲
NURSERY
RHODODENDRONS
ABOVE LEFTThe net tunnels allow rain in, helping Nigel to keep plants watered during
the summer, and open ends allow air to circulate to keep plants healthy. ABOVE RIGHT
Rhododendron ‘Cynthia’ bursts with colour under an oak tree. LEFT Foliage is often
overlooked, but can be just as attractive as the flowers.
READER DAY
Send your application, marked ‘RenishawHall Reader Day’,to: The English Garden, ArchantHouse, Oriel Road, Cheltenham,Glos GL50 1BB
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ow o
an
lse o 40
a w
TEGUK140 Parham Borders final:UK 25/03/2009 09:34 Page 112
ay can be a dangerous time. Many Spring sales have risen and it has become easy
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TEGUK140 Plant Focus final 25/03/2009 09:06 Page 115
PLANT FOCUS
NECTAR RICH
Inula magnifica
Sweet treats It’s easy to help pollinating insects like bees, butterflies
and hoverflies to thrive in your garden, says Val Bourne:
just provide them with an abundant source of food
▲
PLANT FOCUS
NECTAR RICH
char acteristic sui ts the small-mouthed ● Double flowers are usually sterile especially good fo r hoverf lies, who ar e
hoverfly, which should be encouraged in the with no value to insects. The anthers attracted to deep yellows and oranges.
garden because it pollin ates while searching and nectaries have been replaced by Bees, on the other hand, adore blues and
for nectar, and its la rvae preda te a phids petals and so can’t be fertilised. Try the lilacs, but t he arching fl owers o f Phacelia
and other s mall pests. The dramatically single flowering Inula magnifica, dog tanacetifolia only seem attractive to honey bees
dark A s tra nti a ‘H ad spen Bl ood ’, the can dy rose or ornamental poppy instead. during the evening. I t may well be that this
pink ‘Roma’ and the clea r red ‘Ruby ● Plant your flowers in groups because plant doesn’t switch its nectar on until dusk.
Wedding’ are superb varieties. colour and scent en masse are easier Plants wi shing to a ttract pollinat ing moths
Other excellent May-flowering umbellifers for insects to detect. tend to be ev ening frag rant and pal lid in
include the bi ennial Smyrnium perfoliatu m, colour. Eve ning st ars include the silvered
pollinates and shakes stubborn p ollen from Dead hea d ‘Pink De light’, ‘Ro yal Re d’ and can get their nectar fix too.
CROCUS CROCUS ALAMY/MARTIN HUGHES-JONES
SHOW PREVIEW
Roadshow season Join our experts as they travel the country to answer your gardening questions
23-25 JULYWest Wiltshire Show,Trowbridge. This event is run 19 & 20 SEPTEMBER Royal County of Berkshire Show This show
once every other year and is designed to be a show for the whole marks the centenary of The Newbury & District Agricultural Society,
family. It has been running since 1989 and in previous years has featuring livestock, demonstrations, plant sales and trade stands, a
attracted more than 400 exhibitors. Expect live music and new wedding and travel marquee, craft tent, show jumping and
entertainment, talks, demonstrations and plenty for the keen country arena. This is a full day out with something for every
gardener. Entry is free. For more information, tel: +44 (0)1225 member of the familly. For more information, tel: +44 (0)1635 247111
402096 or go to www.westwiltsshow.org or go to www.newburyshow.co.uk
COMPETITION
H
ayter has been manufacturing grass-cutting machines
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The Hayter Harrier 48 model is ideal for medium to large
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The prizes
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Return this form to: The English Garden Hayter competition, Archant House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Glos GL50 1BB
You may photocopy this form. Please tick if you subscribe to The English Garden. ■ Please tick if y ou do n ot wi sh to receive inf ormation about products a nd services
from Archant S pecialist by phone ■ by post ■ or fr om other carefully selected com panies by ph one ■ by post . ■ Please ti ck the box if you do not wish to receive further information
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THE ENGLISH
SCENTSOF SUMMER
● Why sweet peas have become collectors’ items
● Focusing on spectacular roses for perfume
● Sharing the garden with wildlife
On sale 19 May
122-TEG-May-UK [gotm]:UK103 HayterComp gj 1/4/09 10:14 Page 122
DEN MA NS GARD EN
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For more information visit us at www.theenglishgarden.co.uk The English Garden 129
TEGUK140 Green Shade final 31/03/2009 11:03 Page 130
IN A GREEN SHADE
ooking through a dictionary of quotations recently, I noticed that, it was so popular it was said you could buy forced lilac in Paris every
L after roses and lilies, the most frequently mentioned flower is the month except July and August, when therewas no demand. Monet had
lilac. It invites the question: why? Some plants are obviously more bowers of purple lilac in his garden at Argenteuiland often painted his
than just themselves, and lay claim to a host of connotations beyond their wife and friends enswathed in shades of mauve.
own mere person. This seems tobe particularly true of lilac. It has been known in this country since the 16th century.John Gerard
The writers who use lilac to illustrate their thoughts are invariably wrote of it in 1597: ‘I have them in my garden in great plenty, and they
seeking to invoke a sense of yearning, to convey something lost, never have an excee ding sw eet savour.’ No peevish cavil here about their
to be regained. When Ivor Novello wrote the song We’ll gather lilacs in plainness out of flower or their regrettable relation to privet.
the spring again in 1945, he was describing, for a people weary of war,a According to an inventory of 1650, lilac grew to striking effect at the
sense of nostalgia and alonging for peace.A century earlier,the American royal palace of Nonsuch. It describes ‘a fountain of white marble ... set
poet Walt Whitman began his elegy on the death of Abraham Lincoln around with six trees called lelack trees, which bear no fruit, but a very
with the words: ‘When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d’. Perhaps it pleasant flower’. At this time, it was also sometimes referred to as the
could have been any timely flowerer; but lilac seems to set the tone for ‘pipe tree’, because the stem could be hollowed out and used for sucking
a sense of loss, and the mourning to come. or blowing. This is reflected in the Latin name syringa, which comes
And it isn’t just in poetry that lilac appears. Wh en the narrator at from the same origin as the modern word syringe.
the opening of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca is recalling Manderley, If you haven’t already marked the Royal Bo tanical Garden’s 250th
she ‘would th ink of the bl own lilac and t he happy valley’, symbols birthday with a visit, then take the advice of the poet Alfred Noyes and
of a place to wh ich she can ‘Go down to Kew in l ilac
never return. Lilac has become like the grand piano: unless you inherit it, time’. Here in the specially
I think lilac is still a plant you probably wouldn’t go out and buy one new designated Lilac Garden are
of nostalgia. We think of it as more than 100 specimens in
belonging to an earlier generation. It has become like the grand piano: 10 overflowing be ds, allat nose-height. No ne is more fragrantthe common
once everybody ha d one, bu t nowadays, unless you inhe rit it, you lilac, Syringa vulgaris. There are some ravishing shades too - it is oneof
probably wouldn’t go out and buy one new. Lilacs grew in grand parents’ the few flowers to give nameto its own colour (like viol et and heliotrope).
gardens, or flopped out of vases and scented the halls on interminable This magnificent array shows all the lush hues, fromcreamy white through
childhood visits to d ark h ouses. The li lacs I grew up wit h were deepening purples to a wine-soakedtinge that is nearly red.
permanently out of reach. They must have been 5ft shrubs when I was One of the finest double lilacs is ‘Katherine Havemeyer’, with large
born, and they continued to race away from me until now they are lanky pyramidal fl owers that start pale purple and fade t o pink. ‘Madame
trees. They hang their heavy heads in the arms of a Bhutan pine, where Lemoine’ is a sumptuous, deliciouslyfragrant cultivar, with large double
ILLUSTRATION CATHERINE HODGKISS
only the jays and the wood pigeons can appreciate their scent. white flowers that appear plentifully, even when the plant is quite young.
Lilac c ame originall y fro m the moun tains of the Balkans, that Perhaps best-lovedof all is the deep-purple ‘Ande nken an Ludwig Späth’,
intriguing region where south-east Europe slips into Turkey. nA Austrian with flowers up to 30cm (12in) long.
ambassador to the Turkish court brought lilac cuttings back to Vienna There’snothing heady or luxuriantabout the poetT.S.Eliot andyet he,
when he left Istanbul in 1563. When, seven years later, he moved on of the modernists, most famously mentions lilac. Perhaps his lines are
to Paris, he took his precious lilac plants with him. Perhaps this was best at conjuring the plant’s strange potency when he speaks of it ‘mixing
how the French love affair with lilac began. Certainly, by the 19th century memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain’.