SEVEN BRITISH GARDENS FULL OF RICH AUTUMN COLOURS
THE
english
GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
For everyone who loves beautiful gardens
Explore
CHELSEA Discover the gardens at this year’s show
Seasonal splendour at Castle End House
Exquisite camellias for flowers now
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CONTRIBUTORS
Naomi Slade Naomi is a journalist and author specialising in gardening and the environment. Her newest book, Lilies (Pavilion) is available to buy at naomislade. com. She explores the garden of Castle End House on page 32.
Ray Cox Ray has been a garden photographer for 20 years and his family has run the renowned Glendoick nursery in Perthshire for three generations. His photos of an autumnal Crathes Castle feature on page 22.
Welcome A
m I unusual in finding myself longing for autumn? In summer’s heat when unrelenting sun turns gardening into sticky toil, surrounded by browning lawn and dusty, droughtstricken plants, I look forward to autumn’s arrival almost as much as I do spring’s after a long, dark winter. Everything in the garden seems to breathe a sigh of relief: the demands of the summer performance are over; there’s a chance to reset the clock and start again. Especially because it’s the best time of year to take stock of your garden and its plants, dividing, moving and planting new ones, from tiny bulbs to huge trees. It’s also a season when many gardens – if they’re well planned and planted – get a second wind as all those later flowering perennials come to the fore and turning foliage brings new layers of rich colour to the mix. Like in the inventive borders in the gardens at Glyndebourne, where salvias, dahlias and asters mingle with berry-covered pyracantha, while Vitis coignetiae turns crimson on the walls of the house. Or at Castle End House in Oxfordshire, where the best of autumn’s flowers combine with swishy, textural grasses. Yes, autumn’s definitely a season to celebrate – I hope the gardens and plants in this issue have you longing for its scents and colours too.
IMAGE NEIL HEPWORTH; CHRIS WLAZNIK; RAY COX
CLARE FOGGETT, EDITOR
Annaïck Guitteny Annaïck travels the UK and Europe – especially her home country of France – to photograph gardens and plants, while she also works on personal projects. Her images of autumn camellias appear on page 79.
ON THE COVER Sedums, eupatorium and grasses bring rich autumnal colour and texture to the borders in Petra Hoyer Millar’s garden at Castle End House. Photograph by Clive Nichols.
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NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 3
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NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 5
November 2021
CONTENTS 22
22 62
38
32
54
46 12
Gardens 12 Glyndebourne These East Sussex gardens have to look good for the famous opera programme all year round, but autumn here hits a particularly high note. 22 Crathes Castle A joyous array of plants thrives in the mild microclimate of this Aberdeenshire walled garden, which has been developed and finessed over the centuries. 32 Castle End House Petra Hoyer Millar combines the best of autumn’s flowers in her Oxfordshire garden with swishy grasses for an extended season of texture and colour.
85
38 Holker Hall This garden on the edge of the Lake District is gearing up for a seasonal grand finale, with the rich tones of its topiary illuminated by carefully chosen colour. 46 East Bergholt While remaining true to his great grandfather’s ethos, Rupert Eley has revitalised his historic garden and arboretum in Suffolk for future generations to enjoy. 54 Middle Well At this valley-bottom garden in Devon, the sight and sound of running water has been used to create a space that works in tandem with its conditions. 62 Amisfield Walled Garden Rescued from dereliction by a charitable trust, this East Lothian garden is being resurrected by a team of volunteers as a community resource.
Design
38 6 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
79
71 Chelsea Flower Show We speak to some of the garden designers behind this year’s historic autumnal RHS Chelsea Flower Show. 91 Craftspeople Flora Arbuthnott teaches botanical dyeing, obtaining rich hues from foraged and home-grown plants.
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12 Plants
IMAGES RAY COX; JOE WAINWRIGHT; MIMI CONNOLLY; JACKY HOBBS; ANNAÏCK GUITTENY
79 Plant Focus Camellias’ exquisite blooms may look delicate, but certain species flower in autumn and winter. Fiona Edmonds grows these shrubs at Green Island Gardens in Essex and offers her specialist advice.
One of our most popular courses, led by master horticulturalist Ben Pope, which aims to take each student through all the practical elements of caring for a garden from soil, tools, maintenance, seed sowing and propagating, weed control and pests and diseases. The first 3 days will be spent at the Chelsea Physic Garden and the final day will be spent gaining practical experience in Rosemary Alexander’s much praised garden near Petersfield and the garden nearby, where Ben is in charge. Participants will be given a chance to prune, plant, sow seeds and regular maintenance tasks will be discussed. A light lunch and refreshments will be provided daily.
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85 Autumn Fruits & Foraging Jacky Hobbs forages from hedgerows and gardens for seasonal fruits and berries that can be turned into delicious drinks, preserves and more.
Regulars 8 On Location Watery fens, rich farmland and a fine cathedral city in Lincolnshire. 10 Out & About News, events, jobs to do – and the country’s best Himalayan gardens. 95 The Reviewer This month’s literary digest, plus an interview with author and expert organic farmer Sally Morgan. 98 Last Word Katherine Swift muses on the similarities between gardens and letter forms as she considers Ian Hamilton Finlay’s inscription garden of Little Sparta.
Garden of Medicinal Plants – Chelsea Physic Garden
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NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 7
ON LOCATION In 1311 when it was first raised, Lincoln Cathedral’s central spire made it the tallest building in the world.
LINCOLNSHIRE
Reclaiming the Land Discover watery fens, rich agricultural land and a fine cathedral city
It’s a three-hour drive to Lincolnshire from London. Trains to Lincoln take two hours and depart from London King’s Cross.
T
he rolling Lincolnshire Wolds give way to the Fens of East Anglia, captured so vividly in Graham Swift’s 1983 novel Waterland. The reclaimed land here is delineated by channels, furrows, sluices and embankments. Lincolnshire, with its county town of Lincoln, is integral to the region, although the Fens extend south into Cambridgeshire and east into Norfolk.
8 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
This coastal plain was once inhospitable marshland, save for the odd patch of high ground. Drainage began in earnest in the 17th century, at the behest of Charles I, with Cornelius Vermuyden successfully applying Dutch techniques. Swathes of land became available to agriculture and the rich, soil today yields horticultural produce of renown. Lincoln is a fine city, with cobbled streets and a splendid Gothic cathedral, on which construction
Great Escapes Enjoy a luxurious stay, visit lovely walled gardens and explore the varied landscape elsewhere in the county STAY Washingborough Hall is
a Grade II-listed country house hotel on the outskirts of Lincoln. It was built around 1750 and, being privately owned, retains its elegant Georgian character. Expect luxurious rooms and suites, fine local food and elegantly manicured grounds. Tel: +44 (0)1522 790340; washingboroughhall.com
VISIT Lady Ursula Cholmeley is the driving force behind the exquisite
IMAGES SHUTTERSTOCK; CLIVE NICHOLS
grounds of Easton Walled Gardens, near Grantham. Amble through its Rose Meadows, The Pickery and Vegetable Garden and Long Borders. If leaving proves too much of a wrench, you can book a stay at a cottage in the grounds or in the village of nearby Burton Coggles. Tel. +44 (0)1476 530063; visiteaston.co.uk
began in 1072. In the Cathedral Quarter, find 15th-century books in the timber-framed Wren Library and the Medieval Library (lincolncathedral. com). Also in the city is Lincoln Castle (lincolncastle. com), dating from 1068, which holds one of four surviving copies of the Magna Carta. Outside the city is Doddington Hall, an Elizabethan mansion with restored gardens. doddingtonhall.co.uk Prosperous Stamford in the south claims a mix of pretty architectural styles dating from the Normans, although Georgian buildings dominate the town centre. Not far away is the Burghley estate, with its vast Elizabethan house and gardens. burghley.co.uk To the north, is Grantham, where grocer’s daughter Margaret Thatcher, grew up to be the UK’s first female Prime Minister, from 1979 to 1990. ■
EXPLORE Lincolnshire isn’t all flat land. The Lincolnshire Wolds with gently undulating hills in the north-east of the country are well worth exploring. The extensive coast offers diverse charm, from the broad estuary of The Wash, now a World Heritage Site and nesting site for migratory birds, to kiss-mequick seaside thrills in Skegness and Cleethorpes. Sail a boat at Mablethorpe and enjoy miles of unspoilt, sandy beach at the quieter destinations of Anderby Creek and Huttoft.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 9
NOVEMBER
Out & About
Phoebe Jayes recommends UK gardens to visit for a taste of the Himalayas and rounds up outdoor jobs to do in autumn – as well as the latest news
Autumn jobs ● Collect seeds by
separating them from berries and storing in a cool place. You can then sow them in trays or small pots and place outside in a coldframe. ● Plant herbaceous
perennials while the soil is still warm enough for roots to establish. ● Lift hardwood
cuttings from last autumn, which will by now have rooted, and plant them in permanent positions. ● Sow overwintering
Mountain MARVELS Take in the wonderfully colourful flora of the Himalayas at these five gardens, all of which offer a taste of the area’s diverse plant life
broad beans and peas outside, with cloches to hand in case of severe winter weather. ● Pot up amaryllis
Harewood House
Minterne
Muncaster
Designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, these 100-acre gardens near Leeds offer a taste of the Himalayas. A gorge is filled with primulas, orchids, blue poppies and more than 50 kinds of rhododendron. Tel: +44 (0)113 2181010; harewood.org
These Himalayan gardens in Dorset blaze with colour in autumn (below). Some 200 acers create splashes of russet, scarlet and yellow that are reflected in tranquil lakes and streams. Tel: +44 (0)1300 341370; minterne.co.uk
Enjoy Sino-Himalayan Gardens within this 77-acre expanse overlooking the Cumbrian fells (above). You’ll be able to spot many rare specimens and take in one of the best rhododendron collections in the country. Tel: +44 (0)1229 717614; muncaster.co.uk
The Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park Peter and Caroline Roberts have transformed their Yorkshire home with plants of wild origin from the SinoHimalayan area and more than 70 contemporary sculptures. Tel: +44 (0)1765 658009; himalayangarden.com 10 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Riverhill These gardens in Kent open until 31 October so visitors can enjoy the trees’ golden glow. Secret paths weave through The Wood Garden, while The Walled Garden features grass-sculpted terraces. Tel: +44 (0)1732 459777; riverhillgardens.co.uk
bulbs so they flower in time for Christmas. ● Plant bare-root trees
and shrubs by digging a generous hole in the ground, placing the tree or shrub with a low stake on its windward side, re-filling and gently firming.
ORGANIC
JO THOMPSON’S
Highgate design
Development
Award-winning designer and Chelsea Flower Show regular Jo Thompson has won her bid to help with the conservation and replanting of London’s historic Highgate Cemetery. Well-known for being the final resting place of historic figures such as Lucien Freud and Karl Marx, the iconic site will soon be home to new trees, grassy meadows and shady glades that will enhance its biodiversity. Jo will work on the project with landscape architecture practice Gustafson Porter + Bowman. jothompson-garden-design.co.uk; highgatecemetery.org/news
Garden Organic, the UK’s national charity dedicated to organic horticulture, has appointed a new chief executive. Fiona Taylor joins just as the charity opens its brand-new demonstration gardens near Coventry, and as it meets increased demand from the surge of new gardeners following Covid lockdowns. “I’m honoured to be taking on this role when so many of us are thinking about how best to garden so ecosystems can re-start,” says Fiona. “Organic gardening must be grown by positive action, to encourage flourishing biodiversity in communities the world over.” gardenorganic.org.uk
BEST IN SHOW at Hampton Court The prestigious Best Show Garden award at Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival went to Tom Simpson’s garden for Cancer Research UK. “Elegantly designed, beautifully constructed and planted with style and grace,” were the judges’ comments about the garden, which was designed in a figure-of-eight shape to represent the charity’s ongoing research into life-saving treatments. “The garden is a tribute to those people who think of Cancer Research in their wills,” said Tom. See rhs.org.uk for more.
IMAGES MUNCASTER; ALAMY; R. HAMMOND; RHS/NEIL HEPWORTH
BRICKELL Award 2021 Plant Heritage’s Brickell Award winner for 2021 is Roger Hammond. Roger, who holds the National Plant Collection of Epimedium, was formally announced as the winner at this year’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. The Brickell Award celebrates outstanding contributions to plant conservation. Roger has built from scratch one of the largest collections of epimedium in the country and is fast becoming one of the leading authorities on the genus, making him a worthy recipient of this year’s award. “Roger was chosen as this year’s recipient for his deep and ongoing commitment to epimediums over the past 30 years, his successes in the propagation and cultivation of this genus – plus his considerable contribution to our knowledge about epimediums,” said Vicki Cooke, Conservation Manager for Plant Heritage. For more information, visit plantheritage.org.uk NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 11
This page Flamboyant
planting in the terrace borders, with persicaria and Salvia ‘Amistad’.
Opposite The Urn Garden, its central feature filled with bacopa.
12 THE THEENGLISH ENGLISHGARDEN GARDENNOVEMBER NOVEMBER2021 2021
Performance PIECE
The gardens at Glyndebourne have to look good for the famous opera programme all year round, but thanks to inventive planting and plenty of colour, autumn here hits a particularly high note WORDS JAMES ALEXANDER-SINCLAIR PHOTOGRAPHS MIMI CONNOLLY
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 13
G
lyndebourne is known across the globe for its world-class opera and fabulous music. The idea came from John Christie and his wife, the noted soprano Audrey Mildmay. They built their first theatre in the house itself, a small 300-seat number that hosted the first festival in 1934. This building was enlarged piecemeal over the years and gave both Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti their big breaks. However, it eventually became so popular that it outgrew the space so, in 1994, an exquisitely designed new theatre was built to hold an audience of 1,200. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength, welcoming around 150,000 people a year with more than 120 live performances. I have been to Glyndebourne but, embarrassingly, I cannot recall which opera I saw – although I do remember ending the evening in a bathing-suit-optional hot tub somewhere in Sussex accompanied by a large plate of oysters. This was all many, many years ago, I hasten to add – but I think it is probably sensible to draw a heavy red velvet curtain over that and move on to the gardens. Performances at the festival have an extended 90-minute interval, which allows the audience (all dressed in full black tie and taffeta) to picnic on the sweeping lawns and beside the lake, looking out onto parkland. The idea of a softly setting sun, a crustless sandwich, the last chords of La Nozze de Figaro (other operas are available) bouncing around your brain, a glass of something chilled and sparkly and the company of friends is pretty much irresistible, whether you are an opera buff or not. Around the lawns and lake are a series of gardens planted so that they are in peak condition whenever there is a performance. The audience are given free rein before, during and after the performance, so the gardens have to look pretty darn good. The man responsible is head gardener Kevin Martin who arrived at Glyndebourne in 1993 – just before the new theatre opened – and has had his hand on the horticultural tiller ever since. “We have had help,” he explains. “The late Christopher Lloyd [of Great Dixter] assisted with some of the older gardens, then we had help from Lady Mary Keen. Fergus Garrett helped in the Urn Garden and John Hoyland has done great work in the Rose Garden.” Kevin welcomes fresh pairs of eyes but the everyday work is mostly up to him and a team of five other gardeners. The gardening crescendos are designed to coincide with the big Glyndebourne dates. The main festival programme is every day for about a month from the end of July and then the touring opera returns in October for more performances. In the interim there is a busy schedule of rehearsals and education programmes, not to mention dedicated garden tours. It is a late season, so all those classic English garden 14 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
The audience are given free rein before, during and after the performance, so the gardens have to look pretty darn good Above The large leaves of vigorous climber Vitis coignetiae develop rich crimson and rust tones as autumn progresses.
staples – bulbs in spring and the soft blowsiness of June – are long gone. The borders rely heavily for colour on reliable annuals and tender perennials. Kevin and the other gardeners have an admirably democratic arrangement where they all contribute new planting ideas. “We are all pretty good plantspeople so it is a group effort: everything is grown, to organic principles, in the greenhouses here, either from cuttings or seed.” The carefully
Far left Arching flower
stems of hardy annual, Persicaria orientalis. Left Ever-popular Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ with its vivid scarlet blooms. Below Rusted metal pillars support thorny pyracantha and their heavy load of berries. Bottom right A clustered sedum flowerhead. Bottom left Nicotiana mutabilis ‘Marshmallow’.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 15
Glyndebourne’s PRIMA DONNAS There’s room for more than one star turn in these annual- and perennial-packed borders
GOMPHRENA HAAGEANA ‘STRAWBERRY FIELDS’
TITHONIA ROTUNDIFOLIA ‘TORCH’
CLEOME ‘SEÑORITA ROSALITA’
Sow this unusual annual in late spring for easy, bright flowers in borders or vases.
One of Kevin’s favourites, ‘Torch’ is superb, with vibrant orange flowers.
Unlike other seed-raised cleome, this excellent variety is thornless.
VERBENA BONARIENSIS
GERANIUM ‘ROZANNE’
KNAUTIA MACEDONICA
The classic choice for adding height without bulk, thanks to its tall, slender stems topped with mauve flowers.
With its Award of Garden Merit from the RHS, this hardy geranium comes well qualified to fill gaps with blue flowers.
Plant this perennial in sun and welldrained soil for a succession of crimsonred blooms from midsummer onwards.
COSMOS ATROSANGUINEUS
COSMOS BIPINNATUS ‘VERSAILLES TETRA’
COMMELINA TUBEROSA
This dark and dusky cosmos species is known for its flowers’ chocolatey scent.
Easily grown from spring-sown seed for pink blooms with a darker central ring.
16 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Simple, three-petalled flowers in striking sky-blue on this clump-forming hardy perennial that flowers in autumn.
planned scheme is then planted out in the various borders. This usually works well except for this year, when Bacchus Christie (fiveyear-old son of the Executive Chairman, Gus Christie, and his wife the soprano, Danielle de Niese) rearranged the plant labels in the nursery when no one was looking, which has led to some unexpected, although not unpleasing, combinations! The main areas of the garden are laid out between the opera house and the view of the Sussex Downs. There is the Wild Garden and then the Mary Christie Rose Garden, named after the wife of Sir George, who was responsible for the construction of the new theatre. From here you pass through the Urn Garden, the Mildmay Garden and the Bourne Garden, all of which are stuffed with plants and
contrast beautifully with the Figaro Garden, which is a very quiet and simple confection of yew hedges and still water surrounding a Henry Moore sculpture. The gardens are all made for promenading, with wide paths and deep borders brimming with mounds of tobacco plants (especially Nicotiana mutabilis, one of my absolute favourites), salvias, dahlias, bright tangerine tithonias and tall and spindly, bobbly-flowered Persicaria orientalis – also known as kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate, which has to be one of the best common names ever coined. Lots of late-season loveliness that carries on flowering until the autumn frosts. One garden path is adorned with rusted steel lights shaped like shepherd’s crooks – these do not just illuminate the garden but serve as emergency
The gardens are all made for promenading, with wide paths and deep borders brimming with plants Above left Shepherd’s
crook-shaped lighting made of rusted steel. Top right A wine-red flowered salvia. Seek out Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’ for similar coloured blooms. Above right Asters can always be relied upon for late flowers. Try ‘Mönch’ for lilac daisies like these.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 17
Literary Bronze Water Features & Sculptures www.robertjamesworkshop.com +44 (0)7515 126119 | james@robertjamesworkshop.com
Operas are very like gardens. Both give us moments of peace, and powerful whack-it-out-of-the-park crescendos Above Dahlia ‘Blue Bayou’ emerges from the silvery leaves of Plectranthus argentatus. Left Fluffy-flowered ageratum is a superb tender bedding plant for the front of borders. Below Salvia elegans ‘Scarlet Pineapple’.
lighting as well. Picking up the rusty steel theme are six round steel columns that were designed for roses, but have been repurposed by Kevin as supports for orange-berried pyracanthas. “They are positioned close to the wild garden and I wanted to plant something that was not only spectacular but good for birds and other wildlife,” he explains. Operas are very like gardens. That is a rather sweeping statement, but allow me to try to explain. Both have adagios, arpeggios, andantes, cadenzas and glissandos. Both are a collaboration between composers (the designers) and performers (the gardeners). Both give us moments of peace, and powerful, whack-it-out-of-the-park, full-bodied crescendos. Operas can bring you to the edge of tears, raise you back up with a thigh-jangling punch of emotion and then swiftly reduce you to a quivering jelly of relief. Gardens do this too – we have all wandered through borders of breathless beauty, beneath the comfort of trees and been jolted into awe by a sudden vista or juxtaposition of plants. NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 19
“My prescription for stress is always a walk down to the lake or a few moments sitting on a bench”
In a garden that is so wrapped up in performance, one wonders what happens when all the singers, musicians and, indeed, the audience, has gone home. The answer is that it is quite a community: the gardens open for local people and there is an in-house horticultural show where staff enter cakes, prize vegetables, children’s artwork and all the things that you would expect to find at a village show. The main difference is that the entries are judged by internationally famous singers rather than the chairman of the parish council. “A lot of people work here and putting on six operas each season, dealing with performers and making 20 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Top left A late flush of flowers on Rosa ‘Bonica’
is always welcome. Above left Spikes of tiny, felty flowers on Salvia confertiflora. Above right Whitethemed beds on the north end of the lawns feature cosmos, dahlias and alstroemerias.
everything perfect can be hard work,” says Kevin. “My prescription for stress is a walk down to the lake or a few moments sitting on a bench.” Like music, gardens are an excellent way to unwind and at Glyndebourne you can enjoy the best of both in one place. And you get to dress up and drink champagne. What’s not to love? n
Glyndebourne, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 5UU. The gardens are accessible to those attending performances and are also open for tours on specific dates throughout the year. Tel: +44 (0)1273 812321; glyndebourne.com
In the Upper Pool Garden, yew blocks emphasise the pool’s corners, while dark red cotinus and berberis mix with rudbeckia.
22 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Trooping THE COLOUR
At Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire, a joyous array of plants thrives thanks to the walled garden’s mild microclimate. Developed over centuries, but finessed from the 1920s by Sir James and Lady Sybil Burnett, it is now cared for by head gardener James Hannaford WORDS JULIA WATSON PHOTOGRAPHS RAY COX NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 23
A
lthough the walled garden at Crathes Castle is almost four acres in extent, it is far from intimidating in scale. Hedges, shrubs and paths divide the space into eight smaller garden areas full of character and colour, and at every turn there are vistas to please the eye. Built in the 16th century by Alexander Burnett, the castle was home to the Burnett family for more than 350 years, and the garden evolved over time as needs and fashions changed. There are some remnants of its earlier incarnations – the hedges and topiary mostly date from the 18th and 19th centuries, and there is a handsome range of Victorian glasshouses – but today’s garden was very much the work of Sir James Burnett, and his wife Sybil, after he inherited Crathes in 1926. Together, they created what would come to be regarded as one of the world’s great gardens. Both were passionate gardeners. Lady Burnett, inspired by design luminaries such as Gertrude Jekyll and Norah Lindsay, and by gardens like Hidcote and Nymans, was the one who took charge of the herbaceous planting. Sir James, fascinated by the work of contemporary plant hunters, began amassing a superb collection of shrubs and trees from around the world, planting them both inside the walled garden and in the grounds beyond. He exchanged seeds and cuttings with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and with fellow enthusiasts, and continually pushed the envelope to see what might survive in his ancestral corner of Aberdeenshire. Today, Crathes is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, and the gardens and wider grounds are in the hands of head gardener James Hannaford. He is still amazed by what will grow in the microclimate of the walled garden. “It sits on a south-facing sunny slope, and both the walls and the surrounding woodland give shelter, and all of that benefits the more tender shrubs, like Grevillea rosmarinifolia from Australia, or Fremontodendron californicum.” 24 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Clockwise from above
The ‘doocot’, moved by Lady Sybil Burnett to the end of her new June border; rich colour in the upper pool garden; a splash of deep, dusky pink in the form of Cosmos ‘Rubenza’; golden cercidiphyllum joins domed topiary shapes to the side of the pristine croquet lawn.
The long rectangle of the walled garden consists of an upper garden, under the walls of the castle, and the lower garden, leading away towards the valley of the Dee. When James and Sybil took over, the upper walled garden was the decorative part and the lower garden was largely given over to kitchen gardening, although there was a double border down the centre. Sybil first turned her attention to the Upper Pool Garden, which in those days formed the view from the Victorian wing of the house, which burned down in a fire in 1966 and was not rebuilt. She bracketed the simple, square pool with corner blocks of yew, and created a planting mix of yellows, reds and hot pinks, complemented by foliage of deep red and purple, which is at its best in late summer. Garden writer and plantsman Graham Stuart Thomas would later pay tribute to it as ‘the most NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 25
skilful piece of colour work I ever saw’. Head gardener James is also an admirer, saying: “It’s one of my favourite parts of the garden. Lady Sybil had a real touch for colour, always vibrant and strong.” Next to the upper pool garden lies the croquet lawn, still regularly used by Aberdeen clubs and featuring what are reputedly the garden’s oldest topiaries, planted in 1702. Once a crisp pair of egg and eggcup shapes, they have spread and tilted eccentrically over time and are among the garden’s best loved features. The upper walled garden is also home to a rose garden and a fountain garden to which the Burnetts added their own gloss, including a multitude of shrubs that enhanced the sense of seclusion and enclosure. For James, the plethora of interesting shrubs and trees – there are 75 viburnums alone in the walled garden – pose their own problems. “Some of them are exceedingly rare, some are reaching the end of their lives or are getting too big, so we are in the process of propagating them to get replacements ready if we have to take one out.” As time went by, the Burnetts began colonising the lower walled garden, edging out fruit and vegetables in favour of new features. One of Sybil’s triumphs is the White Border, which, at this time of year is a symphony of hydrangea, phlox and anaphalis. And she had a romantic-looking 19th century ‘doocot’, or dovecote, moved from elsewhere in the grounds to provide a focus for a new June border. The main axes of the lower walled garden meet at a venerable Portuguese laurel, clipped into a dome. Reckoned to be 200 years old, it is a source of anxiety for James, who would hate to see it go: “It’s a worry because it’s hollow; although I have got cuttings of it growing up, I just hope it can hang on. It’s an iconic plant.” After the vicissitudes of World War II, Sir James and Lady Burnett handed over Crathes to the National Trust for Scotland in 1951, although they continued to live there – as do the modern day Burnetts, though elsewhere on the estate rather than in the castle. Sir James died in 1953, and Sybil in 1960. The gardener who had worked with them, Douglas MacDonald, stayed on under the NTS and in the 1970s assisted with the last two garden areas that were created in the lower walled garden: the golden garden and the red garden. These replaced a final remnant of kitchen garden and are a source of vibrant colour all year round. In normal times, James Hannaford looks after Crathes and its wider landscape as part of a team of 26 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
This image Perovskia
‘Blue Spire’ surrounds a charming fountain of a putto with a dolphin. Below Statuesque perennial Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’. Bottom Exotic bananas, ricinus and cannas in the Glasshouse Border.
The focal point of the double herbaceous border is the 200-yearold Portuguese laurel. Helenium, rudbeckia and helianthus all add colour.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 27
five, plus three seasonal helpers and some 15 volunteers. But under lockdown last year, there were just two of them on duty for several weeks, and the number only went up to five once the garden reopened in July. For this reason, some of their grander plans understandably had to be postponed. Even pruning the hedges had to be put on hold temporarily, but James is sanguine about that: “I’m not sure if it’s the worst thing for them. When I first came here, we used to cut the holly topiaries at a set time, but they ended up looking sparse. We skipped them entirely for a couple of years, and now they are producing enough growth to thicken out. With some of those older things, it’s not always routine that governs it; I like to look at the plant and see when it actually needs pruning.” In the end, in a history spanning many hundreds of years, one difficult year may not make too much difference. n Top Looking down into
the lower walled garden where Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ lines the fence. Above A stalwart for autumn, Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’.
Crathes Castle, Crathes, Banchory, Aberdeenshire AB31 5QJ. Gardens open Friday to Monday, 10am to 4pm, until 31 December, but check website for updates. Tel: +44 (0)1330 844525; nts.org.uk 28 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Extend THE SEASON Gardening advice from Crathes’ James Hannaford To extend herbaceous displays into autumn, cut back nepeta, geraniums and alchemilla midsummer. This will tidy up the border and promote a second flush of flowers and lush growth. When clipping box hedging, avoid doing so in the wet or in strong sunlight so as not to encourage the spread of box blight. Also consider sterilising your cutters or hand shears between sections. When cutting topiaries, particularly older ones, consider if there is enough health and vigour in the plant. Delay cutting to later in the year or the following year to ensure the best finish and plant health. Summer prune deutzias and philadelphus after flowering. This will allow strong, healthy, new
flowering growth the following year and an opportunity to shape the shrubs as desired. If growing half-hardies such as salvia, argyranthemum and osteospermum, consider growing them in larger pots from the start. This will allow for a much healthier plant and gives instant height and structure for your summer displays. With a wide and efficient range of electric hedge cutters now available, make the switch from petrol. It’s better for both the environment and the operator. If possible keep one set for one purpose, particularly for box hedging. Oil the blades regularly when in use, and take the time to get the blades sharpened before the cutting season.
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This page Echinaceas,
tall eupatorium and agastache contribute to the immersive planting.
Opposite Prairie-inspired: Sedum ‘Matrona’ with soft Stipa tenuissima.
32 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
THE ART OF Autumn Borders
At Castle End House in Oxfordshire, Petra Hoyer Millar combines the best of autumn’s flowers with swishy grasses for a gloriously extended season of texture and colour WORDS NAOMI SLADE PHOTOGRAPHS CLIVE NICHOLS
O
ld houses and their gardens tend to come with a history. On the one hand you might inherit delightful parterres, clipped topiary and elegant, mature planting; more chequered possibilities exist, however, and when Petra Hoyer Millar and her husband Luke moved into their Oxfordshire home nearly five years ago, they found themselves faced with almost an acre of unfortunate and untended space, and soil that was the pinnacle of mediocrity. “It was rather sad,” she recalls. “When our predecessors were here, it was the wife who was the gardener, but she died shortly after they moved in and he didn’t really venture out after that. We had to go in with machetes: there were masses of Clematis montana tangled up in a seriously overgrown shrubbery. And it was only once we’d got that under control that we realised how bad the walls were.” Having initiated an extensive programme of scrub clearance, their next challenge was the soil: alkaline clay, filled with building rubble. “I think that, several owners previously, part of the garden was a bowling green, and they had raised the level of it using stone, hardcore, and whatever else they could get their hands on,” says Petra. While she sorted that out, she worked with what she had, and the once-conventional yew hedge to the front of the house underwent quite a transformation. “It was square and terribly boring, so I let it go to see what it would do,” she explains. “It is quite hard to cloud-prune to a design, so I left it for a year. By then I could see where it really wanted to grow into great loopy bumps and blimps, and where it was being shy, I cut back hard.” The result is a curvaceous and energetic confection, filled with interest and personality; a dramatic opening gambit, in an otherwise pared-back scheme with clipped lavender and a lawn, bordered by a charming ha-ha.
Practical gardens are more beautiful. You don’t want to mess around with silly paths just to get to the shed! Top After its flowers
fade, the seedheads of Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ are just as impressive. Above A reliable choice, Echinacea purpurea. Right Tall and robust,
Eupatorium maculatum Atropurpureum Group with Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’.
To the rear of the house, the living space is visually connected to the garden, which can be seen from every window. The lawn and borders are slightly elevated in relation to house and terrace, so one is immersed in a rising tide of planting. There is now a young orchard and a substantial herb garden, with a wild and free planting scheme within a formal arrangement of triangles, designed to create effective paths and a usable space, a matter about which Petra is extremely decisive. “I think practical gardens are more beautiful,” she declares. “You don’t want to
34 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
mess around with silly paths that go around here and go around there just to get to the shed!” The main part of the garden, meanwhile, comprises what Petra and Luke hope, will one day be a croquet lawn flanked by the existing borders. A chunky four metres deep at the outset, these expand to a magnificent six metres by the time they get to the far end of the garden. “They are fat, which is how I like them!” says Petra, laughing. “It is a lot of work, but it is a good effect.” Petra’s love of a larger-than-life scale is evident in her planting. The colour scheme is loosely pink and purple and these colours are iterated in both flowers
and foliage, which includes black elder as well as monarda, with lashings of eupatorium, grasses and mauve hylotelephium (formerly known as sedum). “It is kind of ‘prairie’ style with calamagrostis, molinia, phlox and asters, but there are a lot of roses too,” explains Petra. “It is a difficult style to describe. It was inspired by prairie planting but I have altered it: there are lots of trees that prairie gardens don’t usually have. But trees give it such richness, so there are crab apples and lots of elder – Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ as well as ordinary S. nigra – and there are a number of hazels, including dark-leaved ones, which I coppice annually.”
Above Petra’s borders are six metres wide at their deepest point, with ample room for masses of plants that create a truly impressive display.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 35
Effortless STYLE Choose easy-going, low-maintenance perennials to make large borders less work
ANEMONE ‘SEPTEMBER CHARM’
ECHINACEA ‘WHITE SWAN’
Soft pink flowers wave in the breeze above vigorous plants that never need staking.
One of the best echinaceas for white blooms, forming bushy clumps at 90cm tall.
With robust planting and a backdrop of high walls and trees, this is a garden that is now private, immersive and plant-led. And since it is visible from every angle, it is essential that the interest runs for as long as possible. “I like my plants to be happy and to grow fat and chubby – but they have to be tough,” says Petra. “I stake when I have to, but I hate it.” Early in the season, the garden’s good looks are assured by the liberal deployment of spring bulbs such as alliums and Stipa tenuissima, but Petra likes to create structure with plants that flower later, too. “Asters are such undervalued plants,” she enthuses. “They get up early and produce lots of voluminous, green, spring foliage, and then the flowers provide an amazing show of brilliant autumn colour.” And plant selection is just one aspect of the garden’s staying power. Petra has worked hard on the unprepossessing soil, clearing out the stones and mulching with as much compost as she can get her hands on, while making her own from a handy local supply of nettles and comfrey. “I focus on specific areas each year,” she says. “I’d much rather mulch a few areas really well than just sprinkle it around, so I have a rota system. No one ever has enough compost, but if you want plants like asters to remain vigorous and vibrant, then good soil quality is key.” The other technique, rather surprisingly, involves leaving the garden to get on with doing what it wants. Weeding is kept to a minimum, so as not to damage the plants and, when necessary, watering takes place at soil
Above Dark foliage of sedum and elder sets off the largely pink-andpurple colour scheme, and the paler biscuit colours of the grasses’ flowerheads.
SELINUM WALLICHIANUM Looking like a beefier version of cow parsley, selinum wins high praise for its late flowers.
ACTAEA SIMPLEX ATROPURPUREA GROUP Wand-like spires of scented white flowers in autumn.
36 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
ASTER ‘KYLIE’ This 1m tall aster bears sprays of small, soft-pink flowers in autumn on bushy plants that stay upright without staking.
ASTER ‘BEECHWOOD CHARM’ Bright pink, double flowers on a sturdy 1m tall plant, best grown in a spot in full sun.
Above left The yew level, rather than from above. hedge in the front “Borders are planted densely garden was given its and look after themselves head; once its natural during the season. After that shape was revealed, it was cloud-pruned to it is all down to the soil,” says suit its form. Petra. “I keep the seedheads Above right Fennel and and cut out stuff that is Verbena bonariensis in getting tired and lazy, but large beds navigated by gravel paths. basically I aim to interfere as little as possible.” The mellow 500-year-old house is now enveloped in a magnificent and delightfully modern planting scheme; bold and decisive, yet soft and with the sort of relaxed quality that comes with having confidence in making – and breaking – one’s own rules at will. In this relatively short time the garden has come together beautifully, but Petra is not quite done with it yet. “What I’d really like is a hardwood greenhouse. With these old walls nothing is straight, so it will have to be bespoke, but it would really finish it off,” she says. “I also plan to tweak the drive, as it is still boring and square, and I want to fatten up that cloud-pruned hedge some more!” n
Castle End House, Deddington, Oxfordshire OX15 0TE. Opens occasionally for the National Garden Scheme. See ngs.org.uk for details and updates.
Prairie PLUS Mix favourite roses with hard-working perennials to recreate Petra’s look A combination of bold flowers, strong foliage and an innate airiness holds this planting scheme together, and Petra is a fan of a structural seedhead too. “I use loads of Eupatorium maculatum Atropurpureum Group, which is stonking from beginning to end, and sedums (hylotelephium), which are fantastic all year round. Asters are just priceless – they have good early foliage, pretty flowers and fabulous seedheads. I especially like the tiny-flowered ones that merge into surrounding planting creating a haze.”
Grasses are a repeating feature, particularly upright Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, while Thalictrum ‘Elin’ has both fantastic foliage and delicate seedheads. Petra favours roses such as moss rose ‘Chapeau de Napoléon’, and ‘Charles de Mills’, together with fragrant old roses such as ‘Jacques Cartier’, ‘Comte de Chambord’ and ‘De Resht’. “I like roses with nice hips and attractive foliage,” explains Petra. “I don’t mind old-fashioned roses that flower once and go a bit loopy. I also like them later, when they are thinner and just the odd rose shows through.” NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 37
Northern LIGHTS
As many gardens begin to wind down for winter, Holker Hall on the edge of the Lake District is gearing up for its grand finale, with the rich tones of its topiary illuminated by carefully chosen colour WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS JOE WAINWRIGHT
Header HEADLINE
In Grantchester, immortalised in a poem by Rupert Brooke, the Burkitts have worked the footprint of Merton House’s former garden into a series of cleverly designed rooms WORDS CAROLINE BECK PHOTOGRAPHS NICK HODGSON
Still showing plenty of colour as autumn’s first frosts strike, the borders of Holker Hall’s Summer Garden feature salvias, dahlias and cosmos.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 39
W
Top The gardens run
right up to Holker Hall, with topiary playing a major role as perennials fade away for winter. Above Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ adds height in beds edged by low willow hurdles. Right Lingering blooms of a late-flowering alstroemeria.
40 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
hen the coppery tones of tall beech hedges glow in the morning sun, a blue haze of frost sparkles on lawns and meadows, and the canopies of great trees rise like golden clouds above woodland paths, you know that autumn has arrived in the delightful garden at Holker Hall. Set on the pretty Cartmel Peninsula in southern Cumbria, just a halfhour drive from bustling Bowness, it first opened to the public in 1950. And having benefited from generations of inspirational design and planting, it continues to attract visitors from around the world. Owners Lucy Cavendish and Tor McLaren, together with head gardener Glyn Sherratt, are determined to ensure that whenever visitors come to the garden there will be lots to enjoy. As Glyn explains: “Autumn is a gorgeous time of year here, and the quality of the light combines with the mists and the frosts to make a magical atmosphere.” Glyn, who has worked at Holker Hall for five years, is head of a team of six other gardeners. The garden he manages covers 23 acres and has its roots deep in history. In fact, there are trees here that date back to the early 16th century, including the Holker Great Lime – the largest common lime in the UK. The estate has never been sold, instead
Water tumbles down the Neptune Cascade to be sent sky-high by the Burlington Fountain in its sylvan setting.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 41
passing, by way of inheritance, through just three families. These are the Prestons, the Lowthers and, from the 1720s, the Cavendishes, the latter being responsible for the superb garden that visitors enjoy today. Many of the most significant developments came in the late 20th century through the creativity of Lord Hugh and Lady Grania Cavendish. One of the first areas they tackled was the Elliptical Garden next to the hall. As Glyn explains: “It was once an Edwardian rose garden created by Thomas Mawson. But by the 1980s, Lady Cavendish decided the area at the entrance to the gardens lacked impact, so she replaced the roses with planting for a longer season of interest.” Today, overlooked by a raised terrace and framed by a line of pleached limes, four large herbaceous borders retain significant colour,
Beech hedges are a foil to the herbaceous planting that still provides abundant colour in mid-autumn even in the depths of autumn. Asters, stonecrop ‘Herbstfreude’ and Lavandula dentata provide mellow tones, while Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ and Aconitum carmichaelii Arendsii Group, offer piercing blues in contrast. All this is backed by yew topiary in the form of great clouds and minarets. Key elements of the gardens at Holker Hall have been allowed to evolve gradually and thoughtfully over the years, a process that continues under Lucy and Tor. “We favour an approach where we carefully observe garden features from one year to 42 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Top Exquisite minarets of yew are the perfect contrast to billowing Salvia ‘Amistad’. Above Still flowering in autumn, Bacopa cordata spills from an old urn.
the next and tweak them as necessary to get the best effect,” says Glyn. “It’s through this process that the topiary in the Elliptical Garden has been transformed from simple yew balls to today’s ornate shapes.” From here a path leads down the steps and past the large clipped yews into the wonderful Summer Garden, with its wide herbaceous borders. Among its notable features are the tunnels of Portuguese laurel that arch over the central path, framing views back to the Elliptical Garden and out over meadows and the wider landscape through a pair of ornate wrought iron gates. “The laurels were originally lollipop-shaped, but as they grew the trees merged and the decision was made to pleach them,” explains Glyn. “One year they weren’t trimmed and began to grow over the path, which inspired the family to build a frame and tie the branches in to form arches.” Edged with topiary in a range of shapes from spirals to minarets, this area features trees such as Crataegus orientalis clipped into umbrella and cube forms. Beech hedges are a foil to the herbaceous planting that still provides abundant colour in midautumn. Here tall spires of purple Salvia ‘Amistad’ rise above the deep red Dahlia ‘Moor Place’, Salvia ‘Magenta Magic’ and cosmos. Bordering the lawns, planting includes rich blue Salvia patens ‘Guanajuato’, lavender-purple Verbena bonariensis ‘Lollipop’ and Senecio cineraria ‘Silver Dust’. Restrained by willow hurdles in the centre beds are more ‘Amistad’ and ‘Guanajuato’ salvias, Plectranthus argentatus ‘Silver Shield’ with its grey-green leaves, purple Verbena rigida and the scented-leaved Pelargonium graveolens. Four Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ provide height, with their grey foliage. Lucy Cavendish has been working with Glyn to put her stamp on the colour palette and planting schemes in the garden, aiming for year-long impact. “After the explosion of colour in late spring and the lush green of summer, the blaze of autumn never fails to thrill and excite,” she insists. “My parents were experienced and adventurous gardeners
Above Salvias fill
straight borders below umbrella-shaped Crataegus orientalis. Right In clear Aegeanblue, hooded flowers of Salvia ‘Guanajuato’. Below Hylotelephium or Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’ with its rich, pink-red autumn flowerheads. Left In the distance, a slate sundial is mounted on a vast slate slab.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 43
at Holker and experimentation continues to be the very essence of the garden’s evolution. The borders in the Elliptical and Summer Gardens are perfect playgrounds for trying things out and providing variety for our regular visitors.” Out beyond the gates in the carefully managed meadow, the Holker Labyrinth combines exotic and very local themes. Created by Jim Buchanan, together with Lady Cavendish, it was installed in 2002. The design echoes that of a labyrinth at a Hindu temple in northern India and features a Cumbrian stone circle comprising 12 monoliths sourced from the family’s own slate mines. Nearby is a slate sundial, designed by family friend Sir Mark Lennox-Boyd. Two of the most iconic features of the gardens at Holker Hall are the Neptune Cascade and the Burlington Fountain. Fully restored in 2018, the limestone cascade was designed by Lord and Lady Cavendish in the 1980s and is fed by a natural spring. Here the water tumbles down towards the fountain, where it is propelled high into the surrounding tree canopy. Planting includes Cornish red rhododendrons, which are a hybrid between R. arboretum and R. ponticum, dating from the 19th century, plus Dicksonia antarctica tree ferns. 44 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Top left Rosa ‘Francis E. Lester’, smothered with bright red hips. Top middle Crimson-pink perfect pompons of Dahlia ‘Moor Place’. Top right Plectranthus ‘Silver Shield’. Above The stones of the Holker Labyrinth punctuate a setting of crisply frosted grass.
Walking up the steps beside the cascade, and passing the 17th century statue of Neptune, the season comes alive in an array of autumn tones. In this area of the garden, called The Pagan Grove, the planting has been arranged with great care. “Lord and Lady Cavendish took rare and unusual trees and shrubs from around the world and, instead of creating an arboretum or treating them like specimens, planted them to create vistas – ensuring their forms, textures, autumn colours and flowering times interact with each other in a complementary way throughout the year,” explains Glyn. Outstanding autumn hues are provided here by trees including: Tilia japonica and Tilia tuan var.
The Sunken Garden is a magical haven of lush mixed planting, uncannily quiet but for the birdsong chenmoui with their yellow foliage; golden-leaved Nyssa leptophylla; Liquidambar styraciflua which has vibrant orange foliage in October; and Stewartia rostrata with leaves of red and purple. Holker Hall is also home to the National Collection of Styracaceae, many specimens of which arrived as gifts. Beyond the Pagan Grove and hidden amid verdant lawns and winding paths is the Sunken Garden. This was also once a Thomas Mawson-designed rose garden, but was again transformed by Lady Cavendish into a magical haven of lush mixed planting, uncannily quiet but for the birdsong in the surrounding trees. The perennials, shrubs, roses and climbers here have been chosen by Lucy and Glyn, to give a looser, more romantic feel, and even in October some late-summer colour lingers as dusky pink Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’, lavender-blue nepeta and purple Aconitum napellus are still in flower. “In October our aim is for the garden still to be performing well, with lots of interest, so people can
Above In the Sunken Garden, the ogee roof of a metalwork arbour is almost obscured by Rosa ‘Francis E. Lester’. Right Rich autumn leaf colour is supplied in the arboretum by a collection of styrax.
enjoy their visit at this glorious time of year just as much as if they came in any other season,” says Glyn. And with the vivid, jewel-like colours of late summer mixing with the wonderful autumn tones on Holker’s beautiful hedges and trees, it is clear that Lucy, Tor and Glyn have achieved their goal. n Holker Hall, Cark-in-Cartmel, Cumbria LA11 7PL. Open Wednesday to Sunday until early November, 10.30am to 4pm, but check website for updates. Tel: +44 (0)1539 558328; holker.co.uk NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 45
Over a box parterre and beyond deep green yew topiary, Acer japonicum ‘Vitifolium’ stands out in its autumn regalia.
46 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
A Growing LEGACY
While remaining true to his great grandfather’s ethos, Rupert Eley has revitalised the historic garden and arboretum at Suffolk’s East Bergholt Place, creating a special place for future generations to enjoy WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS NICOLA STOCKEN
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 47
F
or Rupert Eley, a walk through his arboretum is akin to a meeting of old friends as he pauses beside individual trees, explaining their origins and idiosyncrasies. “Each tree has its own character and, while some hark back a century or more, others have been planted by my wife, Sara, and myself. Regardless, they are all special, and very much loved,” he explains. Rupert is the fourth generation of his family to garden at East Bergholt Place, set in the Stour valley on the Suffolk-Essex borders. It was his greatgrandfather, Charles Eley, who originally laid out the 20-acre arboretum and garden at the turn of the 20th century, establishing a fine collection of rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias as well as many trees and shrubs for spectacular autumn colour. “He loved his plants and lived during an exciting time when plant hunters such as George Forrest visited the Sino-Himalayan regions, bringing back many new and unusual plants,” he notes. Today, bearing witness to these adventurous forays are a number of magnificent specimens such as a noble Davidia involucrata, a handkerchief tree that, each spring, casts its large white flower bracts onto the mossy bank below. Nearby stands a rare Cladrastis sinensis with feathery golden foliage that shines through the densest of autumn mists. A fine Ginkgo biloba stands as upright as a drill sergeant, while an Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ lives up to its billing as one of the most spectacular Japanese maples, with scarlet autumn foliage that lasts for several weeks before carpeting the ground below. Close by, Rupert has planted a tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, which, come autumn, turns a soft buttery yellow. “We’ve lifted its canopy above the shrubby plantings below – when adding new plants, I am always sympathetic to what’s already there,” he notes. He too has succumbed to the beauty of acers, planting Acer palmatum ‘Elegans’ against the dark backdrop of a holly hedge so that its autumnal flaming foliage really stands out. Rupert grew up in the adjoining house in which his grandmother was brought up, frequenting the gardens and woodland throughout his childhood. “I was steeped in horticulture from a very young age,” he points out. His maternal great grandfather was also a keen gardener, consulting Gertrude Jekyll
“Each tree has its own character and some hark back a century or more. They are all special, and very much loved” 48 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Right The end of East Bergholt’s terrace is marked by a huge archway of clipped yew. Bottom right A bench nestles in a yew alcove overlooking the Horse Pond and bog gardens. Bottom left Rupert and Sara Eley with Puff and Flopsy, their two terriers. Below Vivid pink lobed fruit on striking Euonymus europaeus ‘Chrysophyllus’.
about creating formal Rose, Iris and Water Gardens at Barrington Court in Somerset, now owned by the National Trust. With ancestry like this, it is no surprise that after a stint working in the City of London, Rupert studied horticulture at Hadlow College in Kent, returning to East Bergholt in 1995 and, with Sara, setting up a nursery, The Place for Plants, in the old walled garden. “Sara was brought up just four miles down the road in Higham, so it felt as if we were both coming home,” he adds. By that point, the gardens were struggling a bit, debilitated not only by limited maintenance, severe droughts and an invasion of rabbits, but ravaged by the Great Storm of 1987 when many fine trees were lost. “The woodland was massacred and the garden fared little better, so our first step was to remove sick trees, excavating the stumps to discourage honey fungus,” Rupert recalls. “Then we tried to perk NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 49
An enticing grassy path passes a bench beneath Nyssa sinensis Nymans Form in the valley bottom of the arboretum.
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up ailing plants with drastic pruning. We took a chainsaw to the camellias – it worked wonderfully well and rejuvenated them.” Finally, they fenced the arboretum to keep out rabbits. The house sits at the highest part of the garden, overlooking a parterre of lavenders and salvias. Beyond it lie sweeping lawns enclosed by yew hedges punctuated with tall spirals that, for their autumn trim, require the use of scaffolding for safety’s sake. Should Rupert want a reminder of his former life insuring tower cranes, he need look no further than out of his office window. “I look out on a not-quitefinished tower crane cut from yew,” he explains. “I’m just working on lengthening the boom – it has taken some years!” From the house and neighbouring walled garden, the land falls away, becoming steeper as it leads through the arboretum to the valley bottom, passing clusters of fungi and carpets of autumn cyclamen. “When we first arrived, we had to hack our way through the lower valley,” Rupert recalls. But by the turn of the millennium they had cleared the area in readiness for digging out an ornamental pond, creating an additional five-acre waterside walk. The water was naturally retained by the heavy clay, and gradually spread along the valley – a boon in an area
Above Colourfully edging the pond are Acer palmatum ‘Benikagami’, Acer palmatum ‘Aureum’ and Nyssa sinensis Nymans Form.
with annual rainfall of just 18 inches. “Lying within a couple of miles of the River Stour, the garden has a very high water table, creating a leafy, sheltered environment with its own micro-climate,” he notes. “On a hot summer’s day it can be baking in the walled garden, yet it’s always cool in the valley.” Whatever the season, the pond reflects the surrounding trees and shrubs that the couple have
A lone Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’ is a smouldering beacon in autumn when near silence descends in the woodland planted, including hydrangeas and the Japanese maples ‘Beni-kagami’ and ‘Aureum’. Flanking the grassy path, there is a Katsura tree, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, beside an elegant Nyssa sinensis Nymans Form. “Nyssas are reliable and their autumn colour is superb,” adds Rupert. Further along the valley stands a lone Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’, a smouldering beacon in autumn when near silence descends in the woodland, broken only by a falling leaf or passing bird in flight. NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 51
Above left Red and
yellow fruits on Malus x robusta ‘Sentinel’. Above right In full autumn colour, Acer japonicum ‘Vitifolium’. Below Carya ovata, the shagbark hickory, glows golden beside a bridge that leads to a small tupelo, Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wisley Bonfire’.
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The arboretum is home to a diverse range of plants, including witch hazels, stewartias, cercis, strawberry trees, styrax, cotinus and many birches, which turn brilliant hues of yellow with tinges of orange. “Having acidic soil means some plants display foliage hues that are dramatically different from what they would be if they were grown on neutral or alkaline soils,” Rupert explains. The soil varies greatly with loam on the highest area, and heavy acidic clay at the bottom. In between is an area of light sandy soil, ideal for a National Collection of Euonymus, largely taken over from the Dutch plant breeder, Henny Kolster. “He encountered problems because his ground was too wet,” says Rupert, “so we deliberately planted on drier soil.” The collection is expanding, with autumn bringing rich colours along with the distinctive, purple-red fruits that split to reveal orange seeds. While Rupert and Sara have focused on plants with autumn colour, every season brings different delights. “In winter, there are squillions of snowdrops,” says Rupert, “followed in spring by primroses, magnolias and crab apples.” Summer
Autumn GLORY Rupert and Sara grow a wide range of shrubs and trees that take on fiery leaf tints in autumn
EUONYMUS ALATUS ‘COMPACTUS’
ACER PALMATUM ‘ELEGANS’
The winged spindle bears tiny orange fruits and foliage of vivid scarlet and crimson.
The foliage of this compact Japanese maple turns yellow then bright orange and red.
CORNUS KOUSA ‘MISS SATOMI’
EUONYMUS MAXIMOWICZIANUS
Masses of pink bracts in early summer; come autumn, the leaves turn purple and red.
A rare spindle with crimson leaves in autumn. Its red fruits open to reveal orange seeds.
GINKGO BILOBA
HAMAMELIS X INTERMEDIA
“Plants have to fit in with what is already here, and the secret lies in creating balance” brings the winged fruits of the Caucasian wingnut, Pterocarya fraxinifolia. “It creates a good backdrop, but it’s not for the faint-hearted because it suckers everywhere, and we have to keep a tight grip on its movements,” he admits. Hydrangeas provide leafy cover for grass snakes, newts, frogs, stag beetles and any number of other small critters. Sara loves butterflies and is delighted by sightings of white admirals and silver-washed fritillaries, in addition to the rare and elusive purple emperor, which feeds on tree sap and aphid honeydew. East Bergholt Place is an intensely individual family garden, combining a century’s heritage with ongoing new planting, creating a beautiful place to pass on to the next generation. “I don’t collect plants for the sake of it – they have to fit in with what is already here, and the secret lies in creating balance,” Rupert insists. “I have remained sympathetic to my great grandfather’s legacy – I think the only thing he would disapprove of is the plant centre car park on the site of his double grass tennis court!” n East Bergholt Place Garden, East Bergholt, Suffolk CO7 6UP. The garden opens from early March to late September, but check the website for details. Tel: +44 (0)1206 299 224; placeforplants.co.uk
Green, fan-shaped leaves turn yellow in autumn. “Ours is a good form with a tall, spirelike habit,” says Rupert.
Green leaves turn orange and yellow, followed by fragrant spidery flowers in winter.
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A kidney-shaped bed features silvery ballota, pink sedums, salvias and calamagrostis, along with a paperbark maple for added height.
Grow with THE FLOW
Pam and Neil Millward have worked with the sight and sound of running water at Middle Well, a damp, valley-bottom garden in Devon, to create an enchanting space that works in tandem with its climate and conditions WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS NICOLA STOCKEN
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E
nveloped by woodland and grassy hillsides, the garden at Middle Well is blessed with a peacefulness that is broken by little save birdsong and the burbling of a brook that meanders through the heart of the valley. “Everywhere there is the sound of water, flowing along the rill, trickling down the stream or tumbling over a small weir,” says Pam Millward from the magical garden that she and her husband, Neil, have developed in a sheltered vale near the village of Stoke Gabriel in Devon. Theirs is a garden that enchants in every season, whether awakening from winter with snowdrops, filled with fresh foliage and bulbs in spring, or bewitching with summery flowers. Then, as the
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days shorten, a crescendo builds with flowering perennials and ornamental grasses coming to the fore among specimen trees and choice shrubs, filling colour-themed borders and mixed beds. “The garden has expanded organically over time and now contains a wealth of interesting plants, chosen for colour, form and a long season of interest to suit a variety of habitats,” Pam explains. Wandering through the garden in its present-day guise, it is hard to imagine the unpromising scene that greeted the couple in 2002, when they moved from London to the Georgian farmhouse. “It rained for three weeks, and all we could do was look out onto this gloomy, neglected garden,” recalls Pam, a retired translator. The walled front garden was
Above left A view over
the lawn to Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ and golden hakonechloa. Top right Fine stone walls and a gate mark the entrance to the Stream Garden. Above Pam and Neil Millward in their garden. Left Plump autumn fruit on Cornus kousa. Far left The stream is crossed by a rustic wooden plank bridge.
infested with bindweed, while ivy smothered the grey, dry-stone walls, its tendrils reaching through an old archway that led to a grassy slope culminating in a muddy ditch. “Over the next few years, we planted the garden from scratch, undertaking much of the hard graft of wall-building, clearing rubble, and creating the stream garden ourselves,” Pam explains. Throughout, the couple have worked together, jointly deciding the garden’s layout. However, each has their role: while Pam takes care of planting, the hard landscaping has fallen to Neil, an engineer turned social scientist. “He is head of the technical committee, and is very good at taking charge of projects,” notes Pam. Early on, the couple bought an additional four acres to surround the original third-of-an-acre garden adjoining the farmhouse, and facilitate a new entrance from the lane. “We could then plan a much more ambitious garden that would eventually include both wet and dry woodland areas, an arboretum and a walled stream garden on the lawned slope directly below the house – this area needed the most radical redesign,” she explains. Initially, it was overshadowed by numerous big trees while the boundaries were ill-defined and existing walls were badly in need of complete rebuilding or repair by Mark Newman, a local stonemason. “Fortunately, Mark enjoys the challenges of working with the Devonian limestone, basalt and red sandstone that constitute all our walls,” adds Neil. NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 57
Above Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ line the path to the woodland. Left Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Silberspinne’ and Cornus nuttallii ‘Portlemouth’ sit at the edge of the stream. Below right Sedum ‘Gooseberry Fool’. Below left Cornus kousa backs a textured border of ballota and sedums.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the slope, the deep narrow ditch was remodelled with low dry-stone banks, and transformed into a shallow, formal channel with a constant flow of clear water. “The mirrored surface is visible throughout this section of the garden, reflecting the clouds, or the borders of flowers and foliage,” says Pam. The rill continues through an arch in a wall, tumbling over a semielliptical weir and along an overflow channel that continues through the woodland. “Water always adds a changing dimension depending on how much rain we’ve had – the spring-fed stream can trickle or at times it can become a raging torrent and even flood the ‘wet wood’,” she notes. The stream garden is overlooked by an elegant summerhouse built in the most easterly corner. Painstakingly designed by Neil, it provides a tranquil place to sit and contemplate each season’s combinations of perennials, ornamental grasses and shrubs. A purple-themed border looks spectacular in May with alliums and early astrantias, and then again in late August with achilleas, asters, lupins, eupatorium and lobelias. Pam admires the late Beth Chatto’s planting style and her mantra of ‘right plant, right place’. “I used to queue for plants at her stand at the Chelsea Flower Show,” she recalls. She also likes the prairie planting style. “But it doesn’t work well in a wet, mild area such as Devon – you need frost and a drier climate to enhance the winter structure of herbaceous plants and grasses.” Her
greatest influence, however, is her mother. “As a keen flower arranger, she had a superb sense of what plants to place next to each other.” It is a skill that Pam herself brings to bear in a beautifully planted kidney-shaped island bed in the middle of the lawn. It has not long since replaced a big, old common oak that was fatally damaged by grey squirrels. Neil and a friend felled it themselves, leaving a one-metre-high stump that they partly excavated with their trusty Kubota tractor, to chainsaw the main roots. Then, using a winch and steel cable, they heaved out the stump, cutting smaller roots with a mattock as they became exposed. “This technique, combined with a strong friend and devilish ingenuity, has let us remove many large, diseased trees, some up to 60 feet high with stumps weighing possibly two tons,” says Pam. The oak has been replaced by a young paperbark maple, surrounded by a combination of leafy shrubs such as Cistus x laxus ‘Snow White’, Holodiscus discolor, Hebe ‘Sapphire’ and yellow spiraea, punctuated by clumps of golden feather reed grass, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ or hazy molinia, and injected with flower colour. There is a striking sage, Salvia microphylla ‘Wild Watermelon’, bearing masses of bright pink flowers with white throats, oregano and catmint. Most eye-catching are various sedums, which include old pink favourites such as ‘Autumn Joy’, ‘Matrona’ and ‘Brilliant’, as well as the greenishflowered ‘Gooseberry Fool’. “Sedums are great because their flowers take so long to develop, and change colour as they mature,” Pam points out. A small bridge leads out of the stream garden, and into an avenue of ‘Chanticleer’ ornamental pears that flank a shadier woodland area with moistureloving plants on the banks of the stream. As the ground becomes less damp, hydrangeas, hostas and witch hazels appear. “I love hamamelis and had an idea to plant a ‘ring of fire’ around the arboretum, so I started with a number of small specimens,” Pam explains. However, with the exception of Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Pallida’, all the original small plants died, whereas those established as larger plants have survived. Many cornus thrive here, C. kousa coping better than C. florida varieties in the wet Devon climate. Nonetheless, Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’ has finally settled, its foliage ablaze in autumn,
“The springfed stream can trickle or at times it can become a raging torrent and even flood the ‘wet wood’”
Last HURRAH
A mix of shrubs, robust perennials and carefully chosen grasses supply late interest
HYLOTELEPHIUM ‘MATRONA’
PENNISETUM ‘HAMELN’
This sedum cultivar produces deep pink flowers above its purple-tinged, fleshy leaves.
A clump-forming grass with soft autumn flowers, needing a sunny, well-drained spot.
ASTER PEDUNCULARIS
VIBURNUM OPULUS
Native to the Himalayas, this aster bears masses of bluemauve daisies in autumn.
A superb shrub for autumn when it bears bunches of bright red berries; its spring flowers are beautiful too.
SALVIA ‘WILD WATERMELON’
HIBISCUS SYRIACUS ‘DIANA’
Vivid cerise flowers grace this shrubby, evergreen salvia from July onwards.
Flowering until the first frosts, this deciduous shrub is an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner.
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NOTEBOOK
Drop Anchor Beautifully restored walls and permanent structures combine with well-placed sculpture to create a feeling of settled permanence
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while a shapely Cornus nuttallii ‘Portlemouth’ stands to one side of a bridge. “I couldn’t do without cornus for their spectacular flowers and autumn colours,” Pam maintains. However, the longest-lasting autumn colour comes from various liquidambars such as ‘Worplesdon’ and ‘Lane Roberts’. “I also love Japanese maples, but they do not love us,” Pam concedes, having attempted to grow them on shale; in deep, well-drained humus-rich soil; and even in wetter woodland. “None has lasted more than five years – maybe they are sensitive to the honey fungus that is endemic in woodland around here.” On the other hand, birches flourish, their interesting bark or pale trunks a welcome sight throughout the year. “And the twigs they shed provide good dry kindling for the fire,” she notes. The soil is neutral but varies in texture from fine gravel near the stream to fairly heavy soil in the main herbaceous areas. “It has been much improved over the years, but I still find tulips impossible to grow, not only because the soil is too heavy but also because squirrels systematically uproot the bulbs.” While Neil and Pam love travelling and sailing there is always something very special about coming home. “The garden is such a restful and welcoming space, although I don’t do much resting – I just love pottering on a daily basis, seeing what has emerged overnight,” she says. “Gardening is my passion and without it I would be like a fish out of water.” ■ Above An ancient arch in an old stone wall frames a view of the lush front garden, where topiary stands by the front door.
Middle Well, Waddeton Road, Stoke Gabriel, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6RL. Usually opens for the National Garden Scheme by appointment from April to October, but check ngs.org.uk for updates. 60 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
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3
4
1 The five-sided pergola was built with help from Alan Wood, a local green-oak carpenter. 2 Raised on a standing stone in the front garden, a sculpture by Vivien Whitaker — a long-time friend of Pam’s — who specialises in working with English alabaster. 3 A sculptural pot by Adrian Bates rests in a woodland glade. 4 The walled front garden is set on the highest part of the plot, with the pergola in one corner, and an acer in another. Entrenched bindweed was treated twice with weedkiller.
Social ENTERPRISE
East Lothian’s Amisfield Walled Garden has been rescued from dereliction by a charitable trust. Now, a team of volunteers are resurrecting it as a community resource, with each segment of its Union Jack design reimagined in a new style WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS SHEILA SIM
This page The vivid orange seedcases of Physalis alkekengi. Opposite Golden birch leaves fall gently over autumnal grasses.
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Large felty leaves of Phlomis russeliana glisten with a coating of frost, their seedheads lending structure.
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n the outskirts of Haddington in East Lothian, tucked away unobtrusively behind a little-used country road, lies Amisfield Walled Garden. Its unassuming location gives nothing away, but when you walk for the first time through the gate in the wall, the scale of what lies before you is enough to make you gasp. Dating from the 18th century, this is one of the largest walled gardens in Scotland. It was built in the 1780s to impress guests of the seventh Earl of Wemyss and to provide a constant supply of fresh fruit and vegetables for his mansion, Amisfield House. The Earl’s desire to provoke envy is evidenced not only by the size of the garden, but also by the four huge corner pavilions (now sadly roofless) with their Doric colonnaded porticoes. But the Earl soon moved to a different part of East Lothian and the Amisfield estate was rented out for more than a century. The garden was ploughed up during World War II and used for growing vegetables. Then, in 1969, the estate was sold to the local council, who planted up the walled garden in the
Above The sheer scale
of this garden is evident from its towering walls and long, wide paths. Below Kate Rycroft, who chairs the Amisfield Preservation Trust.
1980s with the intention of using it as a tree nursery. This was never commercially successful, and the garden fell into neglect for the next 25 years. Into the unwelcoming wilderness stepped the Amisfield Preservation Trust, set up in 1999 as a registered charity, its trustees united by a shared passion to see the garden flourish once again. Chair of the Trust is landscape designer Kate Rycroft, who has been overseeing the development of the garden since 2007. “It was packed with overgrown, densely planted trees in bad condition,” she recalls. “There were no paths, and it was so overgrown that you couldn’t even see the pavilions in the corners.” An eight-acre site, full of overgrown trees and brambles, with no discernible structure. A small band of volunteers. It’s hard to envisage a more daunting challenge. Luckily, one volunteer was a local businessman with enough spare time and machinery to dig out the old trees, which proved a godsend. With most of the old ones gone, the best specimens retained and new volunteers joining, the fun could begin. The Trust carried out a historical survey to try to identify the original NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 65
18th-century design, but the only documents that were found indicated the layout of footpaths – a simple ‘Union Jack’-type design with a large circular bed at the centre – and nothing more. Kate and her team decided to reinstate the radial paths, which divide the garden neatly into eight segments. No original planting plans have ever been found – perhaps they never existed. The original owners built their next stately pile, Gosford House, just a few years after the garden was constructed, so is it possible that they simply moved on and lost interest in the walled garden? Kate thinks it very likely. “Although we keep hoping someone whose greatgrandfather used to work here will turn up!” she adds. “And we are still appealing for people to come forward if they have any mementos of the garden.” From the start, Kate’s aim has been to let the plans evolve according to volunteers’ interests and preferences; the idea is for them to be as closely involved as possible in the development of the garden. “The point is not to create an
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Below Silver stachys and
the rusty faded flowers of sedum continue to provide interest after leaves have fallen.
award-winning show garden but to let individual volunteers, or small groups, take ownership of a particular area and learn about successful plant combinations,” Kate explains. She leads and advises but does not direct. “It’s definitely more about the process than the end result,” she maintains. Of the eight segments of the garden, six are fully developed. The first, which is nearest to the entrance, comprises three sensory gardens – based on sight, sound and scent – screened by circular beech hedges. Next is a woodland garden, followed by a yew maze planted in 2014. Continuing clockwise, a biodiversity meadow leads into an orchard planted with heritage apples, including local varieties ‘Lady of Wemyss’ and ‘East Lothian Pippin’. The sixth segment is a winter garden, which features a pond. The final two segments are currently laid to lawn, providing space for events or for children to play. The radial paths dividing the segments are also themed and include a hornbeam walk and two apple walks.
Above A simple obelisk painted duck-egg blue matches the silver-blue leaves of artemisia. Top right The fiery scarlet foliage of Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’. Right A burnished beech hedge surrounds one of the sensory gardens.
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The winter garden is planted with trees, shrubs and perennials that provide many different colours and textures in autumn and winter: willows, dogwoods, snake-bark maples and birches with ornamental stems glow in contrast to the evergreen groundcover. In fact, it was the three silver birches retained from the previous tree nursery that inspired the theme for this part of the garden. “They had a kind of wintry feel,” says Kate, “and just seemed to lend themselves to that style of garden.” The winter garden has a pond, surrounded by a curved mound that adds shelter and gives a feeling of intimacy. Regardless of the apparently freeform approach to its development, elements of the garden are strong enough to withstand expert scrutiny. The west-facing herbaceous border, which greets you as you enter the garden, is a triumph from spring through to late autumn. This is the most established area of planting. The colour scheme is warm, from lemon through to scarlet, and looks particularly beautiful in the low autumn sunlight. Even in the second half of November, it’s still full of colour: bright orange Chinese lanterns (Physalis alkekengi) shine brightly against the fading red blooms of Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, while texture is provided by grasses and the seedheads of summer-flowering plants. The south-facing wall is where one of the magnificent glasshouses once stood, its foundations being the only surviving remnants. The original account books for the estate tell us what was being bought for the hot houses, including ‘pine plants’ (pineapples) at a staggering £30 per plant – equivalent to more than £2,000 today. Now the bare wall is home to cherries, plums, a peach and an apricot tree that produce “basket loads” of delicious fruit every year. In 2012 the Trust was granted a 99-year lease of the walled garden and surrounding area from East Lothian Council, on the condition that the garden be developed as a community resource. Since 2013 it has employed a full-time volunteer co-ordinator, funded by the Council and the National Lottery. There are at least 60 regular volunteers, including school groups, people with learning disabilities, adult education groups and people with mental health issues who are referred here by their GPs, but there is no segregation and everyone mucks in together. “The volunteers love it when visitors come to admire the garden,” says Kate. “Apart from the 68 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Top The original Doric
pavilions still stand in each corner of the vast, eight-acre garden. Above left Bronze carex and Physalis alkekengi. Above right Sorbus berries hang in bright clusters from the tree’s cascading branches.
social side of it, their motivation is simply to create a place that other people can enjoy free of charge.” The pandemic has not had the same impact here as it has elsewhere. Amisfield is not run on a commercial basis; it has benefited from grant funding but does not rely upon visitor income. A small core of volunteers continued to work during the lockdowns (in such a huge site, social distancing is hardly a problem), and the garden has continued – quietly, gently – to develop through the seasons. n Amisfield Walled Garden, Haddington EH41 4RJ. Open to the public free of charge all year round except for the period from Christmas to New Year. For more visitor information, see amisfield.org.uk
Fernsby Hall Tapestries
Tapestry Kits produced by Diana Fernsby from the original paintings of Catriona Hall
Quirky pictures in a range of tapestries suited to cushions. Each kit comprises a printed canvas with 12 holes to the inch and all the Appletons tapestry wool necessary to complete the image.
+44 (0)1279 777795 | www.fernsbyhall.com | kits@fernsbyhall.com
Border Sundials
Handmade armillary, horizontal and vertical sundials +44 1873 840 297 • www.bordersundials.co.uk
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 69
Andrew Crace www.andrewcrace.com
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32 Bourne Lane, Much Hadham, Herts SG10 6ER, UK. Tel 01279 842685 www.alitags.com
High Quality Traditional, Contemporary and Bespoke Garden Furniture Genuine British Products. Crafted and Made in the UK.
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32 Bourne Lane, Much Hadham, Hertfordshire SG10 6ER, UK. Tel 01279 842685
CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW
The Late SHOW
We speak to some of the garden designers behind this year’s historic autumnal RHS Chelsea Flower Show to get the lowdown on this ground-breaking event
F
IMAGE JAYNE LLOYD
or the first time in the show’s history, the RHS is holding the Chelsea Flower Show in September. While the cause of the postponement is unwanted, this unusually timed show has got everyone excited – designers and visitors alike. Plants that would be out of the question in May suddenly become a possibility and different colour palettes can be explored. One thing is for sure: this Chelsea Flower Show is truly unique.
Andrew Duff’s show garden for Savills and David Harber at the last Chelsea Flower Show in May 2019.
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CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW
Robert Myers’
Medicinal PLANTS
Healing Process Robert Myers teams up with The Burdett Trust for Nursing to create The Florence Nightingale Garden, which celebrates her legacy
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The original 2020 design is the same, but the n 2020, when this garden was supposed plant palette has had to change, since it was to have been built at Chelsea, The going to feature shade-loving spring planting. It Burdett Trust was celebrating the 200th still includes the planned planting of important anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s medical plants that Florence would have known, birth. Now it’s 201 years, but, as the garden’s such as echinacea, witch hazel and yew, while designer Robert Myers says: “It’s fine.” In fact, other choices have been inspired by her pressedthe ethos of the garden is even more pertinent flower collection. Foxgloves were one of her today, post-pandemic, than it was before. favourite flowers, so Robert has included the “Celebrating Florence Nightingale was later-flowering Digitalis ferruginea, deciding always a good thing to do, but now the world’s that even if it wasn’t in flower, he would still use attention is so much more focused on nursing, its seedheads. “It should hold on, but even when and Florence’s legacy to modern nursing is even it’s a bit over I would still use it. That’s what more apparent in lots of ways,” says Robert. autumn gardens are like – but we don’t know The garden, which Robert hopes will later how the judges will respond.” move to St Thomas’s Hospital in London, A timber pergola, made from sustainably is based on a hospital courtyard. Florence sourced cross-laminated timber, Nightingale was an advocate for chosen for its strength, spans cleanliness, fresh air and green Above An elegant the garden. It should also prove spaces. “She advised architects timber pergola and multi-layered planting easy to transport when the on the layout of a number of feature in the garden, garden is hopefully recreated at hospitals, maximising light and along with quotes from St Thomas’s, in a spot just next reducing ward size. Her legacy in Florence Nightingale’s to the Covid Memorial Wall that relation to healthcare reform is letters, reproduced on the side walls. runs alongside the Thames. what this garden’s all about.”
72 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Echinacea purpurea Known for its cold-defying medicinal properties.
Rheum palmatum Historically used to treat digestive complaints.
Digitalis ferruginea A medicine from foxgloves treats heart conditions.
Gardens for Everyone
This year’s M&G Garden is designed by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg and highlights the importance of outdoor spaces
A
sense of the past, present and future are key to this garden, which has an imagined previous life as a patch of industrial ground now transformed into a community pocket park. It makes use of robust, climate-resilient planting, re-used and reclaimed materials and places to sit. Intended to be a shared space for both people and wildlife, after Chelsea it will be replanted as a community space in London. Working with title sponsor M&G, Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg of Harris Bugg Studio first presented the design for this garden in 2019 with an eye on a 2020 show. At the time, it seemed to them to be quite radical: “We wanted to bring a new conversation to Chelsea about shared green spaces, and how you make them inclusive,” Charlotte says. Then the pandemic struck. The value of green spaces came to the fore and the challenge of climate change grew more pressing. “We do a lot of work in rural locations but we’re very interested in how people and nature connect in cities, where there can be a dearth of green space,” she adds.
Much of the garden is made from re-used materials for which Charlotte and Hugo have scoured reclamation yards. “There are a lot of bits and bobs that have been jigsawed together. Nothing was cut to fit,” notes Charlotte. Oak seats offer places to sit: prepared for the 2020 show, these have silvered up and pick out the tones of an elaeagnus planted nearby. An element of theatre comes from a sculpture made from 100m of repurposed, polished pipework threaded through the garden at varying heights. They could have deferred to spring 2022, but showing in late summer appealed. Managing the right mix of plants for foliage and flowers has been a bigger challenge than anticipated, but look out for Echinacea paradoxa and Rudbeckia hirta, Bupleurum falcatum, Persicaria ‘Indian Summer’, Pennisetum ‘Cassian’s Choice’ and Selinum wallichianum. “Gardens are for everyone and it’s in everyone’s interest for gardens to be for everyone,” says Charlotte. “They make us healthier and happier. We can all do better to make the town greener.”
Harris Bugg’s
City Park PLANTS
Pennisetum ‘Cassian’s Choice’ Soft, bronze-hued grass.
IMAGES GAP/NEIL HOLMES; SHUTTERSTOCK; GARDEN WORLD IMAGES
Rudbeckia hirta A half-hardy annual with yellow, daisy-like flowers.
Selinum wallichianum Clump-forming perennial native to the Himalayas.
Left Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg’s garden for title sponsor M&G uses reclaimed material, including old pipework. It will be replanted as a public garden in London after the flower show.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 73
CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW
Tom Massey’s
Autumn PLANTS
Sanguisorba ‘Tanna’ Burgundy bobbles on compact plants.
Panicum ‘Shenandoah’ Airy flowers and leaves that turn wine-coloured.
Organic Growth Tom Massey recreates the ethos of Yeo Valley’s organic garden in Somerset by making a show garden that spans diverse habitats
Aster ‘Little Carlow’ Clouds of small mauve flowers in autumn.
Above This is Tom’s fifth
show garden. In contrast to his last, for The Lemon Tree Trust, it is “very naturalistic. Aside from the boulders, everything is soft landscaping.”
A
nother garden that should have debuted at Chelsea in 2020, Tom Massey’s Yeo Valley Organic Garden hasn’t changed much from its original design. “The planting has changed though; there are ornamental grasses and lateseason perennials like dahlias, aster, echinacea and rudbeckia,” he explains, “and the trees that would have been in blossom are now in fruit.” Hawthorn, elder, sloes, medlars and quince all feature in a garden that recreates Sarah Mead’s organic ethos at Yeo Valley. Structurally, the garden is straightforward, Tom explains. Inspired by the real-life garden and surrounding farmland in Somerset, it features boulders, damp and dry meadow areas, and, as a centrepiece, a steam-bent ‘egg’ by
74 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
designer Tom Raffield: a place to sit and observe the wildlife, while suspended above the stream. Echoing Yeo Valley’s woodland, where work is ongoing to fell and clear diseased ash trees before replanting, charred logs also feature, a nod to the biochar that’s a by-product of the work in the woodland. “We have used the charred logs to create sweeping walls that go through the garden, and they work as a visual representation of soil health,” says Tom, referring to Sarah’s passionate advocacy for maintaining healthy soil. “Chelsea is normally so rushed,” he adds. “This time we’re so well prepared because we’ve been waiting for such a long time. I’ve loved that the show has changed to a later season. It’s given us so many opportunities to try new things.”
Moving Mountains It’s the temperate landscapes and plants of Nepal that have inspired Jonathan Snow’s latest garden for travel company Trailfinders
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Top Persicaria orientalis is a hardy annual. Above Large-leafed Colocasia esculenta adds a subtropical mood. Below The plans for Jonathan’s Nepaleseinspired design.
Schefflera rhododendrifolia and Cautleya spicata. Woody plants include birches and hydrangeas. Hard landscaping reflects the way of life in this remote region. Subsistence farming is essential for survival and rills help channel water from field to field. In Jonathan’s garden, water is used in natural forms and in ways that show human intervention. “We use rills in UK gardens for a touch of formal elegance, but in the Himalayas they are a necessity,” he reflects. With little in the way of roads in rural places, the Nepalese have cut stone footpaths into the hillsides to connect remote villages. “Seeing them wind through the dense forest, contrasting so well with the surrounding lush vegetation, has left a lasting impression on me and I have tried to evoke the essence of these paths in the garden.” There is also a timber shelter at the rear of the garden, in an architectural style borrowed from the Buddhist temples of the region. Jonathan intends the building to sit quietly in the garden without dominating it. Also in the garden you will find the prayer flags and water-driven prayer wheels so typical of the location, which were sourced by Jonathan himself on his last visit to the country.
IMAGES GAP/MARTIN HUGHES-JONES/TIM GAINEY
f ever a show garden at Chelsea has elicited wanderlust, it is the one designed by Jonathan Snow for travel company Trailfinders. Jonathan’s previous gardens at the show, in 2018 and 2019, evoked the landscapes of South Africa and Chile respectively. This year the designer has turned his gaze to Nepal and the singular landscapes of this mountainous country. The Himalayas, to which Nepal is a gateway, have long inspired plant-hunter explorers. Yet while we associate the Himalayas with lofty peaks and an alpine biome, the foothills are temperate, and it is from here, at altitudes of 2,000-4,000m above sea level, that Jonathan has drawn inspiration. Despite going on two plant-finding missions for this show garden, the region still fascinates Jonathan. “I still get a buzz from finding plants I know growing in their natural habitat, and my eyes were out on stalks when I visited Nepal in 2019,” he recalls. The late-summer show has given the designer a chance to experiment with unusual plants. And plants are paramount for him, so he’s been able to include a good range of flora, such as persicaria species, exotic-looking Colocasia esculenta,
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 75
CHELSEA PREVIEW
Also at the show... The rest of the show gardens, artisan and sanctuary gardens and a round up of some of the exhibitors of plants and products at this year’s Chelsea ARTISAN & SANCTUARY GARDENS
SHOW GARDENS
Inspired by a study tour of China’s Guangzhou area, the Guangzhou Garden features a woodland dell, which is planted with trees that are proven to remove airborne pollution particles, and includes a pool of water and bamboo structures. Trees used include dawn redwood, Scots pine, field maple and birch, with a woodland edge planting consisting of euphorbias, sedges, rodgersia and angelica, to create a drifting wave of green. The final Show Garden to be built at this year’s Chelsea is by designers Ekaterina Zasukhina and Carly Kershaw for Bodmin Jail. 60° East: A Garden between Continents is inspired by a garden in Yekaterinburg, Russia, which sits on the border between Europe and Asia. The design draws on both continents, evoking the beauty of Russia’s Ural Mountains. Cloudpruned pines represent the mountain landscape in a garden setting, while chamomile (Matricaria recutita), the national plant of Russia, provides excellent groundcover. There are two RHS gardens at this year’s show. RHS COP26 Garden takes its message from the UN Climate Change Conference being held in Glasgow in November, while Arit Anderson builds the BBC One Show and RHS Garden of Hope. 76 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Above The Ural
Mountains are evoked in 60° East: a Garden between Continents. Below The Blue Diamond Forge Garden is inspired by a historic forge in Branscombe, Devon.
One of two Artisan Gardens at this year’s show, The Blue Diamond Forge Garden is inspired by a National Trust forge in Devon that’s been in use since the 15th century. Featuring a thatched roof, limestone walls and cobbled floors, the recreated forge enjoys a woodland setting with a flowing stream and informal planting. Over the years, the blacksmiths have left their mark in the garden: iron sculptures are complemented by orange and red geums, an echo of the forge’s fires. The Guide Dogs’ 90th Anniversary Garden by Adam Woolcott and Jonathan Smith celebrates the 90th anniversary of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association’s first guide dog partnerships. The garden looks back to the charity’s 1930s origins, when veterans blinded in World War I were paired with the first guide dogs, and illustrates the journey of somebody with sight loss – from fear and darkness to enrichment and joy. Five gardens form the new Sanctuary Gardens category, which aims to showcase the positive impact of plants on health and wellbeing. Veteran Chelsea designer Sarah Eberle is creating The Psalm 23 Garden for the Bible Society, Lilly Gomm designs The Swiss Sanctuary Garden, while Naomi Ferrett-
Project Giving Back
Cohen is making Finding Our Way – An NHS Tribute Garden, which reflects on the ongoing efforts of NHS workers during the pandemic. Taina Suonio returns to create the Finnish Soul Garden, an urban Helsinki seaside garden that uses native Baltic plants and is a haven for relaxation and recuperation. While Bangkok is known for being busy and sleepless, The Calm of Bangkok Garden shows its hidden side, with a minimalist, modern design that conveys the city’s rich culture.
IMAGES RHS/LUKE MACGREGOR; SARAH EBERLE
PLANTS & PRODUCTS
There’s a brand new feature in the Great Pavilion this year. Four House Plant Studios highlight the benefits of indoor plants, and include a display of rainforest plants such as bromeliads and tillandsia by London-based specialist Forest, and an immersive display by houseplant expert Ian Drummond. Peony specialist Primrose Hall Peonies has teamed up with jeweller, Theo Fennell, who has designed a range of peony-inspired pieces including a limited-edition pendant and earrings, and a ring that features a carved rose quartz peony flower. “We felt there was a real synergy between the craftsmanship and passion involved in designing a piece of jewellery, and the care and skills that go into growing and nurturing plants,” says Primrose Hall’s Alec White. The nursery has also expanded into alstroemerias and is bringing its Parigo alstroemerias to the show.
The show’s September date is perfect timing for Pheasant Acre Plants’ dahlias and gladioli, while veteran Chelsea exhibitor Raymond Evison is also excited by the chance to show off his clematis this autumn, having won one of his first RHS gold medals at the old Great Autumn Flower Show in 1969. Outside the pavilion, Ann-Marie Powell has designed the garden that will showcase Gaze Burvill’s furniture – it’s inspired by the beautiful Hampshire countryside where the furniture maker is based. Rupert Till has created a series of brand new sculptures relating to mental wellbeing and is exhibiting the newest in the series at the show. Tristan Cockerill has launched a new range of intricately constructed slate apples and pears that feature at Chelsea, while Niwaki’s stand is perfectly timed to coincide with the opening of the company’s first shop in London. ■
The RHS has launched Project Giving Back, a new scheme that offers charities across the UK the chance to create a garden at Chelsea. Made possible by two RHS Life Members who have pledged to fund a collection of gardens at Chelsea in 2022, 2023 and 2024, the project has been established to give charities a chance to benefit from a platform at the world-famous flower show, which normally welcomes 168,000 visitors and reaches millions through television and media coverage. The first three show garden applications Project Giving Back will support at Chelsea in 2022 have been announced: gardens for the charities RNLI and Mind, plus a third garden inspired by the BBC’s children’s show, Blue Peter.
Top Sarah Eberle’s Bible
Society garden brings to life the spirit of Psalm 23. Left The Calm of Bangkok garden offers a counterpoint to the city’s energy with its minimalist design. NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 77
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78 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
EG21-B 3/3/21 11:08 AM
PLANT FOCUS Camellia ‘Yoimachi’ produces fragrant flowers from December to February, bringing life to what can often be a barren season.
Winter Specials Camellias’ exquisite blooms may look delicate, but certain species flower in autumn and winter. Clare Foggett seeks advice from Fiona Edmonds, who grows these shrubs at Green Island Gardens in Essex PHOTOGRAPHS ANNAÏCK GUITTENY NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 79
PLANT FOCUS
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amellias are indelibly associated with spring, when in gardens across the country plump buds open into exquisite pink, red and white flowers among these shrubs’ glossy green leaves. The flowers are almost unreal in their perfection: layer on layer of petals flawlessly arranged, conjuring thoughts of the parts of the world camellias originated from: Japan, China and other countries in eastern and southern Asia. Yet these are not the easiest shrubs to grow. They prefer acid soil and all it takes is one ill-timed hard spring frost for your beautiful camellia to be turned into a mass of sad, brown petals. This is a compelling 80 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Above The plentiful
October-November flowers of easy-to-grow Camellia sasanqua ‘Hugh Evans’.
reason to consider the less widely known and grown autumn and winter-flowering camellias instead. According to Fiona Edmond, owner of Green Island Gardens in Essex, they’re easier to grow than their spring-flowering counterparts and they’re nicer. Fiona grows a wide range of autumn camellias, both in the woodland gardens around her home, and for sale in her plant nursery. She’s been working on the gardens at Green Island in Ardleigh since 1996: at first the acre or two around the house, then moving out until the entire 20-acre site was developed. She had already studied garden design at Inchbald, combining work as a designer with her other incredible talent, playing competitive golf – just this summer, Fiona was crowned English Senior Women’s Amateur Champion 2021. It was the search for year-round interest in her garden’s woodland areas that led her to autumn camellias. “My philosophy is that a garden should look good all year round, so as soon as I discovered camellias that flower in autumn I thought ‘I’ll try a few of those,’” Fiona recalls. “And as soon as I tried a couple, I fell in love with them. It quickly became apparent what fantastic shrubs they are. Their leaves are smaller and glossier; their new foliage can be bright red; and while the flowers aren’t as big and blowsy as spring camellias – they tend to be single or semi-double – they’re beautifully scented, and more in proportion with the shrub.” In her woodland garden, autumn camellias seemed an obvious choice. “They like the conditions, they look natural, and our soil is very acidic so I knew camellias would grow well,” she observes. That said, if you don’t have acidic soil, don’t be put off. “They are fine in neutral soil,” Fiona confirms. “The autumn-flowering ones are definitely more tolerant of less favourable conditions, and in neutral soil they won’t get the chlorosis [yellowing] that you get with the spring-flowering varieties.” So, which to start with? “For a beginner, I would suggest ‘Hugh Evans’ because it’s the easiest to get hold of and the easiest to grow,” Fiona advises. “It starts to flower in late September or early October, and some will still be going in March.” A cultivar of
Top left ‘Dwarf Shishi’ is a compact grower that’s good in containers. Top right ‘Gay Sue’ has the strongest fragrance. Above Fiona’s choice for red flowers is Camellia sasanqua ‘Crimson King’. Left Flushed pink flowers of Camellia ‘Rainbow’.
Camellia sasanqua, ‘Hugh Evans’ has lovely, deep-pink, fragrant flowers with a golden centre and will ultimately reach around 2m tall. Other autumnflowering C. sasanqua varieties include: peony-like, white-flowered ‘Gay Sue’, which, Fiona says, is the best for scent; ‘Lavender Queen’; ‘Rainbow’, with its pink-flushed flowers that vary in their degree of colour from season to season; ‘Crimson King’, which is Fiona’s top pick for red flowers; and cerise ‘Dwarf Shishi’. Generally, Camellia sasanqua flower from around October to November, have a graceful open habit and eventually reach around 2 metres in height. The closely related species Camellia hiemalis helps to extend the season, with cultivars such as bright pink ‘Kanjiro’ and ‘Shishigashira’ flowering from November into December. ‘Kanjiro’ tends to be one for patient gardeners, however, because as Fiona points out: “It can take a little while for it to get going and start flowering.” Then, look to Camellia x vernalis ‘Yuletide’ for festive crimson flowers between November and January and ‘Yoimachi’ for December-February flowers in white with the palest flush of pink. Also flowering between December and February is ‘Sugar Dream’, a confection of pink flowers with a boss NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 81
PLANT FOCUS
CULTIVATION ADVICE
Growing autumn camellias
Fiona Edmonds’ advice for growing these floriferous autumn shrubs Textbooks say you should grow autumn camellias only in a sheltered spot, but Fiona says the common varieties you’ll find offered for sale tend to be the hardiest, and those in her garden have come through two winters when temperatures have dropped as low as -15°C.
Above left The fittingly of creamy yellow petaloids in train them against a fence named, ‘Yuletide’ usually the centre. It is one of Fiona’s or wall if you’re short on flowers at Christmas. favourite cultivars – “it flowers space. This would also be Top right ‘Sugar Dream’ for ages and ages,” she points a good way to grow those has showy anemoneform flowers with a out – while she notes that the varieties that prefer a little centre of creamy-yellow pale flowers of ‘Yoimachi’ shelter and warmth. Out in petaloids. have an excellent scent. “The the garden, try underplanting Above right ‘November paler flowers tend to be more them with shade-lovers like Pink’, a pretty, earlyflowering variety of strongly fragrant,” she reveals. epimedium, autumn-flowering Camellia x williamsii. Then, before you know it, it’s cyclamen or spring-flowering spring – all you need do is bulbs. You can also grow these grow an early-flowering cultivar of Camellia camellias as an informal, evergreen hedge. “If x williamsii such as ‘November Pink’, which you prune it after it’s flowered then you will flowers from November to March, and the still get all the blooms the following season continuity of beautiful flowers is complete. – and they’re a bit more adventurous than These camellias have very varied habits: privet!” Fiona adds. n “Some of them grow distinctly upright, almost like a small tree, and some, like ‘Hugh Green Island Gardens, Park Road, Ardleigh, Evans’ are more shrub-like and bushy,” Fiona Essex CO7 7SP. Tel: +44 (0)1206 230455; explains. But as she also points out, you can greenislandgardens.co.uk
82 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
The most important thing for these shrubs is consistent moisture content in the soil, which should be moist but well-drained. It’s especially important that they don’t run out of water around July and August, because that’s when the flower buds form. Autumn-flowering camellias are happy growing in sun or shade, but Fiona says they flower much better if they have sun, and grows hers on the edges of her woodland plantings to ensure they get enough. In containers, Fiona doesn’t use ericaceous (acid) compost, and instead finds her camellias thrive in general purpose compost. Choose a more compact variety such as ‘Dwarf Shishi’ for growing in a pot.
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AUTUMN FRUITS
Harvest Festival Jacky Hobbs forages from hedgerows and gardens for seasonal fruits and berries that can be turned into delicious drinks, preserves and more PHOTOGRAPHS JACKY HOBBS
Rose hips and sloes are easily gathered from hedgerows to turn into seasonal jellies, drinks and decorations. NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 85
AUTUMN FRUITS
Sloes are thorny, so wear gloves when picking, and wait until they’re ripe – a good sign is when they start to drop to the ground.
86 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
T
here’s something rather satisfying about foraging through hedgerows in search of seasonal sloes, rose hips, wild apples, hawthorn and blackberries. Autumn’s ripened berries are bursting with high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants and can be used to create naturally flavoured gins, jellies, chutney and jam – all for free. Forage responsibly, taking no more than you plan to consume, and wear stout boots and protective gloves to guard against vicious thorns and fruit-dyed fingers. Take secateurs to snip a few stems to use in arrangements and table decorations.
SLOES Sloes are not to be rushed. For best results let them ripen on the bough and linger in the gin jar. Britain’s native blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, is prolific in our hedgerows and easily identified, bearing clouds of white spring blossom followed in autumn by bulging, indigo, olive-like fruits, clustered between long, vicious thorns. Quality and quantity may vary due to seasonal conditions. Because this fruitbearing shrub is easy to grow, pretty impenetrable and wildlife friendly, blackthorn is also a good option for a mixed garden hedge. Sloes are best picked late and ripe, when they’re soft but not squidgy, in October or November. Ideally, wait until after a frost, which splits the skin and saves on preparation time. Alternatively, freeze the sloes at home to split them. The fruits are tart, but adding alcohol and sugar draws out their flavour and creates a delicious, syrupy, warming liqueur. I recommend making sloe gin in large quantities (use five-litre glass demijohns) for ‘laying down’, since sloe gin really does improve with age. Alternatively, make multiple smaller-sized bottles to give as Christmas gifts. Once the gin has been drunk, the remaining alcohol-steeped sloes can be used to enhance traditional fruit loaves and cakes and are delicious dipped in dark chocolate. Entwine hedgerow pickings of blackthorn boughs with rose hips and ivy to create autumnal table garlands and door wreaths – or simply pop a few berried stems into a vase. Sloe gin INGREDIENTS 1 litre of gin (or vodka if you prefer) 450g washed sloes 225g caster sugar Sterilised jars or bottles with airtight lids METHOD l Either freeze the sloes to split them, or prick them with a cocktail stick to pierce the skins. l Tumble the fruit into a sterilised container, along with the sugar and alcohol.
Top Try a simple arrangement of a few gnarly blackthorn branches in a vase. Above Sloes are superb in a mixed hedge: they’re excellent for wildlife and provide us with a feast. Right Save the ginsoaked sloes and use them to bake a rich, moist fruitcake, or coat them in dark chocolate for a moreish treat.
If you used frozen sloes, let them thaw before sealing the container and shaking vigorously to mix the ingredients. l Store the container in a cool, dark place, giving it an encouraging shake up, initially every few days, then weekly, until the liquid takes on a ruby glow. l It’s ready to drink after two months, neat or with bubbles such as prosecco, champagne or tonic. l
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 87
AUTUMN FRUITS
WILD ROSE HIPS Rich in vitamin C, a spoonful of home-made rosehip syrup is thought to help ward off winter colds. And it’s the ripened hips or haws from wild roses that make the best tasting syrups and jellies. Common dog rose (Rosa canina) is a thorny hedgerow climber with pale-pink, single blooms and oval, orangered hips, while Rosa rugosa is a really vigorous, free-flowering and fruiting species with deep-pink flowers and tomato-red, plump, squat hips. Both can be used for syrups and they make beautiful additions to garden hedges. Hips from hybrid garden roses are depleted by deadheading and are rendered inedible if the bushes have been sprayed with chemicals. Rose hips ripen in autumn, and are packed with tiny seeds and itchy little hairs that must be removed, usually by straining the cooked pulp before use. This explains why rose hips are traditionally used as a liquid flavour for jellies, while the fruits themselves are not used in jam-making. Rosehip jelly INGREDIENTS Makes 750g 500g wild rose hips, washed and stalks trimmed 1kg tart or wild apples (for pectin), chopped Warmed granulated or preserving sugar, 75g per 100ml liquid
Top left The small, glossy
hips of the dog rose, Rosa canina, are packed with Vitamin C. Above Strain cooked rosehip pulp overnight to extract the liquid and leave behind the hips’ irritant hairs. Left Rosehip jelly is tart and sweet. Try it on toast, with cheese or with roast meat.
METHOD l Place the hips and apples in a pan, cover with water and simmer for 30-40 minutes until soft. l Drain and mash to a pulp and pour into a muslin (or jelly bag with stand). Tie up and suspend overnight, collecting the dripping juices in a container placed underneath. l Measure the extracted liquid and add the sugar, place in a preserving pan, stirring to dissolve, before boiling vigorously for 5-10 minutes until it reaches ‘setting point’ (105°C). l Pour the mixture into sterilised glass jars and seal, topping with fabric jam-jar covers to decorate.
Rosehip syrup INGREDIENTS As above, without apples METHOD l As above, but simmer for 15-20 minutes and double-strain the liquid before adding the sugar. l Boil for just 3-5 minutes and skim off any scum. l Pour into sterilised bottles and seal immediately. l Use as a vitamin-C-packed syrup drizzled on pancakes, swirled into yoghurts or added to cakes and desserts. Use the syrup within four months because its quality deteriorates with age.
88 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
WILD APPLES AND QUINCE
Apple and quince jelly
These two attractive fruits are not only flavoursome, but their high pectin content also renders them indispensable for setting fruit preserves. Wild apples (Malus sylvestris) produce small, golden or red autumnal fruits, and those with a diameter of less than 5cm are generally labelled ‘crab apples’. Foragers often overlook these tall, scraggy trees, with their largely out-of-reach fruits that are bitter to the taste when raw. But wild apples are delicious baked, roasted or bubbled into jams, and can be mixed in to help set and flavour jellies and jams made with lower-pectin fruits. Quince (Cydonia oblonga) is similarly high in pectin and has large, rock-hard, aromatic, pear-like fruit that can fragrance a room once picked. Given a sunny spot, quince is easy to grow, producing lateseason fruits that turn deep gold when they mature, in October to November. Quince ‘Serbian Gold’ AGM is a flavourful, disease-resistant variety that can also be grown in a large container. Pluck ripe, undamaged quince to store. They soften and mature after six weeks, but will keep for three months. Use damaged fruits immediately, when their pectin content is highest, to make chutney, jellies, jams and the Spanish quince paste known as membrillo.
As per rosehip jelly, but with 1.5kg mixed apple and quince. A really good accompaniment for cheese.
Poached quince If you can’t wait for fruits to soften, poach them. METHOD l Peel the hard skin and poach for an hour in a pan of sugared, spiced water: use 2 tablespoons of sugar per 250ml water, laced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice or cardamom pods. l Can be eaten alone or added to other desserts.
Apple and quince chutney Below left Apple and
quince jelly sets easily thanks to the high pectin content of these fruits. Below centre Wild apples ripen on the tree to shades of buttery-gold. Below right Aromatic quince look like large pears; just a few left to ripen in a bowl will scent a room with their sweet, floral perfume.
INGREDIENTS Makes 500g 200g quince, peeled, cored and chopped 200g wild, crab or cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped 200ml white wine vinegar 200g light muscovado sugar 1 small red pepper, seeds removed, chopped 50 chopped dates 1 teaspoon each: grated ginger, ground cumin, salt A good pinch of mixed spice and cayenne pepper METHOD l Put the quince and apples into a large pan, add half the vinegar and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the fruits soften. l Add the other ingredients and remaining vinegar, then simmer for 30 minutes until thick and sticky. l Dollop into sterilised jars, seal and label. n
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 89
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CRAFTSPEOPLE
True Colours From a remote Devon valley, Flora Arbuthnott has combined creativity with a love of nature to teach the technique of botanical dyeing, obtaining rich hues from foraged and home-grown plants WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY PHOTOGRAPHS MIMI CONNOLLY
Flora Arbuthnott, preparing cosmos flowers to extract their dye, at her studio in rural Devon.
NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 91
CRAFTSPEOPLE
“M
ost crafts are about the coming together of art with science, and rationality with mystery, and there’s a certain point where it’s nice to let go and see what happens.” So says botanical dyer Flora Arbuthnott, who lives and works in a quiet, rural valley near Totnes in Devon. It took Flora some time to settle into this dualism, but now she has come to see how it permeates almost everything in her life. Art and craft are in Flora’s blood. Her mother, Vanessa, is the popular textile designer whose eponymous line of fabrics reflects the joys of rural life. Her father is an architect and stone carver, and her sister is a painter. Two brothers “are in more conventional jobs” she adds. Growing up in the
92 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Above Botanical dyeing
combines Flora’s creativity with a desire to be immersed in nature. Above right Colours have almost infinite variety, depending on the qualities of the dye.
Cotswolds meant nature was integral to Flora’s life, but with her talents it seemed an obvious enough decision to study at the Glasgow College of Art. But there was a snag: something that should have been so right in fact wasn’t right. “I struggled at Glasgow but I couldn’t put my finger on why. Then I realised what I’d been missing: I’d lost my connection with nature,” Flora recalls. “I grew up in the countryside surrounded by plants. I had always had a relationship with them. Then I did a two-week permaculture course that blew my mind. I chose to find meaning in the natural world.” So began a path of personal discovery. She finished her course at Glasgow and then did a stint in service design. “It was never going to work for me,” she says matter-of-factly. Returning to the familiar surrounds of her mother’s studio in the Cotswolds provided her with space for reflection. “I did lots of textile design, print-making and teaching print-making, things I was very confident with, but in the end I stumbled across natural dyeing. I’d never heard of it, but I realised it brought together my design background and my interest in plants. It really made sense.” Humans have been colouring materials for thousands of years, and the path of the dye indigo, in particular, spans continents and millennia. In this country, botanical dyes are keenly associated with wool in a reflection of past economies. Scottish tweeds and tartans were dyed with lichen, leaves, berries, roots and bark, allowing families a form of self-expression, as Jean Fraser points out in Traditional Scottish Dyes (Canongate). Influenced by the mineral content of the water, colours would vary even from glen to glen. In the age of the bright,
stable, cost-effective, but ultimately flat, synthetic dyes that emerged in the 1800s, botanical dyeing is an anomaly. Yet a contemporary yearning to reconnect with nature – itself a response to climate change and technology – has given botanical dyeing fresh popularity among a band of young artists, growers and foragers. In summer, Flora gathers cosmos and coreopsis from her studio garden near Ashprington on the banks of the River Dart, to simmer in a pot on the stove. Most dyes are water-soluble and can be extracted from plants in a tea. Flora soaks them – flowers, or stems and leaves, or both – in a small amount of water, then strains them and repeats the process with the same material to take out all the colour. “Coreopsis is an old favourite that I grow every year,” she says. “Dahlias aren’t particularly stable, but they give such interesting colours. I use dyer’s chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria), which has completely yellow flowers; tagetes give greens and mustard colours. Then there’s madder for red; woad, which is so prolific here, for blue; and weld, which is a reliable source of yellow.” Some plants she grows herself, others she gathers from her surroundings. There is a certain pressure to harvest flowers at their peak, which may last only a week or two, and to obtain enough material to last for a year to come. Some flowers she’ll dry; others work best fresh and will be extracted right away. “I have in my head a calendar of what plants I like to work with and when they are in season for harvest. Meadowsweet is only out for a short time in July, so I dry it out and jar it. Drying is a preservation
Above Cosmos is one of Flora’s favourite plants for dye-extraction. Below left Many of the plants Flora harvests are dried ready to be used in future years. Below middle Bright yellow dyer’s chamomile, Anthemis tinctoria. Below right Flora keeps a record of the shades that dye and mordant combinations produce so she can repeat them easily in future.
process: 100g dried is much more than 100g fresh,” she notes, adding that it is easier to be more precise with quantities of dried material than fresh, since the water content of fresh plants is so variable. In all this, there is endless opportunity for experimentation and exploration. Each plant offers varying depth of colour depending on the strength of the dye, obviously, but botanical dyes don’t work well on their own. They also need a mordant to fix them to the material at hand, and mordants combined with dyes offer realms of possibility. Mordants are elemental substances that strengthen the bond between the dye and the fabric, making it
CRAFTSPEOPLE
colour-fast. They include aluminium sulphate, iron, chrome, zinc and copper. Fabric must be soaked in these before it can be dyed; the mordant attaches to the fabric, and the dye attaches to the mordant. But dyes themselves also react to the mordant, and so different mordants bring different colours. Add light-fastness to this and the material that is to be coloured, and the near-infinite number of hues and shades that can be achieved becomes apparent. “It can be a bit overwhelming because there are so many different elements,” Flora explains. “Everything is interconnected and there is a chain reaction between all the different elements in the process.” 94 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
Top For colour-fastness, fabric must be soaked in a mordant before it is dyed. Flora continues to evaluate light fastness. Above left The magic of dyeing fabric is seeing what the result will be. Above right Different techniques achieve different patterns.
While Flora appreciates the value of the skills she learned at Glasgow, she has sought out individuals to guide her on specific topics. Michel Garcia has been influential in dyeing practice, while Ffyona Campbell has helped with foraging skills and plant knowledge. For a time, Flora sold dyed products – drawings, prints and patterns – but this meant she was always focused on an end result, when she far prefers the process. Workshops and classes were the answer. Then came 2020 and the opportunity to gather in groups fell away. Her solution was to start teaching online and this has proved very successful. From her remote valley, where mobile signal is limited, she has been teaching dyers around the world. “It makes so much sense, mainly because it’s easier for them to get on with it at home. I can reach people in the Hebrides, Ireland, Canada – places where going to a workshop is not really possible,” she explains. “There’s so much narrative around online tech disconnecting us from nature, but it also brings us together. It’s been really inspiring to be part of that.” Along with this, and the chance to tidy her studio and catalogue endless colour palettes, there has been time for reflection. “I have a lot of ideas and outward energy but I’m really learning that this needs to be balanced with a more inward process. This past year or so has been fantastic for that,” she notes. n For details of Flora’s online courses, as well as wild plant walks and practical workshops, visit her website at floraarbuthnott.com
BOOKS
The Reviewer
A selection of the best writing on the shelves this month
Pure Style in the Garden: Creating an Outdoor Haven by Jane Cumberbatch Pimpernel, £20
WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY
As a second summer close to home seems again to be a most sensible choice, thoughts turn to ways of enjoying our gardens at their best. While garden centres and nurseries offer all the plant material we could wish for, not to mention a great range of furniture, it takes a practised eye to cut through the profusion of choice and hone in on what is beautiful and useful. Jane Cumberbatch’s South London garden is just 22m long and 11m across, but through her decades of work as a stylist and writer, combined with a love of gardening, she has figured out exactly what it is that makes a house a home, both indoors and out. Pure Style in the Garden isn’t a heavyweight gardening tome, but nor does it pretend to be. Rather, it takes the form of an evocative garden diary studded with nuggets of helpful information. There are thoughts on tulips and roses to try and how you might make a pergola for summer shade, for example. In summer there is a recipe for fig and frangipani tart and practical tips on dining outdoors – anchor a tablecloth with stones at each corner on a windy day. Jane describes her garden as a “world within a world, a place… in summer to brush against scented lavender spilling over the paths with the hum of bees all around.” And that image is something to which we can all aspire.
Dior and Roses
The Hedgerow Cookbook
by Éric Pujalet-Plaà, Brigitte Richart and Vincent Leret Rizzoli, £35
by Caro Willson and Ginny Knox National Trust, £12.99
While botanical prints have recently hit the fashion industry with all the force of an intense spring, botanicals have long inspired haute couture, and we owe many desirable shapes to flowers. None has been more influential than Christian Dior’s New Look of 1947, which, with its cinched bodice and flared skirt, was informed by his favourite flower, the rose. Dior and Roses is a lavishly illustrated hardback covering the designer’s childhood garden at Granville; the flower’s influence on Miss Dior, the iconic scent named for his sister Catherine; and Catherine’s Rosa x centifolia farm in Callian. Roses continue to inspire the fashion house and the book considers the work of current creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. As a companion, consider Catherine Dior, a biography by Justine Picardie (Faber), released on 2 September.
In spring they’re a froth of white blossom; by early summer the smallest green fruits appear; and in late summer and autumn our hedgerows are bedecked with jewels: elderberries, blackberries, crab apples, sloes, rowan berries, damsons and bullaces. That is to say nothing of the plants at their feet: dandelions, nettles, sorrel and wild garlic. Committed foragers Caro Willson and Ginny Cox grew up with ‘wild’ food and here offer a wealth of sensible but appealing ideas to try. Chapters cover flowers, hips, leaves, berries, stone fruit, fruit with pips, and nuts, so recipes range from wild plum ice cream to nettle and feta pastries. There is a harvest for the attentive forager at every stage of the year, but if your repertoire is limited to jellies and flavoured spirits – admittedly no bad thing – The Hedgerow Cookbook could prove particularly handy. NOVEMBER 2021 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 95
Q&A BOOKS
In her new book, The Healthy Vegetable Garden, expert organic farmer Sally Morgan gives practical advice on growing your own crops in the most natural, biodiverse way possible What foundations do you suggest putting in place for a vegetable patch’s long-term health?
I advise anyone with a new patch to conduct simple soil tests so you know what you’re starting with. Look for worms. If the previous owner fertilised and used pesticides, the soil won’t have life the way an organic one will. Plan what you want to do, remove debris, cover it with cardboard, then import some compost to make a quick bed. That will get the plot under control. Get a load of woodchip and mulch the paths straight away. If paths are neat, everything looks neat. I prefer a mounded bed and continually mulch in a no-dig style to build up the depth of soil. Name three good hacks for growing vegetables.
For me it’s important to start with the soil, which should have a high level of organic matter and lots of soil life – worms are a good indicator. You also need plant diversity: a vegetable garden should not just be vegetables, but a mix of annual and perennial vegetables at different life stages, with some young and some maturing. And it needs lots of flowers. My inspiration was Rosemary Verey’s potager at Barnsley House. It was alive with vegetables, insects, birds, flowers and beautiful patterns, and the soil was always covered with something. There is a lot of emphasis on no-dig – but is digging a vegetable garden really so bad?
Healthy soil shouldn’t be disturbed too much. The worms will break up soil and mix in organic matter and the more you turn the more you disturb fungi. I’m not a purist – I dig up parsnips and potatoes – but the whole bed is never disturbed. I try to be realistic and I do understand that for a lot of people digging is such a therapeutic experience. 96 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
What are the best ways to outwit slugs and snails – and does copper tape really work?
There’s no one best way. The RHS has done trials in garden environments and found that copper, bark, eggshells and grit had no effect. Ask instead why you have so many: is it a wet spring, do you have clay soil or are beds too close to compost bins? You can go out at night to trap them, but birds, frogs, and ground beetles are the best defence. Call ducks are great at getting eggs out of the sides of raised beds, and if I had a new garden, I might try nematodes. What vegetables can still be sown now?
Start preparing to plant onion and garlic sets, and sow broad beans and peas: just make sure you have the right varieties that will withstand frost. There’s still time to sow perpetual spinach and many salad crops. Fill in gaps with turnips and improve soils with a green manure such as rye mix or phacelia. n
The Healthy Vegetable Garden by Sally Morgan Chelsea Green Publishing, £22.
INTERVIEW VIVIENNE HAMBLY
What constitutes a healthy vegetable garden?
I save four-litre water bottles to use as cloches in spring. Turn them upside down, cut off the bottoms and remove the cap. I also love to take cuttings from side shoots of tomatoes – they root easily. It’s a good way to grow more tomato plants if you find you’re short, and if you have a greenhouse they should catch up and last until November. You can turn some annuals into short-lived perennials. I let Swiss chard come back in spring and give it a Chelsea chop before it flowers – it grows for the rest of the year. In my polytunnel, I have black kale in its third season!
IMAGES RAY COX; ANNA OMIOTEK-TOTT; SHUTTERSTOCK; RICHARD BLOOM
Next issue
O S 2 A N N O V L EM E B
Sparkling winter gardens • ‘Alice in Wonderland’ topiary at Oxfordshire’s Beckley Park • Winter at Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott’s former home in the Scottish Borders • A frosty morning at Humphry Repton-designed Rousham • George Carter’s skilfully designed Norfolk garden, Silverstone Farm • The intricate knot garden at 16th-century Gardyne Castle PLUS Colour special: inspiration from Sissinghurst’s White Garden, Hidcote’s Red Borders and Parham’s gold-themed planting; plus making Christmas wreaths and growing skimmia
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ER
LAST WORD
The Word Garden Gardens and letter forms are not so far apart, muses Katherine Swift as she considers Ian Hamilton Finlay’s inscription garden at Little Sparta near Edinburgh
98 THE ENGLISH GARDEN NOVEMBER 2021
“
Inscriptions make us see more clearly and open our eyes to more than what is just around us”
is sited at precisely the point where one pool of water overflows into another, the pause between the first and second letter signalling both the slight resistance of the water as it tips over, and the hidden presence of the word Ave, the ancient Latin word of greeting – whispered, as it were, by the trickling of the water. It was Shenstone who coined the phrase ‘landscape gardening’ (as distinct from kitchen gardening or flower gardening), to describe the sort of garden that ‘consists in pleasing the imagination’. Inscriptions do just that: they make us see things more clearly and open our eyes to more than what is just around us. To commission an inscription for your own garden, a good place to start is The Lettering Arts Trust (+44 (0)1728 688393; letteringartstrust. org.uk) where you can see examples and find a letter-carver to carry out the work. ■
ILLUSTRATION JULIA RIGBY PORTRAIT BEVERLEY FRY
‘F
rom this place WORDS may fly abroad. Not to perish on waves of sound, Not to vary with the writer’s hand, But fixed in time, Having been verified by proof.’ Words from a type specimen hanging above the printing press in my hall. ‘Friend, you stand on sacred ground. This is a printing office.’ My house is full of printing paraphernalia: in the cellar, alphabets of wooden poster type, founts of lead foundry type, pages of type locked in their formes ready for printing or distributed into their upper and lower cases (the wooden cases in which type is housed), share floorspace with overwintering dahlias. Cases of books about printing and printing presses line the walls of the rooms at the front of the house where my nine orange trees spend the winter. I fell in love with type faces after coming across Daniel Berkeley Updike’s vast, two-volume Printing Types in a library in Canada one snowy winter. I went on to start a thesis on the 18th-century Birmingham printer and type designer John Baskerville. Baskerville’s friend and neighbour was the gardener William Shenstone who filled his garden with inscriptions carved upon urns and garden seats; Baskerville himself was a writing master and engraver of slate grave stones before he turned to printing. Gardens and letter forms are not so far apart. In my own garden I have one of Shenstone’s sayings inscribed on an urn, made by the potter Robin Welch: ‘The works of a person that builds, begin immediately to decay; while those of him who plants begin directly to improve’. The sculpture garden, as a site to display a collection of sculpture, was an ancient idea that became fashionable in the second half of the 20th century. But the garden of inscriptions, as exemplified by Shenstone’s garden in Halesowen, and Ian Hamilton Finlay’s garden Little Sparta in the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh, is yet to find its moment. At Little Sparta, inscriptions drawn from Ovid, the metaphysical poetry of Henry Vaughan and the sayings of the French Revolutionary leader Saint-Just are carved on paths, stepping stones, seats, fences and stiles. In each case words, design, and garden setting are all integral to the meaning. For example, the sublimely simple W AVE
H AMI SH MACKI E SCU L P TU RE LI FE I N BR ONZE
Catalogue available, get in touch if you would like to be sent one. Sculptures shipped worldwide directly from my UK studio. www.hamishmackie.com • hamish@hamishmackie.com • + 44 (0) 7971 028 098
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