The English Garden - Spring 2018 UK

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SPRING 2018 For everyone who loves beautiful gardens www.theenglishgarden.co.uk
Small is
beautiful
Tiny gardens,
big on style
Make the
most of your
greenhouse
EASY-GOING
GERANIUMS
Perfect varieties
for every garden
Springtime inspiration £4.40
O Top 10 longer-lasting TULIPS

O NORAH LINDSAY’s stylish legacy
O Small garden ideas from CHELSEA
O GROW YOUR OWN asparagus
G R E E N H O U S E S A N D C O N S E R VAT O R I E S
All greenhouses look similar.
The similarity ends there.

If you think all greenhouses look alike, look more closely. You’ll appreciate our ruthless adherence to Victorian
traditions. The slender elegant glazing bars, to permit ample light; the way the door height sits, perfectly
proportioned, above the eaves. Indeed, the more you look, the more you’ll realise that Alitex greenhouses
could hardly be more distinctive.
Before you decide, get up close and see for yourself.
www.alitex.co.uk 01730 826900

CONTRIBUTORS
Welcome
his month in The English Garden
Paul Debois
A photographer
specialising in lifestyle
T we celebrate small gardens. As
Gertrude Jekyll said: “The size
of a garden has very little to do with its
merits. It is merely an accident relating to
and botanical subjects
for magazines and the circumstances of its owner.”
books, Paul exhibits
his work regularly. His Wise words, amply demonstrated by the small but perfectly
photos of Juan Carlos
Cure’s small London
formed gardens in this issue. Take Non Morris’s townhouse
patio garden feature on Camberwell Grove in London, with its compact yet stylish
on page 56.
garden, Sweetbriar, the tiny Kent garden of Steve Edney and
Louise Dowle, brimming with tropical foliage plants, or Shirley
Shadford’s quintessentially rustic garden at Clover Cottage
in Cambridgeshire. More space-pressed London gardens
– a diminutive balcony overlooking the Thames, and a tiny
Islington patio transformed into a patch of jungle – ram home
the point. “It is the size of his heart and brain and goodwill that
will make his garden delightful or dull,” concluded Jekyll.
Louise Curley
Louise studied More inspiration comes from a preview of Chelsea’s new
horticulture before
becoming a freelance
‘Space to Grow’ gardens, and our pick of the best species tulips
writer. She is the and hardy geraniums: hard-working plants that will truly earn
author of two books,
including The Cut their space. And then there’s Sarah Wain’s advice on making the
Flower Patch. She
investigates hardy
most of smaller greenhouses. So don’t let a lack of space hold
geraniums on page 93. back your gardening ambitions: make them even bigger.
CLARE FOGGETT, EDITOR

IMAGES PAUL DEBOIS; ZARA NAPIER; IAN CURLEY; NEIL HEPWORTH
ON THE COVER DIGITAL PLATFORMS

Zara Napier The small rose-and- Purchase digital
Zara’s love of plants honeysuckle-filled editions of The
was inspired by her garden that fronts English Garden for
grandparents’ walled pretty, thatched phone and tablet
garden in Ireland. Clover Cottage in from the App Store
She now photographs Cambridgeshire, for iPhones, and
unknown gardens photographed Google Play for
and their creative by Zara Napier. Android.
owners – her images
of Clover Cottage,
Cambridgeshire,
feature on page 48. The-English-Garden-Magazine @TEGmagazine englishgardenuk theenglishgardenmagazine
SPRING 2018 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 3

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Spring 2018
CONTENTS
56 Gardens
2O Fresh & Green Spring blossom and leafy
planting softens the structural landscaping
in the London garden of Non Morris.
27 Hidden Oasis Steve Edney and Louise

Dowle have created an unexpected miniature
tropical paradise behind their home in Kent.
35 The High Life Stephen Crisp’s stylish

planting scheme for this tiny London balcony
enhances the spectacular Thameside views.
41 Rich Tapestry David Rosewarne and

Magie Gray have turned a narrow strip of
land on the Isle of Wight into a colourful idyll.
48 Country Classic Sheila Shadfield’s work

at Clover Cottage near Cambridgeshire has
created the quintessential English garden.
56 God of Small Things Juan Carlos Cure

has worked miracles to turn his minuscule
London patio garden into an exotic canvas.
Design
64 Design Guide Jane Brockbank works with
architect John Smart to produce a garden
that reflects the themes of his London home.
93 115 71 The Socialite Gardener The little-known

Norah Lindsay, who used her connections
to forge a new career as a garden designer.
79 Chelsea Preview At this year’s show, the

new ‘Space to Grow’ category gardens will
be filled with inspiration for space-pressed
gardeners. We meet their designers.
115 Gardens in Art Three artists explain how

the colourful beauty of gardens has inspired
their work across a variety of media.
Plants
85 Miniature Delights Enjoy an early burst
of spring colour with species tulips – smaller
and wilder than their more cultivated cousins.
90 Rising Stars Sue Martin, holder of the
16 National Plant Collection of geums, discusses

this useful perennial bloom that’s ‘on the up’.
93 Hardy Heroes Vanessa Cook, of York’s

Stillingford Lodge Gardens, can suggest a
tough perennial geranium for every situation.
101 In Season Asparagus is a luxury all the

more delicious for its fleeting season. Plant
a few crowns in your plot for a tasty treat.
6 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

35
85 9
105 Space-saving solutions A smaller
garden needn’t prevent you from having a
greenhouse, says West Dean’s Sarah Wain.
109 Perfectly imperfect In this extract from

her book, Garden Style, Selina Lake explains
IMAGES ANGIE LEWIN; PAUL DEBOIS; RICHARD BLOOM; MARIANNE MAJERUS; CLIVE NICHOLS; SHUTTERSTOCK
how to bring out the best in smaller gardens.
Regulars
9 This Month A guide to gardens to visit,
places to go, things to do and nature to note.
16 Shopping The best gear for small-scale

gardeners, plus a chicken-themed roundup.
123 The Reviewer This month’s literary

digest, plus an interview with John Brookes.
130 Last Word Katherine Swift on the fall

and rise of her beautiful fruit-tree tunnels.
Offers
39 Subscribe & Save Save money when you
take out a subscription to The English Garden.
77 Home Insurance Preferential rates on your

insurance for readers of The English Garden.
Since 1961
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To learn more about Cub Cadet’s latest innovations and
to find your nearest dealer visit www.cubcadet.co.uk
SPRING
Gardens to Visit
Seek inspiration for your own garden by visiting one of Britain’s best
NGS GARDEN
Cascades
Bonsall, Derbyshire
These peaceful 18th-
century gardens near
Matlock cram a lot into
a relatively small space.
They surround the ruins
of a corn mill, and feature
waterfalls, woodland, cliffs,
a stream, a pond and an
old lead mine, and are
planted with hellebores,
hostas, daffodils, shrubs,
unusual perennials, trees
and conifers. The garden
rooms are inspired by
Eastern philosophy and
are an ideal place for
relaxation and reflection,
while the view from the
Perfectly FORMED clifftop path is unmissable.

Doors open for the
National Garden Scheme
These creatively planted gardens make the most of limited room and
on Sunday 15 April
are packed full of botanical inspiration for those who have less space and Sunday 13 May
(1pm-4.30pm). Entry £5,
Herterton House & Gardens Plas Yn Rhiw The Master’s Garden children free. Home-made
This plantsman’s garden A small-scale woodland Situated on the north side teas are available.
(above), near Morpeth in garden (below) in Gwynedd, of London’s Temple complex, Cascades House and
Northumberland, cleverly uses a stone’s throw from the coast, this hidden L-shaped garden Gardens, Clatterway,
colour, texture and shape to filled with orchids, magnolias, is beautifully planted with Bonsall, Matlock,
create an illusion of space. camellias and azaleas, and shrubs, trees and herbaceous Derbyshire DE4 2AH.
Topiary and tender plants framed by box hedges. Entry plants, and is rich in history. For more details,
feature throughout, amid £6.20. Tel: 01758 780219; Tel: 020 7839 3969; visit ngs org uk
relaxed cottage-style planting. nationaltrust.org.uk opensquares.org
Entry £3. Tel: 01670 774278.
Wildlife Garden,
WORDS RACHAEL FUNNELL IMAGES GAP PHOTOS/CAROLE DRAKE
The Compton Garden Natural History Museum

In the grounds of these pretty Offering a welcome retreat
almshouses in Winchester, in the heart of the capital,
you’ll find a tulip tree planted the garden at the Natural
by The Queen Mother in History Museum is home to
1986 and a Cercis canadensis a wealth of flora and fauna,
‘Texas White’ planted by The with more than 3,130 species
Duchess of Cornwall in 2008. having been recorded since
Entry £4.50. Tel: 01962 878218; it opened in 1995. Tel: 0207
hospitalofstcross.co.uk 942 5000; nhm.ac.uk

SPRING
Places to Go
Unmissable flower shows, plant fairs, courses and exhibitions to attend this month
Temple of GLASS
Reopening of Kew’s Temperate House
5 May, London
The world’s largest Victorian glasshouse will
reopen at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
in May. The iconic structure houses some
10,000 plants and its painstaking renovation
over the past five years has been the
biggest project of its kind in Kew’s history.
Some plants were deemed too large to be
moved and had to be worked around, while
others that are being re-introduced have
been propagated by Kew’s horticulturists.
Tel: 020 8332 5655; kew.org
RETURN of a favourite
Chelsea Flower Show
22-26 May, London
Arguably the highlight of the gardening year, the Chelsea Flower Show
makes its return this May, bringing a wealth of design ideas and new plants to
admire and inspire. This year’s show will feature gardens from new designers
including Jonathan Snow and Tom Massey, who will join Chelsea regulars such
as Jo Thompson and Chris Beardshaw. But the biggest news is the return of
Tom Stuart-Smith, who is designing his first garden for the show since 2010
inside the Great Pavilion. While you’re there, drop by Eastern Avenue to meet
The English Garden team at stand EA487. Tel: 020 3176 5800; rhs.org.uk
LOOKING AHEAD: SPRING Shows

March Hare Collective to showcase a wealth of RHS Malvern Spring Show
Craft Spring Fair plants. Tel: 01732 885094; 10-13 May, Worcestershire
WORDS RACHAEL FUNNELL IMAGES RHS & LUKE MACGREGOR; RBG KEW
14 April, Suffolk greatcompgarden.co.uk Set against the Malvern Hills,
Talented craftspeople from this festival features the
across East Anglia, come to Harrogate Spring Show world’s first knitted garden
Ickworth to sell unique gifts 26-29 April, North Yorkshire – a charity initiative to raise
and homeware. Tel: 01284 Expect the very latest in money for the Sue Ryder
736127; nationaltrust.org.uk garden design from talented Leckhampton Court Hospice
landscapers, plus talks and Tel: 020 3176 5800; rhs.org.uk attend free tours, practical
Spring Fling Plant Fair demonstrations, large-scale workshops and sessions with
15 April, Kent show gardens, floral art and Festival of Plants University researchers, who
Specialist nurseries from wonderful plant displays May 20, Cambridgeshire will share the latest updates
across the South of England (right). Tel: 01423 546157; Visitors to Cambridge on plant science. Tel: 01223
will convene at Great Comp flowershow.org.uk University Botanic Garden can 336265; botanic.cam.ac.uk

FRIDAY 13TH - SUNDAY 15TH APRIL 2018
Introducing a new boutique event for the

gardening enthusiast. Guests can look forward to
inspiring show gardens, a fine array of trade exhibitors,
specialist plant nurseries, a daily programme of free talks
and personal gardening advice from horticultural experts.
Hosted at the historic racecourse in association
with The Gardens of Windsor Great Park.
Advanced tickets £20.

ascot.co.uk/gardenshow
SPRING
Things to Do
Keep up to date in the garden with our monthly guide to key gardening tasks
Checklist
O When the soil has
warmed up, sow the
seed of hardy annuals
directly where you
want them to flower.
Try cottage-garden
favourites, such as
poppies, cornflowers
and love-in-a-mist.
O Gradually start to
increase the amount
of water you give to
houseplants, since they
will respond to warmer
temperatures and
increased light levels.
O As roses come into

leaf, scatter a little
granular rose fertiliser
around their base and
work it into the soil.
Plant a STRAWBERRY BED O In a propagator or
greenhouse, sow seeds
Enjoy a home-grown harvest of one of summer’s most anticipated
of tender vegetables
– and most delicious – fruits, by planting cold-stored runners now such as sweetcorn,
beans and courgettes.
Strawberry plants grow best be easier to net, to protect the plants frequently while they Plant out after the risk
in warm areas of the garden fruits from scavengers. are establishing, and during of frost has passed.
with lots of light, so take this To enjoy a summer harvest, periods of drought throughout
into account when deciding buy cold-stored runners for the growing season. Take care O Divide vigorous
where to locate your strawberry planting in spring. Position your to water at the base of the waterlilies, just as they
bed. Warmth and sunshine strawberry plants about 40cm plant, because drenching it top- start to show signs of
will also give the fruits a fuller apart, in rows with a 60cm down can result in rotten fruit. growth. Always use
flavour and a stronger aroma. gap between them. Water the Protect emerging fruits from aquatic compost.
Shallow-rooted strawberry rot by tucking a layer of straw
plants need good drainage underneath them. This will also
and rich soil, so it’s important help prevent weeds, although
to prepare the ground before any that do emerge should be
WORDS RACHAEL FUNNELL IMAGES SHUTTERSTOCK
planting by double digging and pulled up by hand.

mixing in well-rotted compost. Expect your first harvest
On clay or poorly drained soil, around 60 days after planting.
consider trying to grow your A well-tended strawberry bed
strawberries in raised beds. should continue fruiting for up
These can be adapted to fit the to three years before needing to
shape of your garden, but bear be replaced, and new plants are
in mind that a square bed will easily propagated from runners.

SPRING
Nature to Note
Your monthly guide to encouraging and caring for garden wildlife
The sound of SPRING

The dawn chorus begins in earnest now
When to listen: Enjoy nature’s most joyous performance
from March onwards. Early morning isn’t the best time to
forage for food, so birds put all their efforts into the dawn
chorus instead, singing their hearts out to attract mates
and defend their territories.
What to listen for: It can sound as if birds are competing
with each other to be heard, but each has its own slot, with
certain species habitually singing earlier than others. An
early start also means less competition from background
noise, letting their songs carry 20 times farther than usual.
Birds you’ll hear: Dunnocks and robins are usually first to
start, an hour before sunrise. Blackbirds and song thrushes
are next, followed by wrens, tits and warblers – these later
crooners are perhaps more sensitive to a cold dawn.
A PLANT FOR POLLINATORS
Bird’s foot trefoil

Welcome seasonal VISITORS
Help support burgeoning populations of wildlife in
Lotus corniculatus is a pretty your garden this spring by carrying out these key tasks
wildflower with red-tinged buds
opening into yellow pea-like flowers, O In spring, bats come out of hibernation O Build a nest for ladybirds and
which are a rich source of nectar for to begin nesting. To encourage them to lacewings by tying bamboo and bundles
bees and butterflies. This is a very start a family in your garden, erect a bat of cow parsley stems together with twine
worthy addition to a meadow, but box on a sunny wall. There are plenty and placing the bundle in the nook of a
also looks at home in an informal of bat boxes available from suppliers, tree or a crack in a wall. Lacewing and
gravel garden. The and the Bat Conservation Trust offers ladybird adults and larvae will eat aphids
flowers develop instructions on making your own at t pests.
orange tones bats.org.uk/pages/bat_boxes.html.
as they These intriguing twilight visitors
age, before will help keep insects at bay during
producing summer evenings.
WORDS RACHAEL FUNNELL IMAGES SHUTTERSTOCK
seeds, which will O If your garden is fenced in, help

readily spread frogs and hedgehogs by cutting a
themselves around: small hole in the base of a fence pane
good if you have a to allow them access to the shelter
large area you’d like provided by your garden. You can
to cover, but be sure to prevent foxes and badgers from
deadhead if you’d rather getting in by ensuring the hole is
keep it under control. no bigger than a CD case.

To request a brochure please go to www.gartenart.co.uk or call 020 7183 3333.
“The water is amazing, it’s like Gartenart Swimming Ponds

swimming in silk. We had a couple Unit 105 Screenworks,
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There were lots of things we wanted 020 7183 3333
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use the garden. We all love it.”
Nigel & Mandy Keene Basingstoke
SHOPPING
1
3
Small Spaces
Make the most of tiny plots,
balconies and windowsills with
6
clever kit and accessories
5 1. 100L Slimline Space Saver Water Butt, £26.95.
Tel: 01462 341161; waterbuttsdirect.co.uk
2. Laura Ashley Pembroke Verdi Gris Cube, from
£12.99. Stockists at apta.co.uk 3. Metal Slimcan
(5-Litre), £39.99. Tel: 0121 4202494; haws.co.uk 7
4. Wolf-Garten Multi-Change Flexi-Broom, £18.99.
Tel: 01869 363674; wolfgarten-tools.co.uk
5. Classic VegTrug, £129.99. Tel: 01206 230025;
vegtrug.com 6. Sileno City Robotic Lawnmower
£699.99. Stockists at gardena.co.uk 7. The Little
Book of Small-Space Gardening by Kay Maguire,
£12.99. Tel: 0808 1188787; waterstones.com
8. Sophie Conran Herb Pots, £19.99. Tel: 0114 233
8262; burgonandball.com 9. Balcony Pot, £10.95.
Tel: 0345 092 0283; sarahraven.com 10. RMA 235
Lawnmower, £249. Stockists at stihl.co.uk
8
10
9
WORDS RACHAEL FUNNELL

Enjoy your garden
It is 50 years since we produced our first petrol lawnmower; the modern high specification machines of today bear little resemblance to
their ancestors but all share a common ethos of quality and value for money. Our investment and innovation has helped us to continually
maintain our position as one of the UK’s leading lawnmower manufacturers.
We think gardening should be fun and rewarding – let a Mountfield do the hard work, so you can relax, unwind and enjoy your garden.
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For further information or to find a local stockist please email pots@woodlodge.co.uk

or visit our website at www.woodlodge.co.uk
SHOPPING
1
3
Egg Heads
Enjoy fresh eggs from your own
5
hens this Easter, or choose from
chicken-inspired homewares
1. The Chalet Chicken Coop, £1,332. Tel: 01904
6 819000; hennypennyhenhouses.co.uk 2. Rooster
Mug, £8. Tel: 0844 844 1325; ulsterweavers.com
3. Hen by Lucie Geffré, £640. Tel: 020 7930
6844; mallgalleries.org.uk 4. Chicken Egg
7
Keeper, £28. Tel: 0344 800 8877; debenhams.
com 5. Rooster Cotton Apron, £16.50. Tel: 0844
844 1325; ulsterweavers.com 6. Egg Cup, £7.
Tel: 01778 560256; sophieallport.com 7. Emma
Bridgewater Oak Egg Holder, £35. Tel: 0345 604
9049; johnlewis.com 8. Feed Storage with Scoop,
£19.99. Tel: 01702 202727; potterscookshop.co.uk
9. Chicken and Carnation Tea Towel, £12.
Tel: 020 7242 7478; thornbackandpeel.co.uk
10. Sophie Conran Harvesting Basket £14.99.
Tel: 0114 233 8262; burgonandball.com
9
WORDS RACHAEL FUNNELL
10

FRESH &
GREEN
Frothy blossom and zesty spring flowers light up the London garden of Non Morris,
where relaxed and abundant planting softens strong structural landscaping
WORDS NON MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE MAJERUS

CAMBERWELL
GROVE
Self-seeded Euphorbia
characias subsp. wulfenii
lights up the garden
before alliums and
perennials flower.

HE BACK GARDEN ALWAYS TAKES
T visitors by surprise. The front of

our Victorian terraced house is
particularly clean-cut and serene:
cream stucco walls, glossy deepest-
green front door, and a single multi-stem Magnolia
‘Heaven Scent’. The Magnolia was a shoulder-high
Valentine’s present 20 years ago, planted with the
help of a pair of identical two-year-olds with yellow
watering cans, and now reaches up to our bedroom
window. It looks majestic in winter with its spreading
branches smothered in velvety buds, and for a few
weeks in late spring its fanfare of clear pink stops
passers-by in their tracks. Flanking the front door
is a pair of straight-sided terracotta pots planted
with Laurus nobilis f. angustifolia. This elegant,
narrow-leaved bay works brilliantly clipped into slim
lollipops that echo the tall, thin shape of the house.
The moment you enter the south-facing back
garden, however, there is a feeling of abundance and
softness and, although there is a strong structural
backbone to both landscaping and planting, the
atmosphere is relaxed and self-seeding encouraged.
The acid-green Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii
chooses which corners of the garden to light up
before the roses and perennials come into flower,
the delicate daisy Erigeron karvinskianus forms
a lacy collar at the top of the steps and then trails
gently into the gravel paths, and the lovely Tellima
grandiflora, with its elegant spikes of creamy
bell-shaped flowers, seems to thrive away from its
woodland border home and dances up between the
slats of the weathered Adirondack chairs on the
brick terrace next to the lawn.
In early May, radiant apple blossom is everywhere.
There is a heavily productive eating-apple tree
at the back of the garden, whose branches hover
romantically over the curvy iron seat, and a generous
weeping crab apple, Malus ‘Sun Rival’, planted in
the tiered raised beds next to the steps that lead
from the lower dining terrace to the main garden.
A weeping tree works really well in this challenging
spot, since its over-spilling branches fill the space
and you cannot see its trunk.
Growing against the greenish-white house walls is
a row of U-shaped cordon apples in terracotta pots.
The inspiration for these came from the gorgeous
espalier-filled gardens at La Prieuré d’Orsan in
the Loire Valley. The U cordons are sourced from
Pennard Plants in Somerset and are a great solution
in limited space. The key to growing apples in pots is
to change the top layer of compost every other year
and to water them faithfully once they flower.
When we bought the house in 1997,
Left One of the garden’s the whole terrace was derelict and had
biggest trees, a large fig,
been lived in as a charismatic squat with
unfurls the first leaves of
spring above the dining the gardens joined together to create a
area’s table and chairs. wild and rambling space. By the time

the renovations were complete, it was a shock to
be presented with a naked slice of lawn and a stark
dividing fence of new pine. The narrow well that
separated the semi-basement kitchen from the rest
of the garden was excavated to form a sunny dining
terrace, and architect Gillian Scampton suggested
using the same pale Portuguese limestone for the
steps as was used throughout the lower ground floor
– a classic and efective link from the interior to the
exterior. We asked designer Nicola Baily Gibson
for help with some of the hard landscaping before
working out ourselves how to create a comfortable
and atmospheric space through planting. During
this time, I became so enamoured with the world so the garden feels full and, with its boundaries
of gardening that I retrained in horticulture and blurred, bigger than it really is. The honey-scented
plantsmanship at The English Gardening School. Euphorbia mellifera and Nandina domestica (or
The secret of the garden’s success is to use tough, heavenly bamboo), which has sprays of white flowers
high-performing shrubs that can cope with sun and fantastic trusses of scarlet berries in winter, are
and a certain amount of shade, and to repeat these key plants here. The box, both clipped and elsewhere
wilder and unclipped, and Trachelospermum
jasminoides provide further glossy structure at the
upper and lower levels. Another fantastic border-
blurring shrub in the garden is Abelia x grandiflora.
Completely evergreen in this sheltered London
space, it is a subtle presence with arching stems of
pale-pink blooms that flower over a long period from
midsummer. There are repeated Rosa x odorata
‘Mutabilis’, too, whose wonderful flowers change Clockwise from top left
A canvas chair is almost
from orange-yellow to copper-pink as they age. This
hidden by euphorbias;
rose starts flowering in April and is still ofering up Saxifraga ‘Peter Pan’;
the palest yellow-only blooms at Christmas. Adirondack chairs on the
Once the backbone is in place, there is room for brick terrace, with roses
and Schizophragma on
individual treasures. The climbing Schizophragma
the fence behind; Non
hydrangeoides var. hydrangeoides ‘Roseum’– with Morris; purple-striped
smoky-pink flowers like lacecap hydrangeas – took a Tulipa ‘Rems Favourite’.

Top left Cretan terracotta
pots house U-shaped
cordon apple trees.
Top right Large tubs
of Pittosporum tobira
‘Nanum’ sit on a gravel
square in the border.
Inset Narcissus ‘Petrel’
and tulip ‘Black Parrot’.
Right Weeping crab
apple Malus ‘Sun Rival’
spills over the steps.

NOTEBOOK
few years to get going but now covers a large section
of fence with perfect rows of foliage followed by the
loveliest of blooms. And among the hardworking
oak-leaved hydrangeas and winter-scented
Camberwell Grove
Sarcococca confusa in the shadiest bed, there has Considered plant choices create an informal
been time to allow the Trochodendron aralioides – atmosphere, together with artfully arranged
bought as a foot-high plant from Great Dixter – to decorative finishing touches
grow into its space. This is a small, handsome tree
with a distinctive tiered habit and glossy green leaves,
each with a pale trim that looks elegant and slightly
exotic amid the woodland planting. 1
The way the garden has been used over the years
has changed as our family has grown up. The back
section of garden was once home to an elaborate
fort, but when this was no longer needed, I designed
a stilted crisscross screen – inspired by structures
seen at Sleightholmedale Lodge in Yorkshire – and
The fig soars up to the sky

and its wonky branches
offer ÂYXXIVMRKWLEHI
there are now raised beds here, with standard red 2
and white currants underplanted with tulips and
Narcissus for spring, followed by dahlias – a small
but perfectly formed cutting garden. The purple-
flamed ‘Rems Favourite’ is a tulip straight out of a
Dutch Old Master painting, and I love the luminous
scarlet of ‘Red Shine’, which looks even more
beautiful when the petals open to reveal the navy
blotch at its centre. Just a few Tulipa ‘China Pink’ –
a glowing lipstick pink – are enough to electrify the
sunnier borders, and in the dining terrace I stick to
‘Black Parrot’, which I love for its rich colour and
elegant arching habit.
3
Tulips in pots are followed by Salvia ‘Amistad’,
which has rich purple flowers on inky stems planted
with Pelargonium tomentosum – the peppermint-
scented geranium. These make a voluptuous,
aromatic pair that will power on until the end of the
year. Plectranthus argentatus is grown from cuttings
(very easy, a bathroom windowsill is perfect) and the
lower terrace is filled with generous wands of silvery
leaves and pale lavender flowers for months.
Perhaps the most dominant element of the garden
is the outsize fig tree, which started out as a wedding
gift in a pot. It soars up to the sky – amazing in bud,
in full leaf and when the leaves turn from green to gold
– and its wonky branches ofer fluttering shade over 4
the dining table. The scale of the fig was not planned,
but it is the garden’s secret ingredient: after all the
hardworking structural planting, one outrageous 1 Mossy saxifrages are the perfect size for a table-top display, together
but brilliant tree keeps the garden on its toes. Q with Non’s favourite candle holder. 2 Malus ‘Sun Rival’ bears white
blossom opening from pink buds on weeping, pendent branches, ideal
for the raised beds flanking the steps. 3 A potted Geranium palmatum
Non Morris is one half of planting and garden design sits with an old oil lamp on a table painted in Versailles Green, from
consultancy Fraser & Morris. fraserandmorris.com Papers and Paints. 4 A crisscross screen veils the garden’s working area.

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Wyken Hall, Suffolk image by Howard Rice
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SWEETBRIAR
To the rear of this

Kentish weatherboard
house is an unexpected
riot of exotic plants with
fabulous verdant foliage.
Hidden
Oasis Professional gardeners Steve Edney and Louise
Dowle have created a lush tropical paradise in
the small back garden of their home in Kent
WORDS ANNETTE WARREN PHOTOGRAPHS CLIVE NICHOLS

T
HERE CAN BE LITTLE DOUBT THAT A of it as painting a picture,” says Lou. “In mid-
Kentish weatherboard house, with May, after the risk of frost has passed, we remove
an abundantly overflowing cottage- everything from the greenhouse and put out all
style garden, will have significant the pots to consider plant combinations and make
kerb appeal. In the front garden of changes. We constantly reassess, moving things
Sweetbriar in the village of Ash, near Sandwich, the or getting rid of them if they are not working hard
aptly named Persicaria orientalis (kiss-me-over-the- enough. Nothing is permanent – not even a tree.”
garden-gate) arches invitingly over the front door. Once Steve and Lou are happy with their layout,
Sunflowers, Cosmos, dahlias and cannas jostle for they soak each plant in its hole before filling with
space among vegetables, all tucked behind clipped soil and watering again. “This gets the plants of to a
low box hedges. However, a very diferent style of really good start for the season and reduces the need
planting is revealed in the jungle-like back garden for watering later on,” says Steve. The garden is then
where a lawn-free tropical oasis is crammed into low-maintenance until October. “Other than staking
this 16m by 22m plot. and deadheading, there
Owners Steve Edney is very little weeding
and Louise Dowle “Now we have several large since the plants grow
describe the rare and
tender exotics in their
specimens established, quickly and cover any
bare soil,” Lou explains.
garden as “a real we have created our own The garden is a
plantsman’s collection”
– something of an
microclimate. We can have luxuriant cornucopia
of verdant green where
understatement since frost in the front garden shape and texture are
Steve is head gardener key to the multi-layered
at the nearby Salutation and none in the back” planting. As well as 30
Gardens in Sandwich small trees, Lou has
and Lou is a freelance gardener. Sweetbriar is counted 270 other plants, adding that she is “only
designed for foliage rather than flowers. “Foliage is halfway through” her tally. Two of her favourite tall
the most important thing. Any flower is a bonus,” plants are the elegant bamboo Borinda papyrifera
states Lou. The towering exotics behind the house ‘Stapleton’, which has silver blue stems that give year-
are an even bigger surprise, given that the garden is round interest, and Canna x ehemanii, a 2.7m giant
less than four years old. with arches of pendulous flowers. “You can stand
Two miniature ponds, each the size of a paving beneath these cannas and look up into the flowers,”
slab, are sunk into the stone terrace beside bifold says Lou. The garden also has a towering Cordyline
doors at the rear of the house. Home to newts and and a 5m Trachycarpus fortunei palm, which they
frogs, who enjoy the shade of nearby ferns, the ponds found in the chicken coop of a nearby farm.
have become a haven for wildlife and are visited by Solanum quitoense (naranjilla), its vast bright
damselflies, dragonflies and hedgehogs. green leaves sprinkled with delicate purple hairs, has
Shallow stone steps lead to a bark path that to be passed with caution since the underside of the
takes you on a circular tour of leaves are dotted with vicious
the jungle. “I’m glad we put spines. Another spiky surprise
the greenhouse in the centre,” comes in the form of Ricinus
says Lou. “You feel as if you’re ‘Blue Giant’, which has tiny
somewhere exotic even when the white sea-urchin-like pompons
weather’s not so nice. It’s also the nestling beneath its huge leaves.
heart of the garden, since all the The more delicate but equally
tender plants are packed away towering Dahlia imperialis (the
into it for the winter.” tree dahlia) strikes a pleasing
This corner of Kent has lower contrast, with architectural
than average rainfall due to being leaves and unassuming single
in the lee of the North Downs, lavender flowers, as does elegant
but, as Steve explains: “Now Fuchsia hatschbachii with its
we have several large specimens long arching stems, attractive
established, we have created our pointed leaves and slender
own microclimate. We can have flowers. Another tall plant is
frost in the front garden and Tithonia rotundifolia, a member
none in the back.” of the Asteraceae family, which
The plants in the back garden Above Canna ‘Red Velvet’ bears has the bonus of vivid orange
are laid out every year. “I think scarlet blooms on purple stems. blooms and is 1.8m high.

Top left The orange-
speckled flowers of
Canna ‘Bethany’.
Top right The front door
of the house is framed
by Persicaria orientalis.
Right Gardeners Steve
Edney and Louise Dowle.
Below At the heart of the
garden: the greenhouse.
Left Elegant magenta
Canna x ehemanii.

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Left The square ponds
may be small, but work
well to draw in wildlife.
Below The dramatic,
backlit foliage of Ricinus
communis ‘New Zealand
Purple’ becomes a more
vivid, metallic purple as
summer progresses.
Soft textures are created using annual grass

Sorghum nigrum (black millet) with its plume-
like seedheads, and deep pink Amaranthus
caudatus. Bananas thrive, as do extravagant
cinnabar-red cannas, of which Lou’s personal
favourite, Canna ‘Cleopatra’, boasts harlequin
red-and-yellow flowers with a red-streaked leaf.
Cautleya spicata ‘Arun Flame’, meanwhile,
bears a strong resemblance to ginger. “It’s hardy
here, but possibly not elsewhere,” muses Lou.
Lower growing species include Bergenia
ciliata ‘Wilton’, which has larger than usual
matt leaves coated in a bloom of white hairs,
and B. emeiensis, which has a tongue-shaped
leaf. Ferns do well here on the canopy floor. “I
thought they might not be so happy as it’s a bit
too sunny – but they seem to like it,” Lou notes.
The umbrella-like Cyperus papyrus, which
prefers to keep its feet wet, provides a frothy
texture, as does Eupatorium capillifolium
‘Elegant Plume’. “It’s very tactile: you have to
stroke it,” insists Steve, who cites Pinus patula,
Th ish t sits t th
a Mexican pine, as another strokeable favourite.
end of the central axis
In contrast, low-growingthat Sansevieria
runs through cylindrica
e sits
has hard spikes that bare-legged visitors
at the end of would
the centra
do well to avoid.

TROPICAL
GARDEN
ADVICE
From Steve Edney
and Louise Dowle
O When inheriting
a new garden, be
ruthless. We kept only
one plant when we
redesigned ours.
O Work out where the

sun is at the time of
day you are most likely
to be relaxing in the
garden and put your
seating area there.
O Create layers to your

jungle. Think in terms
of an upper canopy,
a middle storey and
under planting,
and then pick some
unusual evergreens
for winter structure.
O Don’t be afraid
to use plants people
normally consider to
be houseplants. You
can take them back
indoors for the winter.
O Create contrast with

different sizes and
shapes of leaves – it’s
not all about flowers.
O Plants haven’t read

the book – if you like
At the end of October, tender Top left Pendent tassels They garden organically, putting a plant, try it. It might
plants are lifted into pots and of Amaranthus caudatus. down wool to deter slugs and work for you even if it
Top right Slender blooms
placed cheek-by-jowl in the of Fuchsia hatschbachii. picking of bugs such as rosemary technically shouldn’t.
greenhouse. Red bananas are also Above right Tithonia beetles, caterpillars, lily beetles
O Don’t be too tidy.
lifted, but Musa basjoo are left in rotundifolia adds height and aphids. Struggling plants
and bright zingy colour. By not cutting back,
place and wrapped in hessian and get a boost from a foliar spray
Above left The striking you protect borderline
fleece, as is anything else that needs spiky seed capsules of containing seaweed extract. “If a
hardy plants, while
a little protection. The remaining Ricinus ‘Blue Giant’. plant comes under sustained attack
seedheads provide
large cannas and tree dahlias left in from a pest, we stop growing
food for birds.
situ are covered with leaves or straw. “Watering it,” says Steve. “And when we look out of our
is not an issue,” explains Steve, “because bathroom window at the jungle below, we laugh O Add lots of organic
overwintering plants like to be kept dry.” Work at the contrast with our neighbours’ gardens. matter every spring
begins again in late March when well-rotted They think we’re mad!” Q before planting out
horse manure is added to enrich the soil. – you are asking the
The couple recently received a Gold Award Sweetbriar opens for the NGS on 29 July, 19 plants to do a lot in a
from Kent Wildlife Trust, proving that a garden August and 30 September, and by appointment in short period of time.
doesn’t need to be ‘wild’ to be wildlife friendly. July-October for groups of 10-20. Visit ngs.org.uk

LIVING LIFE OUTSIDE
$CKNG[6CDNG
6KOGNGUU&GUKIP
Handcrafted in Oak
+44 (0)1420 588444

info@gazeburvill.com
www.gazeburvill.com
MITTON MANOR
GARDENS
4P[[VU 5LHY 7LURYPKNL :[HќVYKZOPYL :; 8>
Mitton Manor is a 7-acre country garden that NEW EVENTS FOR 2018
was started in 2001 and has been developed
April 29th 2018 - Cherry Tree Walk
from an overgrown wilderness.
June 24th 2018 - NGS Open Day
The garden surrounds a Victorian manor house *OLJR V\[ V\Y ^LIZP[L MVY HKKP[PVUHS VWLU
HUK JVU[HPUZ H YHUNL VM KPќLYLU[ Z[`SLZ" MVYTHS KH`Z HUK TVYL PUMVYTH[PVU
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uk
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Email: PUMV'TP[[VUTHUVYJV\R
Refreshments: General Admission:

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S T K AT H A R I N E ’ S
WAY
The High Life

Garden designer Stephen Crisp has crafted a stylish planting
scheme for this tiny balcony that manages to enhance the
spectacular view while capturing attention in its own right
WORDS CLARE FOGGETT PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE MAJERUS
Textural foliage in
various shades of green
creates a foreground for
one of London’s most
iconic views.

T
WENTY YEARS AGO, DESIGNER Pieces of driftwood and links of rusty chain placed
Stephen Crisp stood on the balcony between plants add detail to the maritime feel,
at St Katharine’s Way for the first time while daisy-flowered Erigeron karvinskianus fills
and took in the incredible view. This the gaps. “There’s something unique about the way
was a decade before work began on Stephen does this,” Paul muses. “He has an artist’s
The Shard’s glistening 95 storeys, although London’s eye for mixing plants, and mingling them with
iconic Tower Bridge has been steadfastly raising and the driftwood and other maritime artefacts.” The
lowering its bascules while the Thames landscape building is part of a conservation area, so the balcony
has evolved around it, just as the river itself continues itself can’t be changed. “It’s quite a harsh, metal
to ebb and flow with the tide. The flat’s then owner, structure, but Stephen has woven the plants through
theatre producer Sir Michael Codron, asked Stephen it in a way that has actually enhanced it,” says Paul.
to create a garden on his tiny balcony, which is just “He has managed to combine the plants with each
5m long by about 1.4m wide. When he sold the other, but also with their environment and setting.”
flat to Tom Walshaw and Paul Luke two years ago, Custom-made to wrap around the whole balcony,
Sir Michael gave them the balcony’s backstory, and the smart wooden planters are around 40cm from
Stephen was delighted to be asked back to carry front to back, and slightly wider at the balcony’s two
out a little refurbishment and refresh the planting. ends, leaving enough space for a couple of chairs and
“When Michael said, ‘I must put you in touch with a table. “We replaced the planters, but the teak deck
my gardener,’ I was surprised, since it’s a compact was still in good shape from 20 years ago. It is more
flat,” says Tom. “But when I looked outside, it was expensive to do it in a high-quality material like
magnificent. I could see why you might need one.” teak, but this garden shows that if you look after it,
“As soon as anybody walks into the apartment, it lasts,” Stephen explains. “One of the most
up the steps into the drawing room, they get this important lessons when you have a tiny space like
amazing panorama,” Stephen says. “You look to this is to stick to one or two big containers. Because
the right and see Tower Bridge and The Shard and there’s more soil, it doesn’t dry out as quickly, and
Butler’s Wharf is directly opposite. The balcony consequently the containers need less maintenance.
and its planting makes the living area feel larger, and Too often people use lots of little containers; random
draws you towards the river, creating a foreground, pots can look quaint, but it can also look a bit like
but it also ofers privacy a plant jumble sale.”
because you can sit on the The planters are
balcony and not be seen “You can’t be seen from topped with a layer of
from below. You feel as if
you have your own space,
below. You feel as if you gravel and pebbles, to
help hold in water and
but there’s also a constant have your own space but to hide the irrigation
cavalcade of activity on system, and they are
the river.” Thanks to there’s also a constant filled with moisture-
Stephen’s planting, Tom
adds, “you feel shielded by
cavalcade of activity retentive planting
compost. Stephen
a vegetative cocoon”. on the river” recommends a 50:50
The balcony obviously
benefits from the city’s microclimate, but it is warm,
even for London: it’s south-facing and benefits from
the radiant warmth of the building all around it,
as well as the efect of the river, reflecting sunshine
back onto it. “The plants we use need to be drought
tolerant and capable of coping with extremes,”
Stephen explains, “although this time round, we’ve
installed a leaky pipe irrigation system on a timer.”
Mediterranean and maritime in character,
Stephen’s planting scheme uses toughies, such
as recumbent rosemary, Rosmarinus oicinalis
Prostratus Group, hebes and conifers such as Pinus
mugo. Meanwhile, miniature Griselinia littoralis,
an evergreen shrub renowned for its tolerance of
exposure in coastal areas, adds glossy emerald tones,
and wiry-stemmed Calocephalus ‘Silver Sand’ and
Convolvulus cneorum contribute wonderful accents
of silvery-grey.

Left Glossy-leaved
Griselinia littoralis.
Above Raised wooden
planters create a sense
of privacy and enclosure.
Right A grouping of
old cork fishing floats,
pebbles and driftwood
enhance the maritime
feel of the planting.
Far right Pittosporum
tobira, rosemary and
hebes in shades of green.

You could invalidate your building insurance, and
there might be structural implications.”
Lighting ensures the garden continues to draw the
eye even after dark. “It’s low-voltage LED lighting,”
explains Stephen. “We’ve used spotlights and some
cross lighting because it was important to have pools
of light on the decking, but we had to make sure they
didn’t shine into the apartment or onto the window,
or you wouldn’t be able to see out.” Tom is delighted
by the efect: “Stephen’s created the perfect balance.
It doesn’t dazzle you, but it invites you to look out.”
Top left Erigeron and mix of John Innes soil-based compost and organic According to Stephen it’s all very easy to maintain,
rosemary supply clouds multi-purpose compost. He also recommends requiring just a little grooming and pruning every
of greenery around an
filling planters part-way with polystyrene packing now and then. “Plants in containers have an initial
ornament of driftwood
and rusty chain. ‘peanuts’, for drainage with no extra weight. growth spurt, but after that they don’t put on much
Top right A bustling That’s the other important lesson when it comes to lush growth, because they’re not in the ground,” he
backdrop, looking east balcony gardens: weight. “Balconies are designed to notes. “It’s all very self-suicient and slow growing,”
down the River Thames.
have a certain weight loading and you must always Paul confirms. “You go away for a two-week holiday
Above At night, subtle
low-voltage LED lighting get a structural engineer to check before starting any and it will still be alive, whereas with normal gardens
brings the balcony to life. work,” Stephen says. “A balcony full of soil is heavy. you come back to devastation. It’s fantastic.” Q

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BLENHEIM
HOUSE
The arching fronds of
tree ferns and a large
Pittosporum eugenioides
‘Variegatum’ shelter
a patchwork of colourful
ground-level planting.
Rich
TAPESTRY
At Blenheim House on the Isle of Wight, David Rosewarne and
Magie Gray have turned a narrow garden into a radiant paradise of
foliage and flowers that makes the most of the mild coastal climate
WORDS JEAN VERNON PHOTOGRAPHS HEATHER EDWARDS

S
ECRET GARDENS CAN APPEAR IN THE MOST planting skills. He went on to win the BBC Gardener
unlikely places. Tucked down a back of the Year competition in 2000, and a silver medal
street on the edge of Ryde, on the Isle for a Courtyard Garden at RHS Chelsea in 2002.
of Wight, is Blenheim House – and a The garden at Blenheim House actually uses some
breathtaking garden that’s a tapestry of the plants from that Chelsea garden. “The large
of colour, texture and contours. Pittosporum eugenioides ‘Variegatum’ in the middle
It’s a small, narrow plot, just 30 feet wide and 116 must only have been 12 inches tall at Chelsea – I
feet long, and yet the journey through this garden is couldn’t source anything bigger. Now they are the
quite extraordinary. Owners David Rosewarne and fine specimens I wanted them to be,” says David.
Magie Gray are accomplished, now-retired fabric Faced with an empty sloping site that was mostly
designers – and it shows. A richly woven blend of filled with grass, David began to carve and plant
landscape and natural materials is embellished with a garden with a ‘wow’ at every step along the way.
artistic flair and entwined with dramatic foliage. The path was the starting point in his design, its
The couple sold their London house and moved meandering route dividing the plot. Soft, terracotta
their family and some of their old garden to the bricks hold the whole design together, weathering
Top The stone terrace,
with sea-green seating island in 2002, having bought the four-storey with the elements and seasoned with self-seedlings
and scarlet-flowered Georgian townhouse that looks out over the Solent at the edges and in the cracks.
Fuchsia magellanica, towards Portsmouth. David, a self-taught garden At the top of the garden, by the house, a stone
overlooks the garden.
designer, fell in love with plants and gardening and terrace creates a dining area, furnished with sea-
Above Pelargonium ‘Pink
Capricorn’ has scented cut his teeth on a succession of London gardens, green tables and seating. “I think the terrace has
leaves and vivid flowers. learning from books and perfecting his style and made a big diference to the garden,” muses David.

You have to tune the water, or it falls
straight into the bowl and is too noisy
Above A water feature “It’s like an anchor, creating a big, strong area from
made from a weathered which you can descend into the garden.”
urn is a lively focal point.
At one side is a table laden with stones, shells
Left David Rosewarne,
who designed the garden and broken crockery, like a nature table of treasure
with his partner, Magie. collected from land and sea. “I like collections of
Below Echium and things,” explains David. “Ten bottles are always
Agapanthus conjure
more interesting than one. While making the
a seaside atmosphere.
garden I came across little bits of broken china and
interesting glass and I put them to one side. It’s a bit
like showing the history of the garden. It makes you
pause and think about what has gone before.”
The garden is alive with the hum and movement of
insects and birds. The sound of running water draws
attention to a weathered urn, encrusted with jellied
algae, with the water flowing down onto a jumble of
broken crockery below. “You have to tune the sound
of water,” David says, “or else it falls straight into
the bowl below and is too noisy. If you put things
in there for it to fall on, it softens the noise.”
The twisting path gently divides the garden and
the spaces in between are densely planted, so that
the full extent of the garden can’t be seen all at once.
Foliage plays a far bigger role than flowers, with
dramatic clipped Pittosporum, huge mounds of
hostas, lush tree ferns and tall feathery cordylines
adding height and drama to the space. The plants

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spill out onto the path, softening the edges and
giving a botanical patina to the flow.
“The priority was to have the garden look as
interesting in winter as it does in summer,” explains The coastal setting allows David to grow more Top From the terrace,
David. “You need to think about the structure and tropical plants, such as Echium pininana, which is a the path winds through
architectural cordylines
form of plants in winter. The garden is very foliage- popular plant on the island and great for pollinators, and phormiums.
orientated, with diferent colours and textures.” too. The rich burgundy-black rosettes of Aeonium Above right A striking
His love of foliage is apparent at every turn in the ‘Zwartkop’ and the soft grey-pink echeverias can pairing of Phormium
garden. Soft, pale, silver leaves of Stachys ‘Bello withstand most winters. “I bring one or two of them with red Crocosmia.
Above left Stachys ‘Bello
Grigio’ are illuminated by the coastal light and in, just in case, but, by and large, they stay outside. Grigio’ contrasts with
partner perfectly with the jagged golden-orange It rarely snows and it’s much milder on the island spiky orange Libertia.
leaves of Libertia ixioides ‘Goldfinger’. Seedheads so you can push the edges, which is great because
also play their part: faded blooms partner fresh I love all those exotic-looking things.”
Sedum buds (Hylotelephium spectabile) while the While the path slopes gently through planting,
arching stems of angel’s fishing rod, Dierama, move the garden is terraced with stone. An eclectic pile
with the sea breeze and seed around the garden. of terracotta pots enriched with planting pockets

SMALL
GARDEN
ADVICE
By David Rosewarne
O Try to create an air

of mystery. You don’t
want to be able to see
all of the garden at
once. This makes the
space seem larger,
and slows down the
journey from one
end to the other.
O Spend a lot of time

on the planning stage.
I focused on the route
of my path. In a small
garden the route
needs to be as long as
possible. It’s important
to get it right so you
don’t have to redo it.
O Let the path

meander so that it
divides the garden
into different areas
and creates planting
pockets. These areas
add interest and pace
to the garden as you
navigate through it.
O You don’t have

to have a lawn: a When we moved here it felt so open, I was desperate
garden can be more
interesting without
to create corners where I could sit with my coffee
one. You’ll have more
areas to plant and
of sedums and echeverias creates Clockwise from top feel welcome and it’s perfect to
won’t be required Hostas, tree ferns and
a charming feature beside the path. focus plants around so that you
to mow the lawn and grasses add lush tones
“I ran out of stone,” admits David, feel enveloped by the garden.”
keep it looking neat of green; exotic flower
“but I had plenty of terracotta spikes of Lobelia tupa; Near the end of the path,
and tidy. Every bit
pots – although a lot of them were Agapanthus praecox; sheltered by the garden boundaries,
of space has to work. the glossy rosettes of
broken – so I used those instead. is a pond created from sleepers,
O Include a few
Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’.
It was supposed to be a temporary alongside a weathered bench made
focal points within thing and yet it has become the from floor joists and decorated with
the garden, such as area I am most pleased with.” galvanised nail heads. These are both David’s
a water feature or Every garden journey needs a rise and fall in creations and form a wildlife-friendly focal point
sculpture. Anything its rhythm and David has used his desire to create at the bottom of the garden. It’s the perfect finale
you can do to make privacy to set the pace. The garden is punctuated for this imaginative plot, and as you look back up
someone stop and with resting places where you can stop to admire towards the house you can appreciate the privacy
look will make the the planting. “When we moved here it felt so and ambience that David has so carefully crafted. Q
garden seem bigger open. I was desperate to create little corners
and more interesting. where I could sit with my cofee without feeling Blenheim House opens for the National Garden
overlooked,” he explains. “Seating makes you Scheme on 11-12 August, 11am to 4pm. ngs.org.uk

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+44 (0)23 8040 2025
In spring and early
summer, Clover Cottage
is a vision of colourful
chocolate-box charm.
COUNTRY
CLASSIC
It took perseverance and clever use of space, but Shirley and Paul Shadford’s work at
Clover Cottage in Cambridgeshire has led to the creation of the quintessential English
country garden of Sheila’s dreams, with pretty borders and roses around the door
WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY PHOTOGRAPHS ZARA NAPIER

CLOVER
C O T TA G E

S
hirley Shadford has the advantage of
well-drained, loamy soil and a largely
south-facing garden at Clover Cottage
in Streetly End, midway between
Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds, but
it also helps that she has inherited green fingers. “I
can grow more or less anything,” she confirms. “It’s
what I enjoy, but I think I must get it from my father
because he could grow just about anything, too.”
That’s just as well, for when Shirley and her
husband, Paul, bought their 17th-century Grade II
listed thatched cottage in 2003, what confronted
them would have made lesser souls falter. “When we
moved in 15 years ago, the garden was a mire. There
was no design and the back was devoid of anything,”
she recalls. “There was a scrubby bit of grass and
two trees in the front, and two trees at the back.”
Today the picture is rather diferent. In spring
and early summer in particular, Clover Cottage
epitomises the classic cottage-garden style: roses
and Clematis tumble over arches and doorways;
honeysuckle ofers up its sweet scent to those who
pass; hardy geraniums balloon over garden paths;
self-seeded poppies, Astrantia and Aquilegia bloom
in profusion, while lupins, delphiniums, alliums,
peonies and Centranthus ruber lend a stately
presence to beds and borders. “I find it easier to
come into a garden that is empty than
I do coming into one that is already
Roses and Clematis tumble over established,” Shirley admits. “When
arches; honeysuckle offers up there isn’t much in place, you have
a blank canvas. You can start just
its sweet scent to those who pass by putting pots here and there.”
Clockwise from top

A rustic lychgate
encourages visitors
to wander down the path;
Shirley Shadford relaxes
in her garden; Dicentra
spectabilis ‘Alba’; hardy
Geranium nodosum.

In a garden bursting
with blooms, roses front the
borders in shades of pale
pink ‘Geoff Hamilton’, white
‘Winchester Cathedral’ and
coral ‘The Lady Gardener’.
At this time of year, it is the front garden that is
perhaps the most efervescent – and this was the area
Shirley tackled first, all those years ago. “I moved the
garden path straight away – it used to lead directly
Clover Cottage’s
to the front door,” she recalls. “I don’t like straight
lines, so now the path meanders a bit – it’s wiggly.”
SIGNATURE PLANTS
Over the path she has placed arches, planted with Pretty pastels for blooming borders
repeat-flowering rambling roses from David Austin,
honeysuckle and Clematis viticella, which blooms
once the first flush of roses has faded. The garden
seems larger than it is due to careful planting and
design. “It isn’t big at all – it is under a quarter of
an acre,” Shirley confesses. “The path and the arches
have elongated it. You travel under the arches, which
means you don’t see all the garden in one go.”
Over time, Shirley added borders to the front
path and later placed a border along the front fence.
These bloom prolifically from early spring, when
the snowdrops and hellebores come out, through to LUPIN ‘GALLERY GERANIUM
late summer, when around 30 varieties of rose enjoy PINK BICOLOR’ ‘WALTER’S GIFT’
a glorious last hurrah. In the spirit of the traditional This hardy two-toned variety A hardy Geranium that will
productive cottage garden, she took care to include grows to 50cm and is easy to reach about 35cm in height.
fruit trees – espaliered plums and pears, and step- blend with other plants. Grow It has a long flowering season
overs of apples and pears – and these were joined it in full sun to partial shade. from spring to early autumn.
by a series of raised vegetable beds surrounded by
low hedges of
rosemary.
There are
The colours I
two points on use are pastels;
which Shirley is
emphatic: these they’re all the old-
are plant labels
and colours. “I
fashioned cottage-
don’t like reds garden shades…
and oranges,”
she insists.
gentle colours LONICERA GERANIUM
“That’s not me.
PERICLYMENUM PSILOSTEMON
Common honeysuckle will These cheerful magenta-pink
The colours in my garden are all pastels; they’re all
attract pollinators such flowers, 4cm across, appear
the old-fashioned cottage-garden shades… gentle
as bees and moths, while in summer, while in autumn
colours.” And as in the gardens of so many intuitive
offering up a heady scent. the leaves are tinged red.
gardeners, few of these plants are labelled: “I’m not
a lover of white stickers,” she declares. Consequently,
over time, the names of many of the varieties that
grow at Clover Cottage have faded from memory,
which rather adds to the garden’s charm.
The garden extends around the side of the house
via a narrow path, and into the back. Here it
becomes an S-shaped space on account of its unusual
boundary walls – something that has required
creative thinking on Shirley’s part. To use the space
to its best advantage, the Shadfords have dug out a
small pond complete with waterlilies, fish and the DELPHINIUM ROSA ‘GEOFF
kind of sloping sides that allow small garden wildlife ELATUM HAMILTON’
to enter and exit at will. Another trellis arch and The common name, candle A sumptuous, repeat-
small gate bring further interest to this part of the larkspur, hints at the eventual flowering shrub rose from
garden, and, by way of making good out of bad, a height this vibrant flowering David Austin. The outer
former dump for household rubbish has been cleared plant reaches: around 1.8m. petals fade to white with age.
and turned into a small sunken white garden. The

COTTAGE
GARDEN
NOTES
From Shirley Shadford
O When starting a
garden from scratch,
take care to put
the hardstanding in
place before you do
anything else. Shirley
didn’t have a formal
garden design at
first, but she did have
an idea of what she
wanted to do with the
space – and planned
accordingly.
O Shirley has a no-dig

policy, which she feels
allows the garden to
take care of itself.
O In October and
November, Shirley cuts
back everything in the
garden. “I cover the
garden with compost
and leave it be. Then,
in early spring, the
snowdrops are able
to come through nice
and clean. I don’t have garden is further enhanced by
a rush of things to its views out over open countryside.
do in spring because This land has conservation status
it has all been done and is unlikely to be built upon.
steadily throughout “It is not a huge garden but
the year. I can enjoy it I’ve tried to pack plenty into it,”
and watch it all grow.” says Shirley. “You can do quite
a lot if you give it some thought.” Top In the back garden, companion out there. I tend to
O Shirley avoids
Inevitably, she spots plants that Iris ‘Purple Queen’, Iris work in the morning, enjoy the
using tender plants virginica and Persicaria
she would love to include at Clover garden in the afternoon and then
and relies on hardy bistorta ‘Superbum’.
Cottage, not least through her Above left Coral Rosa potter again in the evening.”
geraniums for bulk
gardening club – West Wickham ‘The Lady Gardener’. Gently tended over time, and
instead. “They're
and District – which meets once Above right Antirrhinum benefitting from a lifetime of
a good ‘doer’ and ‘Lemon Sherbet’ spikes.
a month. As a result, she tends to experience, the garden at Clover
they're so easy to look
employ a disciplined one-in-one- Cottage is the fruition of all
after,” she explains.
out policy, and practises tough love on plants that Shirley’s desires: “This is something I have always
O There isn’t enough do not thrive. “I would love to put in more, but wanted; I’ve always dreamed of a cottage with
space to propagate I haven’t the room. Generally, I give something roses around the front door.” Q
many plants, so Shirley three years and if it hasn’t performed in that time
leaves them to self- I take it out. I don’t grow tender plants, either.” Open to the public on Sunday 3 June, from
seed instead. She also It is evident that the garden is mainly Shirley’s 12-5pm, and to small groups in June by
underplants roses realm, but Paul has a hand in it, too. “He does appointment. Clover Cottage, 50 Streetly End,
and larger shrubs. the hard graft, so to speak, the heavy lifting,” West Wickham, Cambridgeshire CB21 4RP.
says Shirley. “We work well together; he’s a good Tel: 01223 893122. Visit ngs.org.uk

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This multi-layered
garden contains detailed
planting that belies its
size. It’s filled with striking
succulents, orchids and
tropical foliage.
BL ACK THORN
AV E N U E
GOD OF
SMALL THINGS
Juan Carlos Cure has worked miracles in his tiny London patio
garden, filling it with beautifully co-ordinated foliage plants that give
the illusion of more space, while hinting at his Colombian roots
WORDS CLARE FOGGETT PHOTOGRAPHS PAUL DEBOIS

HE URGE TO GARDEN CAN BE STRONG country, exploring mountains and creeks, and hiking
T and irrepressible. When Juan Carlos

Cure moved to London for work, he
couldn’t resist it despite having only
the tiniest of outdoor spaces. His first
flat, just around the corner from the bustling streets
of Angel, had a minuscule patio. “It was pretty
barren, but I planted what I could,” he recalls.
and camping trips with his school scouts group, left
Juan Carlos with an indelible love for the outdoors.
“I have always felt connected to nature,” he says.
A 5m x 6m patio in London’s zone one couldn’t
be further removed from the lush, green Colombian
countryside, but its influence on this garden is clear
to see. From a blank, empty rectangle of paving slabs
Then, in 2010, he moved to his current home, surrounded on three sides by plain, wooden, slatted
a garden flat in nearby Barnsbury. “It was a bleak fencing, Juan Carlos has created the most incredibly
February day when I viewed it, but I loved it – I had layered, multi-faceted garden. Foliage-filled and
always wanted a flat with a little garden.” detail-rich, it is a feast for the eyes, perfectly framed
Having grown up in Colombia, in an area with by large bifold doors at one end of the living room,
perfect gardening conditions – “1,000m above and so full of leafy greenery and plants that it’s hard
sea level, not too hot, not too cool, just the right to fathom its real proportions.
temperature but still quite tropical” – Juan Carlos “It’s an illusion,” Juan Carlos admits. “I’ve tried
caught the gardening bug young. “We had a little to layer the plants to create the impression that the
garden and I was the one growing beans, corn and space is bigger.” On the furthest boundary he sticks
tomatoes, and keeping an eye on my little vegetable to small-leaved plants, such as a dainty ivy, a purple-
garden every Saturday and Sunday,” he recalls. flowered Campanula portenschlagiana and daisy-
Weekends spent at an uncle’s farmhouse in the like Erigeron karvinskianus. “Small leaves give more

depth and create the impression that they are further
away,” he explains. Clever use of colour works to
You have to be careful to blend things
achieve the same efect: “Blues, purples and greyish in a way that means there’s still harmony
colours at the back also create depth. It’s similar to
mountains and how the further away they are, the
bluer they look,” he adds. When Juan Carlos first viewed the flat, a bemused
In front of that fine foliage backdrop, come estate agent had to stand by while he found a stick
the bigger-leaved plants: tree ferns, elephant ears to check whether there was “actual soil” to grow in,
(Colocasia), spiky cordylines, arum lilies and or – the worst case scenario – just concrete. To his
Japanese maples. “The idea is to create layers so delight, there was proper soil: typical London clay
you can’t see everything at once, which confuses badly compacted from building work to construct
the brain,” Juan Carlos explains. “Although you the block of apartments. His solution was to build
don’t want to go over the top and make it messy a 35cm raised bed on one side of the garden to create
– you have to be careful to blend things in a way that more depth for new roots. “I bought 50 bags of soil
means there’s still harmony.” It’s a technique that and farmyard manure to fill it, and, you’ll laugh,
has worked: with overlapping layers of leafiness, and I bought earthworms online. I know worms come
the boundary fences obscured by foliage, it’s almost spontaneously, but I wanted to speed things up and
impossible to decipher where the garden ends. For all Below Master of illusion bring the soil back to life,” he says. Every year, he
Juan Carlos Cure relaxes
the visitor knows, it could stretch beyond the arching tops up the bed and borders with generous quantities
in the little garden he has
tree-fern fronds indefinitely, like a Colombian planted to create an of bagged farmyard manure, thickly layering it on
rainforest, waiting to be explored. incredible sense of depth. top. “I’ll add some blood, fish and bonemeal first,
then the manure, but I don’t really dig because of the
worms,” he explains.
Juan Carlos has even found room to squeeze in
a small, concealed compost heap, where kitchen
peelings and cofee grounds get recycled. Disposing
of garden waste isn’t easy from a city centre flat,
so where possible he tries to recycle his prunings.
“If it’s not diseased, I try to return it to the soil,”
he says. Apart from ivy leaves, which remain
stubbornly intact, tree-fern fronds and other
compostable leafy waste is left to rot down on the
soil, spread over the surface in a hidden corner.
In the lee of the boundary fence, conditions are
quite damp and shady, with a particularly soggy
strip where rainwater drains from the patio. “The
soil there is always moist,” explains Juan Carlos,
“so I bought mind-your-own-business.” From just
one plant – the lemon and lime coloured Soleirolia
soleirolii ‘Aurea’ – picked up at London’s Columbia
Road flower market, split into small pieces and
planted into the damp gap between paving slabs, a
carpet of foliage has formed. “It is quite invasive, but
it feels kind of watery and green, and the nice thing
about it is that lots of worms and insects take refuge
below it. The birds love it when they’re looking for
worms and they pull out strands of it when they are
building their nests in spring. It can look a bit messy
then, but I let them do what they need to do – it
always regenerates, and it’s such a bright, lemony,
spring-fresh green.”
Closer to the flat and those large bifold doors
are the garden’s sunniest spots, and it’s here that
Juan Carlos grows his sun-loving plants, including
a steadily increasing collection of succulents. Once
again, even the smallest, least promising few inches
become a planting opportunity in his able hands –
this time the narrow gap between the bifold doors

Above Large-leaved tree
ferns and Colocasia are
given the foreground.
Here Mind-your-own-
business forms a vivid
lime-green carpet.
Left Refined flowers of
Clematis ‘Princess Kate’.
With the doors folded
back, the garden
becomes part of the
flat, perfectly framed,
like a jungle painting
by Henri Rousseau.
Juan Carlos’s apartment
has become a hospital for
his friends’ ailing orchids
and the patio’s paving slabs. “There were just
pebbles in the crack, so I thought: ‘Why not give it
a try?’ I cheated a little bit and filled the gap with
a mix of sand and cactus compost, then started
planting hardy succulents and put the grit and
pebbles back on top. The sempervivums just love it.
They flower and thrive there – they’re amazing.”
He grows fleshy-leaved echeverias too, but found
that while they survived winter outdoors, they were
set back and some rosettes rotted. Now they spend
the colder months in a zip-up plastic greenhouse
kept on the patio. “I put them in there in November,
when their soil is still quite moist, and then I don’t
water them again. They look perfect when they go
back outside in spring,” he says.
A large jade or money plant (Crassula ovata) also
spends summer on the patio, but is brought back
indoors over winter, to sit in a cool, bright light
well within the apartment. Other than that, the
only other plant Juan Carlos protects over winter
is his Colocasia esculenta ‘Black Magic’, a special
cultivar with deep inky-purple leaves, renowned for
its delicacy. “I bring it inside in November and take
it back out in May,” he says. In contrast, Colocasia
esculenta, the green-leaved version, has remained
outside in its pot for the past six (admittedly mostly
mild) winters and thrived.
The jade plant isn’t his only houseplant. Over the
years, Juan Carlos’s
Above The pretty,
apartment has become a
but understated, white
mophead flower of hospital for his friends’
Hydrangea macrophylla. ailing orchids. “There

NOTEBOOK
Blackthorn Avenue
Tropical foliage combines with minimalist flowers
and decorative touches to create a garden with
something to admire in every inch
I’ve always had this creative

2
side, but horticulture and
gardening is my passion
are about 17 now, but Above This large jade
I only bought two of plant spends summer on
the patio, but is brought
them,” he explains. “A back indoors over winter.
friend of mine buys them
but doesn’t have a clue how to take care of them.
Once they stop flowering she leaves them outside,
and when I went to her garden in December there
were dozens of pots of dying orchids – it was like
3
a cemetery.” Nursed back to life, they now sit on
tables in the living room next to the patio, blurring
the boundary between the two spaces. “I collect
rainwater in one corner of the garden and use that
for all the houseplants and the orchids, because
they hate lime. You know what limescale does to
your house, so imagine what it will do to an orchid’s
roots.” He regularly re-pots with fresh orchid
compost, pruning away old, dead roots at the same
time. “Orchids just keep on giving,” he enthuses.
Juan Carlos’s devotion to his plants and garden
is palpable; his attention to detail assiduous.
That could be a trait from his day job in finance,
as product manager for a Canadian wealth 4
management firm, but, he says: “I’ve always had this
creative side. I like photography and architecture,
but horticulture and gardening is my passion.” Q 1 Colocasias aren’t native to Colombia, but grow wild there. Using them
in his garden gives Juan Carlos a reminder of home. 2 The tiniest gap
can be used for planting, such as this narrow Sempervivum-filled crevice
5 Blackthorn Avenue opens for the National Garden
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DESIGN GUIDE | LONDON

Bringing the
inside out
Between them, garden designer
Jane Brockbank and architect John
Smart have unified garden and home
WORDS CLARE FOGGETT

PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE MAJERUS
arden designer Jane Brockbank
G describes working on this stylish

eye-catching plot at the south-east
London home of architect John
Smart as “a dream commission”.
“It was very much a collaboration,” she says. “He
was open to ideas and prepared to experiment, and
if it didn’t work out he was very happy to change it.
That is the dream for any designer.”
Actually, in this spirit of evolution and change,
this garden is the second version that Jane and John
have created here. The first, Jane explains, involved
earthworks to create a mounded lawn, but on her
return visit six months later, the pair decided it
wasn’t working. Or, as Jane puts it: “It looked as if
we had buried someone.” John had already installed
the garden’s striking fence – a timber and metal
zigzag-patterned screen – on the right-hand side,
and wanted the garden to be a green antidote. “He
wasn’t looking for somewhere for the children to
play, room for a shed, or to eat outside,” Jane says.
“He just wanted to make a beautiful picture.”
The first step was to set out planting beds,
separated by gravel. “It looks as if we have planted
directly into the gravel, but actually these are
carefully delineated beds, with thin metal edging
around each island, then gravel to walk on,” Jane

clarifies. The result is Above Carefully placed

an informal, almost gardening artefacts
create a vignette on the
cottage-y feel, as Jane’s bespoke concrete bench.
carefully chosen mix Right Complex drifts of
of plants billow out of cottage-style planting
their beds and soften the contrast with the clean
zigzag lines of the fence.
hard landscaping. “John Below A small courtyard
wasn’t particularly area is home to John’s
bothered about colour; potted conifer collection.
his main wish was for
something textural,” Jane notes. “I just needed
to get a balance of things that look good all year.
I hate that phrase – I think it’s rubbish! – but you
are staring at this garden in great detail all year
round, so it needs a balance of evergreens and an
interesting skeleton over winter, then it needs to
have some seasonal drama. That’s always really
important in a garden.”
It was for this reason that Jane chose plants
with the kind of delicate detail that repays close
attention: dainty-flowered apricot Geum ‘Savanna
Sunset’ alongside bright purple-pink Lamium
maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’, London pride (Saxifraga
x urbium) with its clouds of pale-pink flowers and
the creamy pincushions of Scabiosa columbaria
subsp. ochroleuca. “I was trying to get a subtle shift
of colour,” Jane explains. “The back of the house is
painted pink, so I chose plants with pink or white
flowers, then bruised purples and browns for later
in the year, which sit within that colour palette and
tie in with the tones of the gravel.” The delicately
ferny-leaved Acaena microphylla ‘Kupferteppich’
covers the ground, along with a colourful clover,
Trifolium repens ‘William’ and acid-yellow
Euphorbia cyparissias. In contrast, Darmera peltata
rises behind the London pride like clumps of huge
green umbrellas, while the large hand-like leaves
of Rodgersia aesculifolia add another layer of lush
foliage – a perfect foil for the flowers.

Fact file
O Garden design Jane Brockbank.
Tel: 020 7371 9475; janebrockbank.com
O Architectural design John Smart

Architects. Tel: 020 7633 0055;
johnsmartarchitects.co.uk
O Brick paving Petersen. Tel: +45 4014

1236; en.petersen-gruppen.dk
O Gravel CEDEC footpath gravel

from CED Stone. Tel: 01708 867237;
cedstone.co.uk
O Dining table and benches

Another Country. Tel: 020 7486 3251;
anothercountry.com
O Paint Fence painted in ‘Mouse’s Back’

from Farrow & Ball. Tel: 01202 876141;
farrow-ball.com
Then there is the front garden. “This is a tricky

spot,” says Jane, “because the bedroom looks
onto it, which is quite unusual, and you can see
right through to the road. We wanted to create
a sense of privacy and to screen the cars and the
road, so we mounded up the soil and planted
multi-stemmed birch. We wanted it to look like
a slice of intense woodland.”
Again, texture and detail were the drivers:
pink cow parsley (Chaerophyllum hirsutum
‘Roseum’) jostles alongside Luzula nivea and
lime green Euphorbia amygdaloides var.
robbiae. Ferns, shrubby willows (Salix hastata)
and Viburnum opulus enhance the woodland
feel, while slivers of pale-grey paving that cut
into the planting provide ample parking for cars.
“One thing was essential to the brief,” Jane
points out. “Inside the house is a really beautiful
mix of quite bucolic materials. John wanted that
narrative to be carried through to the gardens.
The gardens were to bring you into the house,
let you journey through that space, and then out
again.” Who wouldn’t
Clockwise from far left want to leave the
A brick path through house and explore
the front garden; Purple
such a detailed
Lamium maculatum
‘Beacon Silver’; sprays garden, with so much
of London pride. to catch the eye?

Design details
PAVING
Danish firm Petersen supplied the paving used
throughout the garden. Rectangular bricks in
varying sizes and slightly difering shades of soft
grey are laid in an ofset pattern, left jagged rather
than cut-of square where they meet gravel or
planting, which blurs and softens the edges.
FENCING
John’s eye-catching zigzag-patterned fence
has rusty-brown steel diagonals set into timber
uprights. Those uprights, as well as the slatted
timber fences on the other boundaries, are painted
in ‘Mouse’s Back’ from Farrow & Ball – a shade
of greenish-grey that perfectly complements the
predominantly green-toned planting. Elsewhere BACK GARDEN Above The concrete
in the garden, the wall and gate that separate the Groundcover plants – Acaena, Trifolium, Lamium bench is highlighted
by red LEDs, its surface
front and back gardens have been enhanced with a – form a tapestry of colour against the pinkish tones home to potted plants.
decorative cladding of old terracotta-coloured roof of the gravel, rising to the taller flower spikes of Below Silver birch trees
tiles. The tiles were reclaimed by John from the plants such as foxgloves and Rodgersia at the back. screen the parking space
house that previously stood on the site. from the house, and the
house from the street.
FURNITURE Below left Solid oak
FRONT GARDEN John’s large table and benches came from Another furniture sits on soft grey
A woodland efect was sought in the front garden, Country. This stylish seating looks more like indoor bricks that merge with
with a palette of plants suited to the dappled shade furniture than a garden set, but since it’s made surrounding planting.
cast by Jane’s chosen specimen trees, multi-stemmed from solid oak and brass, it can be kept outdoors.
silver birch. The trees efectively screen the house A bespoke concrete bench runs along the right-
from the busy road, and ensure the view from the hand boundary and is home to a display of plants
master bedroom at the front of the house is not just in myriad terracotta pots. “John wanted to have
one of parked cars. Rushy white-flowered Luzula a collection of something and I thought it would
nivea and spiky-leaved Iris foetidissima enjoy be nice to have it raised up on the bench,” Jane
these conditions, as does frothy pink cow parsley, explains. Below the bench, strips of red LED
enhanced by house walls painted the palest pink. lighting add another dimension. Q

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NORAH LINDSAY
Roses tumble over irises,
peonies and foxgloves
amid statuesque topiary
at Mottisfont Abbey.
The Socialite Gardener In the face of financial ruin, Norah Lindsay used her wealthy
connections to forge a new career as a garden designer. Her
legacy lives on, though her name is largely forgotten
WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY IMAGE ALAMY

NORAH LINDSAY
t is easy to overlook the contribution of 1920s the Lindsays’ marriage was foundering and in
I
Above The parterre at
Norah Lindsay to the English gardening Blickling Hall in Norfolk is 1924, aged 51, Norah found herself single and facing
canon. Bar a little work for Country Life, Lindsay’s original design. penury. She was able to keep Sutton Courtenay
Below An oil painting
she was not a writer, and because she Manor, but to pay for it she was required to let it out
of Norah Bourke (later
gardened in an intuitive way – unlike Lindsay) c1891, by for long periods, leaving her almost homeless.
Gertrude Jekyll, who left around 1,000 garden George Frederic Watts. With little money to speak of but possessing an
plans on paper – few records remain of the changes enviable address book and an intuitive eye for a
she brought to the flower beds of some of the great flower bed, Lindsay ofered her gardening services
country houses of England. “Norah’s story is to her connections in exchange for board and
amazing because of the people she knew; lodging, travelling from country house to
she was extremely well connected,” says country house on public transport until she
Catherine Horwood, garden historian and could return to her own garden at Sutton
author of Gardening Women. “She was Courtenay. After designing the beds, she
dining with Winston Churchill one night would charge a retaining fee for continued
and going into the garden with the gardeners planting direction. “She was really on her
the next morning. But there is actually very uppers. I can sort of imagine how she did
little written about her, and because of that it but she must have had some chutzpah,”
she’s been rather forgotten.” notes Horwood. “It was almost a bed for a
Lindsay was born Norah Bourke in 1873 bed. She travelled endlessly but in poverty.”
to an Anglo-Irish family in south India, At Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire,
and by all accounts she was destined to garden consultant Michele Hickman has
enjoy the comfortable, well-heeled life of a been tasked with restoring some of the work
pre-war English aristocrat. Upon marrying of Lindsay, who worked on the gardens here
Sir Harry Lindsay, she moved to Sutton at the request of American heiress Nancy
Courtenay Manor in Oxfordshire, where Tree, later Nancy Lancaster, who owned the
she set to work on the garden. But by the decorating firm Colefax and Fowler. Nancy

Norah Lindsay’s
SIGNATURE PLANTS
Favoured flowers from her border schemes
Above The Long Border herself invited Lindsay on

at Cliveden, where the recommendation of
topiary accents statuary
Nancy Astor, for whom
and box-edged beds are MAGNOLIAS ONOPORDUM
filled with Rudbeckia. Lindsay had worked
Lindsay is reputed to have ACANTHIUM
at Cliveden. “Nancy
travelled to Hillier nursery in Also known as the cotton
Lancaster was very clever at choosing people to help
Hampshire to pick out her thistle, Onopordum is
her, and she became a great chum of Norah’s,” says
magnolias – a plant of which a tough biennial, which
Michele. “If you had a big country house and you
she was fond. These are ideal Lindsay favoured for its
wanted to fill it up with friends you would invite
small trees for adding to the height, colour and texture.
Norah: she was great fun, she could play the piano
backs of borders, or used as Its spiny leaves can reach
and she could design your garden. She scribbled lots
specimen plants. M. stellata up to 30cm long and with
and lots of letters. I think she adored people and they
‘Rosea’ (above) grows up to an eventual height of up to
thought she was great company. She was probably
3m tall, with flowers ageing 4m, it is a plant best suited
not very practical or down to earth, but she had
from pink to white. to larger gardens.
a huge creative and romantic vision.”
Part of the appeal of commissioning Lindsay was
that she concentrated on redesigning flower beds,
rather than generating whole garden designs. “There
had been a lull after Gertrude Jekyll because nobody
else had stepped in,” says Horwood. “The interwar
years were a boom time for suburban gardens, but
those designs were very middle class. The grand
gardens had already been created or were going to
have to wait a while because money was short.”
Flower beds, however, are ephemeral and, as a
IMAGES NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREW BUTLER; ALAMY; SHUTTERSTOCK
consequence, Lindsay’s work is diicult to pin down.

“You have to remember that she wasn’t working at
a time when there were thousands of photographs to ROSA ‘ZÉPHIRINE VERBASCUM
record the garden,” adds Hickman, who references a DROUHIN’ This slender plant continues
couple of black and white snaps of Kelmarsh dating Many of the roses that are to hold wide appeal,
from 1933. “She tended to draw the shapes of beds favourites in today’s gardens appearing regularly at flower
with the end of her parasol, and she stuck in wooden have stood the test of time shows and in open gardens
labels where plants were to be placed once they had and would have been used around the country. Lindsay
been grown by the head gardener.” in Lindsay’s era. ‘Zéphirine preferred this perennial
One property where echoes of Lindsay’s planting Drouhin’ was introduced in for the height it brought
remain – and where plans do exist – is Blickling the late 1800s and bears to beds, and for its broad,
Hall, in Norfolk , now owned by the National Trust scented, semi-double silvery foliage. Try ‘Cotswold
(tel: 01263 738030; nationaltrust.org.uk). The blooms. It lacks prickles and Queen’, ‘Gainsborough’ and
socialite was commissioned by the 11th Marquess of makes a useful climber. ‘Clementine’.
Lothian to breathe new life into the parterre of the

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NORAH LINDSAY
Geofrey Jellicoe. In Wrexham, at Chirk Castle,

a National Trust property formerly owned by the de
Waldens, Lindsay created topiary with a square base
and a conical top – a form resembling Welsh hats.
Similar topiary form appears in the Pillar Garden
at Hidcote Manor. Being a close friend of Lawrence
Johnston, Lindsay’s influence at this iconic property
was notable; had she not predeceased him in 1948,
Johnston would have bequeathed her the property.
In her own gardens, Underwood explains, Lindsay
established exuberant, spontaneous planting
schemes in which plants were allowed to billow and
self-seed; bare ground was never tolerated. Colour
was crucial, but she planted ton sur ton, as opposed
to creating strong contrasts, grouping colours to
create a sense of rolling movement through beds and
borders. And the architecture of her borders was
of greatest importance: one group of plants needed
to enhance the next. Her love of Italy, to which she
had travelled, is reflected in the formal yew hedging
and topiary she often employed, carving space out
of the sky above the beds. In this last respect, both
Horwood and Hickman point to a likeness in the
work of contemporary designer Tom Stuart-Smith.
For all this, little has been written about Lindsay.
Norah Lindsay – The Life and Art of a Garden
Designer by Allyson Hayward is the primary
text, and she appears briefly in other chapters on
women gardeners, not least in Eminent Gardeners
property he had recently inherited. Paul Underwood, Above Colourful by Jane Brown. “She’s well and truly overdue an
head gardener at Blickling Hall, explains: “Norah billowing borders, examination,” Hickman says. But perhaps this
restored in the style of
designed new gardens for old houses, but she was Lindsay, at Kelmarsh Hall.
haziness reflects the life she lived, in which she
sensitive to the spirit of a place and blended new Below Lindsay’s Pillar appeared, fleeting but welcome, reputedly dressed
with old so that the overall efect was harmonious. Garden at Hidcote Manor. in tinsel and jewels, and trailing primrose perfume.
She was an innovator, both in terms of her planting
style and the plants that she used.” For the parterre
at Blickling Hall, Lindsay’s work took its influence
from Gertrude Jekyll: she consolidated various
disparate beds into four colourful sections, each
bounded by an L-shaped border and punctuated in
the corners with acorn-shaped yew topiary – and,
elsewhere, sentinels of Irish yew. “It has a formal
structure but it is more laissez-faire in terms of
planting. She used repeat patterns of planting to hold
the design together and create rhythm. But within
the repeat patterns of planting, subtle diferences
in plants were used to create similar efects,” he
notes. “Norah has been described as one of the most
instinctive gardeners of her generation, and this is
IMAGES GAP PHOTOS/NICOLA STOCKEN; ALAMY
certainly true of her planting designs at Blickling.”

Lindsay worked at other gardens, too. For Sir
Phillip Sassoon, who would become a good friend,
she worked at Port Lympne. At Fort Belvedere in
Windsor Great Park she worked with Edward VIII,
then Prince of Wales, where she introduced roses
to his borders. He is reputed to have said that for
this alone she was worth her fee. At Mottisfont
Abbey, Gilbert Russell commissioned her alongside

NORAH LINDSAY
GET THE Lindsay Look

Recreate Norah Lindsay’s style with formal hedges, topiary and colour
ROLLING PLANTING
Catherine Horwood and Michele Hickman
A WEALTH OF ROSES both suggest Tom Stuart-Smith as the
Norah Lindsay was an avid collector of roses and included them in the contemporary garden designer most aligned
herbaceous borders of Edward VIII. Her daughter, Nancy, continued to Lindsay’s style. At Trentham, Stuart-Smith
this interest, visiting Persia in search of new forms. At Mottisfont Abbey, redesigned the formal Italian garden, with
the Walled Garden houses the National Collection of ancestral species yew sentinels rising above the kind of rolling
and 19th-century cultivars, which Lindsay would have referenced. planting that Lindsay enjoyed most.
TON SUR TON PARTERRES

IMAGES ALAMY; JOE WAINWRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
Sharply contrasting colours Lindsay designed the

were avoided by Lindsay; parterres at Blickling Hall SHAPED HEDGES AND TOPIARY
she preferred to match and, in 1938, at Mottisfont As a lover of Italian Renaissance gardens, Lindsay used
shades. At Hidcote Manor, Abbey (above). She used topiary wherever she could. In the Long Garden at
a room of blue-toned box edging to contain a Cliveden, which she designed at the request of Nancy
Nepeta, Astrantia and irises geometric planting of bulbs Astor, it provides both wit and focus in helping to anchor
bounded by yew hedges is and various annuals for the planting schemes. Similar topiary appears at Hidcote
a classic Lindsay design. spring and summer. Manor, Blickling Hall and at Chirk Castle. Q

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CHELSEA PREVIEW
Little Gems
A new feature makes its debut at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. The ‘Space to
Grow’ gardens will be filled with ideas for space-pressed gardeners to take away
his year, a new category of show
T garden will feature at the RHS Chelsea

Flower Show: the ‘Space to Grow’
section. These more compact plots will
ofer inspiration for gardeners hoping
to transform their own small-scale spaces.
In the first of our previews of what Chelsea 2018 has
in store, we’ve asked three ‘Space to Grow’ designers
IMAGE GAP PHOTOS/JOANNA KOSSAK
– Tony Woods, Dr Catherine MacDonald and Kate

Gould – to tell us about their gardens and how they’ll
A gold-medal-winning be making the most of their allocated space. Expect
design by Charlotte Harris
from last year’s RHS Chelsea relatable advice, well-behaved planting and crafty
Flower Show, makes clever trade secrets to help make smaller gardens look and
use of available space
feel much bigger than they are.
CHELSEA PREVIEW
Above Laser-cut arches

help separate the garden
into rooms, to create a
greater sense of privacy
URBAN FLOW GARDEN
Changing rooms TONY’S

KEY
Tony Woods is known for his small urban gardens.
Now he’s making one at Chelsea with arches and walls PLANTS
he plot for Tony Woods’ Space to Elsewhere the garden features steely-grey
T Grow garden is 12m x 6m, which,

he points out, is roughly the same
as the back garden of an average
terraced house. “I’m looking at diferent ways
to create privacy, by trying to get away from
foliage as well as dark burgundy shades, such
as Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group)
‘Brunette’ and Thalictrum ‘Black Stockings’.
“I’ve tried to carry that through to the edibles,
with purple-podded peas and purple-tinted
the tendency to surround a garden with trees lettuces,” says Tony. “I’ve also picked plants Rosa glauca Blue-grey
to cut out the neighbours,” he explains. that suit the chaotic climate we’re experiencing: leaves provide a smoky
Cantilevered laser-cut arches are Tony’s dry and cold one year, wet and warm the next.” backdrop for simple
bold solution, one he believes is more efective Another principle Tony applies to small pink flowers, which are
at hiding your garden from your neighbour’s gardens is to maximise space for plants, even followed by bunches of
bedroom windows than the pleached trees often if it means not having a lawn. “It gives you a small coral-red hips.
employed for the same role. The arches also help decent-sized planting area, which is something
delineate this garden’s separate areas, which that’s not often achieved in a small garden,” he
include a kitchen area at the back. Designed notes. “Pick one bold feature, like our cantilever
in conjunction with Thames Water, this is a structures, make room for plenty of planting,
practical outdoor living space that highlights and pack in as much as you possibly can.”
how garden owners can conserve water and use Tony also thinks the efects of light should be
environmentally considerate landscaping. considered. “Shadows are important in a small
Living walls feature in the kitchen area, with garden for creating atmosphere,” he explains.
a colourful mixture of edible flowers, including “It’s why we wanted our structures laser-cut so Cornus canadensis
nasturtiums and marigolds, herbs such as mint that as the sun moves down the garden there’s Impactful, shade-
and coriander, salad leaves and soft fruit. Tony, a diferent efect at each time of the day.” After tolerant groundcover
who is using a modular system from Dot-Pot, dark, lighting can be used to create further ideal for small spaces,
explains that: “It will be an edible living larder. efects: “To make it feel cosy and private when with flowers in spring
When a tomato is done, you can take it out, you sit out, don’t illuminate people – only plants and berries in autumn.
replant the pot and clip it back on the wall.” and preferably big ones,” is Tony’s top tip.

SEEDLIP GARDEN
KEY PEA
Give peas a chance PLANTS
Dr Catherine MacDonald’s garden is a first for Chelsea
– one based entirely on plants from the pea family
he most important piece of advice for maintain it to keep it to the shape and form
T anyone embarking upon setting out a

small garden, according to Catherine
MacDonald, is to make sure the
scale is right. “You don’t want to put in large
trees, or oversized water features,” she explains.
you want.” She also hopes that the garden will
feature Ceratonia siliqua – a shrubby evergreen
carob tree, with shiny crinkly edged leaves.
The other main piece of advice Catherine
ofers for those with small gardens is always to
Styphnolobium
japonicum This
medium-sized tree has
arching branches of
“Choose something that will work in the space choose plants that work hard for the space they
ferny leaves and green-
you have, and if you want a tree, pick one that’s take up, providing eye-catching flowers and
and-white flowers
not too large but still adds interest.” foliage or interest across more than one season.
Catherine’s garden at Chelsea this year is She recommends multi-taskers that look good
quite an unusual one, since it will be planted and perform an important function, such as
solely with plants from Fabaceae – the pea encouraging wildlife. “One of our aims was to
family. She’s designed it for Seedlip, the inspire people to grow peas in their garden, and
manufacturer of a non-alcoholic spirit distilled to see how many of the plants in our scheme
from peas, and it’s set to be a real talking point. attract native British insects,” says Catherine.
The pea family is more diverse than you “We’re using Trifolium pratense, a clover that is
might have thought, running the gamut from particularly attractive to bumblebees. Many of
Trifolium incarnatum
edible peas to ornamental perennials, shrubs the plants in the pea family are nitrogen-fixing,
A striking clover,
and trees. Catherine’s featured trees will be so they play an important role in soil fertility.”
with large cylindrical
Styphnolobium japonicum, formerly known as Circular paving units introduce changes in
crimson flowers and
Sophora japonicum, with pretty pinnate leaves level and lead the way to the ‘Peavilion’ at the
lush foliage that’s great
and pea-like flowers in white. “You want some rear of the garden. “I wanted the structure to be
at suppressing weeds.
height, even in a small space,” she observes, “but tucked away at the back,” Catherine explains,
you don’t want your trees to overtake everything “to maximise the impact of the garden in front.”
else. If you choose a multi-stemmed tree and
buy a nice, interesting form, you just need to
Baptisia ‘Carolina
Moonlight’ A choice
Baptisia with spikes
of soft primrose yellow
flowers held above
blue-green foliage.
IMAGES CAROLYN GASKELL; JASON INGRAM; ALAMY
Above The pea theme is

reflected in the circular
paving areas and the
‘Peavilion’ feature in
Catherine MacDonald’s
Seedlip Garden.

CHELSEA PREVIEW
NEW WEST END GARDEN

More space to
City sanctuary grow gardens
Other gardens deliver
Inspired by traditional London garden squares, inspiring messages
Kate Gould designs a pocket-sized urban oasis
ow do you make a square sunken central area, and are a great way to
H garden, just 10m x 10m, feel

bigger? Lay its design out
on a 45° angle and you will
instantly create the illusion of more space,
says Kate Gould, whose design for the
ensure every inch of space in a small garden
is used. Flowers featuring the rich tones of
plum, crimson and purple will include Rosa
‘Munstead Wood’ and Salvia ‘Caradonna’.
Ferns, hostas and evergreen shrubs,
THE PEARLFISHER GARDEN
New West End Garden does exactly that. meanwhile, will create a calming efect,
Celebrating the world’s
“Square spaces are diicult; they can feel and lightweight trees will add all-important
underwater gardens in our
a bit blobby sometimes. But by turning the height and privacy – Kate is hoping they’ll
oceans, Pearlfisher highlights
design around, it allows you to look to be standard Cercidiphyllum japonicum,
the threats these delicate
the furthest boundary.” or Acer ginnala, which
ecosystems face. The garden
As well as making a grows to 7-12m tall.
compact space seem larger, KATE’S “They have a scented
will feature aquatic tanks hosting
coral, ocean plants and live fish.
this garden will feature
new technology, including
KEY PLANT flower and colour
beautifully in autumn,”
paving that harvests energy she explains.
as it’s walked on. “It’s a Space-pressed gardeners
take on the gardens and should take special note
architecture of a London of this garden’s sunken
square, and shows how the middle section. “I’m a firm
urban environment can be believer that in any small
greened,” says Kate. The garden you should try to
idea is that this communal Acer ginnala Reaching get in as many diferent
THE MYELOMA UK GARDEN
garden, designed as a green 7-12m, so ideal for small levels as you can,” Kate
This John Everiss-designed
oasis for London’s West gardens, this maple has says. “It helps break
garden aims to raise awareness
End, will be recreated there fragrant May flowers, up the line and lets you
of this form of blood cancer. A
after the show. red seed pods and look down on the central
giant sculpture blows seed onto
Green walls feature in scarlet autumn foliage. section, which makes the
the soil below, to represent new
the design, enclosing a garden seem bigger.” Q
treatment, hope and growth.
IMAGES GAP PHOTOS/NICOLA STOCKEN; ALAMY
THE CHERUB HIV GARDEN

Designed as a metaphor for the
journey undertaken by young
people with HIV, this garden has
sections to reflect the safety
of the clinic, the move towards
Above Kate Gould’s New freedom, and the hope for
West End Garden is set
a prejudice-free society.
at a 45° angle to create
an illusion of space

INSPIRED BY THE WINCHESTER BIBLE
5 – 9 SEPTEMBER 2018
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TOP 10 PLANTS
Miniature Delights
Enjoy a burst of early spring colour with tulips’ smaller, wilder cousins
pecies tulips, which range in height from Use the shortest ones as underplanting for
S 10cm to 30cm tall, deserve a place in

every garden. Unlike ordinary tulips, you
can leave them in the ground and they
will return with vigour to re-flower year
after year. They are also maintenance-free, since
there’s no need to lift or cut back the leaves.
deciduous trees and shrubs and they will gradually
naturalise and spread into carpets of early-spring
colour – but plant en masse to begin with and save
yourself the wait. The taller ones will happily mix
in a perennial border, where even a small grouping
will dazzle amid the fresh green foliage of spring.
1 Tulipa turkestanica
Hailing from central Asia, this multi-headed tulip has
WORDS KERRIE LLOYD-DAWSON IMAGE ALAMY
a slightly wild look and is happy dotted among other

early spring plants such as Epimedium and primulas in
a sunny or semi-shaded spot. It has star-shaped creamy-
white petals with a yellow centre, and a charming habit
of twisting in diferent directions. At 30cm high it’s one
of the larger varieties, but its long leaves die back quickly
so it won’t interfere with later-emerging perennials.

TOP 10 PLANTS
2 Tulipa whittallii 3 Tulipa humilis ‘Persian Pearl’

A great favourite, Tulipa whittallii has elegant cup-shaped flowers This miniature tulip looks wonderful planted in large drifts and
in a luscious shade of coppery orange, which is more muted on the will naturalise easily. Its star-shaped flowers appear in early April
outside. A line of yellow runs down the middle of each petal and and are an eye-catching shade of magenta with a contrasting
meets in the two-tone yellow and dark-olive centre. Reaching citrus-yellow centre. These tulips open up in full sun and will grow
a height of 30cm, this tulip is happy in sun or part shade. to 10cm tall – although in partial shade they can become leggy.
4 Tulipa ‘Little Beauty’ 5 Tulipa heweri

This dwarf tulip truly lives up to its name. It’s a diminutive 12cm, With golden-yellow petals flushed with red on the outside, this
but makes up for its small stature with gloriously vibrant pink tulip looks as good closed as it does open. Position at the front of
blooms. In full sun the petals open to reveal a white centre and a border, backlit by sunshine, and it will delight you with blooms
deep blue heart. It is perfect for growing beneath deciduous trees, that glow like lit torches from mid to late spring. It reaches 25cm
since it flowers in March before the leaf canopy fills out. and makes a bold statement even when planted in small groups.

IMAGES GAP PHOTOS: JS SIRA/SARAH CUTTLE/MAXINE ADCOCK; CLIVE NICHOLS
6 Tulipa humilis
Violacea Group black base
This stunning magenta tulip with its striking black heart
provides a shock of early colour in March. Single stems
of globe-shaped flowers grow to 10cm high. It blooms
for two to three weeks, but even when it is starting to
fade the intensity of its flower colour still shows through.
Choose a sunny spot between later-emerging perennials
so that it doesn’t have to compete for light.

TOP 10 PLANTS
7 Tulipa schrenkii 8 Tulipa urumiensis ‘Tity’s Star’

The blazing scarlet flowers of Tulipa schrenkii simply demand Not as flamboyant as some of the others listed here, this charming
attention. Each stem stands at 15cm tall and holds a cup-shaped little multi-headed tulip is originally from Iran. The canary yellow
flower that is relatively large for a species tulip. The fiery red of flowers reach just 10cm in late April or early May and are best
each bloom contrasts beautifully with the delicate golden trim. planted in a rockery or a pot so you can enjoy a close-up look.
IMAGES GAP PHOTOS: HOWARD RICE/CHRIS BURROWS/JO WHITWORTH/JONATHAN BUCKLEY
9 Tulipa linifolia Batalinii Group 10 Tulipa saxatilis (Bakeri Group)

‘Apricot Jewel’ ‘Lilac Wonder’
The peach tones of this tulip will add wonderful luminosity to any In bud, this pretty cup-shaped tulip is bubblegum-pink. But when
border. Simple apricot flowers flushed with a misting of orange it opens, its petals are a soft lilac, making an intriguing colour
stand 20cm above narrow glaucous leaves. They look breathtaking contrast with its large buttercup-yellow centre. It’s ideal for an
set against yellow or variegated foliage, or beneath peonies. alpine bed or a rock garden, and grows to 25cm tall.

BUSCOT PARK &
THE FARINGDON COLLECTION
One of Oxfordshire’s best kept secrets
HATFIELD HOUSE,
GARDEN AND PARK IS
THE PERFECT PLACE TO
VISIT THIS SPRING.
Visitors can enjoy the state rooms rich in
paintings, ine furniture and tapestries along with a
picture perfect garden which dates from the early
17th century.
Beautifully designed gifts, jewellery, toys and

much more can be found in the Stable Yard shops.
Visitors can also enjoy a meal at the new River
Cottage Kitchen & Deli.
VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
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for opening times
PLANT COLLECTORS
Rising Stars
Sue Martin, holder of the National Plant
Collection of geums, talks to Noel Kingsbury
about this useful perennial that’s ‘on the up’
G
eums are one of those groups of
perennials that have always been
around, but have never been in
the limelight. They seem to be
on a bit of a roll at the moment,
though, with many new varieties being produced
and a growing awareness of just what useful plants
they can be. “I like the way they fill an in-between
period between the spring bulbs and the main season
of summer-flowering perennials,” says Sue Martin,
holder of a Plant Heritage National Plant Collection.
“And I love the level of variation between the
diferent varieties, and that they are slug-proof
and disease-resistant,” she adds.
Sue, an amateur gardener in Frittenden, Kent,
now has more than 120 varieties of Geum in a
quarter-acre garden, “and there’s not a lot of fill an moment are ‘on the up’, which often means that
lawn left,” she notes. “I first gardened with my
grandmother. As an adult, I developed a wider
tween nurseries start to churn out new varieties. “A lot
of the new ones are from the US,” explains Sue,
interest and joined the Hardy Plant Society.” Her od “such as the ‘Cocktails Series’, which I am currently
love of geums started soon after she moved here testing, although some people might think that the
in 1988 with Geum montanum from Washfield
between doubles don’t even look like geums.”
Nursery in Hawkhurst: “a source of so many spring and Making sure that the plants are correctly labelled
fantastic plants”, she says. “I was planting a yellow is an important part of being a National Collection
border and the Geum seemed perfect.” The plant, the main holder. One plant that Sue was concerned she
however, failed to flourish: “I’m on heavy Weald
Clay and since this was an alpine species it didn’t
summer hadn’t named correctly was ‘Lemon Drops’, so
she contacted the previous National Collection
like the soil and soon disappeared,” she recalls. season holder, who lived in Devon. “I went down to meet
“But then I bought a ‘Prinses Juliana’, a lovely her and check on the plant,” she recalls. “To my
double orange that flowered for months on end.” It astonishment, it turned out that we both played the
thrived and from then on, whenever Sue saw a Geum Above Sue Martin loves cello, and we had a fantastic weekend.” Another
at a nursery or on a plant fair-stand, she bought it. geums for their long- responsibility is her involvement with the Royal
flowering period and
Most varieties are actually fine on clay soil, and it is easy-going nature.
Horticultural Society in setting up a trial of the
the amenable adaptability of geums that is another Below Sue’s favourite, plants at their Harlow Carr garden in Yorkshire.
reason why Sue likes them. “National Collection Geum ‘Dawn’. Sue’s favourite geums include ‘Dawn’, a semi-
rules state that I have to have three double pale yellow, and the rich pinky-red ‘Rubin’.
plants of each,” says Sue, “so I have “It flowers forever but doesn’t bulk up well,” she
them in diferent parts of the garden remarks. However, one that does form solid clumps
to see how they do.” and should make good groundcover, she reckons,
IMAGES GAP PHOTOS/ELKE BORKOWSKI; LEIGH CLAPP
National Collection holders are is ‘Bachelfe’. So, potentially practical as well as

expected to have as wide a range beautiful, Sue’s collection is a good example of a
of the available plants in the group National Collection that highlights one of the less
as possible. This has highlighted well-known groups of plants to which we should,
an issue for Sue that other collection perhaps, pay more attention. Q
holders have also noted: that many
of the new varieties being promoted Visit plantheritage.com for more information
are, in many cases, “not all that about National Plant Collections and
diferent to the older ones”. There geumcollection.co.uk for details of Sue’s open
is little doubt that geums at the days for the National Garden Scheme in May.

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VISIT www.harrodhorticultural.com
PLANT FOCUS
Hardy Heroes
There’s a tough perennial Geranium to suit every
situation, as Louise Curley discovers when she meets
grower Vanessa Cook of Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens
PHOTOS RICHARD BLOOM
The delicately purple-

veined flowers of
Geranium asphodeloides.

PLANT FOCUS
and violet. The handsome foliage,

particularly of low-growing
varieties and cultivars, makes
superb groundcover, sometimes
changing colour in autumn.
What’s more, hardy geraniums
are generally untroubled by pests
and diseases. So it’s no surprise,
then, that they have become one
of the nation’s favourite garden
plants – so much so that the
exceptionally long-flowering
Geranium ‘Rozanne’ was voted
‘Plant of the Centenary’ at the
Chelsea Flower Show in 2013.
Vanessa Cook, owner of
Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens and
Nursery near York, has established
one of the largest ranges of hardy
geraniums in the country, with
more than 90 diferent types to
choose from, including three
varieties unique to Stillingfleet,
which were discovered growing
as seedlings in the garden.
Vanessa and her family moved
to Stillingfleet in 1975. “We came
here to be self-suicient,” she
explains. “We produced our own
milk, kept sheep and chickens and
grew vegetables and fruit, and at
the start we didn’t have a garden
or nursery. That wasn’t part of
the plan.” Then Vanessa enrolled
at nearby Askham Bryan College,
where she studied horticulture and
started to create a small garden
at home. “There were no nurseries
locally and I had to buy all of
my plants by mail-order, so
I thought it might be worth setting
very garden needs a selection of up a nursery in the north. Ours didn’t really get
E stalwart plants – easy-going, fuss-

free dependables that just get on
with growing – and there are few as
reliable as hardy geraniums. This large
group of herbaceous perennials, not to be confused
with the tender pelargoniums grown in summer
containers and hanging baskets, has plants to suit
going until 1985-6, and we only really created the
garden because we wanted more stock plants to
propagate from. It also became very obvious that
people were struggling to choose a plant in a pot
because they didn’t know what it would look like
in situ, so it was much better that they could walk
around the garden and see what they liked and then
every location: sun or shade, tricky dry spots under go and find it in the nursery. We propagate nearly
trees, alpine gardens or cottage-garden borders. everything ourselves, and most of the plants we sell
They range in height from tiny alpines only a few can also be seen in the garden.”
centimetres tall to those around a metre in height, Vanessa has been growing hardy geraniums
which are perfect for the middle of a border. Some Top Compact, but ever since she had her first garden in the 1960s.
geraniums will produce a single flush of flowers, vigorous, with large blue “The first book I probably read on gardening was
flowers: ‘Eureka Blue’.
while others bloom repeatedly, all summer long, and We Made a Garden by Margery Fish and it started
Above Vanessa Cook
colours range from white through pale pastel tones has been growing hardy me of on that kind of cottage-style planting;
of pink, mauve and blue to deeper shades of magenta geraniums since the ‘60s. geraniums were always in those types of garden,”

Clockwise from top left
Geranium maculatum;
one of Vanessa’s own
cultivars, G. phaeum
‘Stillingfleet Ghost’;
unusual G. x oxonianum f.
thurstonianum; G. phaeum
var. phaeum ‘Samobor’.
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PLANT FOCUS
she explains. Geraniums Above Geranium ‘Elke’

are now an integral with its pretty pale-
edged flowers.
part of Stillingfleet’s Right Vanessa waters
four acres, where plants that are for sale
Vanessa has created at Stillingfleet Garden’s
a haven for wildlife. adjoining nursery.
Below right Geranium
There are species maculatum f. album.
geraniums thriving in Below left Dusky purple
the meadows; frothy blooms of Geranium
geraniums in the phaeum ‘Lily Lovell’.
cottage garden borders
surrounding the house where they mingle with
herbaceous perennials; Geranium macrorrhizum
and G. x cantabrigiense providing groundcover; and
G. phaeum and G. nodosum growing in dry shade.
Although geraniums are one of the easiest groups
of plants to grow, it’s still worth choosing carefully
to make sure you pick those that suit your growing
conditions and space. “I wouldn’t really recommend
G. x oxonianum because they self-seed everywhere,”
explains Vanessa. “They can be useful if you have
a large area of soil you’d like covering, say under a
patch of shrub roses, but in an ordinary garden or
border you will have seedlings popping up all over.”
For dry soil in shade, which is one of the trickiest
spots in a garden for cultivating plants, Geranium
phaeum and G. nodosum are good choices. “We’ve
used G. phaeum var. phaeum ‘Samobor’ under a
hedge for its wonderful green-and-maroon evergreen
foliage,” says Vanessa. “It will self-seed though,
so we chop it back after flowering and that stops it
spreading and also produces a fresh crop of leaves
that keep on looking good well into winter.”
The foliage of geraniums is underrated, but several
of the phaeums have pretty mottled leaves, while
G. renardii has soft, tactile, greyish-green foliage.
There’s also a range of Geranium pratense cultivars,

PLANT FOCUS
GROWING ADVICE
Caring for geraniums

Use Vanessa Cook’s tried-and-tested methods
to keep your plants in good health
O CUT BACK If geraniums are O DIVISION Vanessa doesn’t

starting to look untidy by follow any hard and fast rule
midsummer, cut them back to that says geraniums must be
the ground. Water them well, divided every three years.
and in a few weeks they will But if you want to make more
have produced fresh foliage. plants, or manage clumps that
have grown too big, you can
O MULCHING Mulch in spring
propagate by division. This is
with organic matter, but don’t
a task that is best carried out
use too much since a rich soil
in spring or autumn. Simply lift
will encourage foliage rather
the entire plant and divide the
than plentiful blooms.
clump into smaller pieces using
O SOIL Don’t worry about a sharp spade. Replant the
improving the soil before smaller pieces, watering them in
planting: geraniums will grow well to settle, and then discard
quite happily in most soil types. the woody central section.
STEP BY STEP
O ROOT CUTTINGS Geranium pieces with a slanting cut at the

sanguineum and G. cinereum bottom and a horizontal cut on
can be easily propagated from the top. 3. Lay on the surface of
such as ‘Midnight Reiter’ and ‘Purple Ghost’, with root cuttings from November to a tray filled with free-draining
fabulous deep-plum-coloured foliage, although March. 1. Sever some thick tap cutting compost and push the
Vanessa recommends planting them against roots from a healthy plant. end with the slanting cut into
something in a paler shade, in a gravel garden or 2. Divide the roots into 5cm the compost. Keep moist.
tumbling over a stone wall for instance, otherwise
the dark leaves are hard to see against the soil. 1 2 3
Although Vanessa finds it impossible to pick a
favourite – “There are just too many, and my choice
would change every month,” she admits – she does
mention G. himalayense ‘Derrick Cook’, which
has large white flowers with pretty violet veins on
the petals. She also singles out the early-flowering
sylvaticums, such as the deep-blue-flowered ‘Amy
Doncaster’, which bloom in May and will grow
almost anywhere. “They’ve got no vices and they
make nice upright plants,” she elaborates.
For container growing, Vanessa suggests the new
Geranium (Cinereum Group) Jolly Jewel Series.
“They reach only 15cm high or so, flower from April
to September, and come in a range of bright colours, Top left The soft-pastel- pretty shade of pink with a white edge, and they
which makes them perfect for summer pots. They patterned flowers of bloom for a long time, from May to August.” Q
Geranium sylvaticum
also love full sun and dry conditions so will thrive
f. roseum ‘Baker’s Pink’.
in a container on a sunny patio,” says Vanessa. The gardens and nursery are open from 4 April to
But if you have space for only one Geranium, 28 September, 1-5pm every Wednesday, Friday and
Vanessa says it would have to be ‘Elke’: “It makes a the first and third Saturdays and Sundays of each
nice compact plant, growing to 23-30cm tall, and it month. Nursery entry is free; garden entry is £5.
doesn’t sprawl like some of the larger geraniums – so Stewart Lane, Stillingfleet, York YO19 6HP.
it doesn’t need any staking. The flowers are a very Tel: 01904 728506; stillingfleetlodgenurseries.co.uk

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GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS

Wednesday & Thursday 25/26 April & 2/3 May 2018 BOOKING NOW
A new edition of one of our most popular courses, now led by master horticulturist 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 pets and diseases. The 4 days 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 and sow seeds and regular maintenance tasks will
be discussed. A light lunch and refreshments will be provided daily.
ONE YEAR GOOD GARDENING DIPLOMA COURSE
September 2018 – June 2019
Covers the best in planting design while training in the more serious aspects of horticultural techniques.
Working sessions at Sissinghurst with head gardener Troy Smith and lectures by many leading gardening
personalities. Regular visits to outstanding private gardens.
(1 day a week (Tues), 10.30am–3.15pm, over three 10 week terms)
10 WEEK INTENSIVE GARDEN DESIGN DIPLOMA COURSE Garden of Medicinal Plants – Chelsea Physic Garden Photo: R Alexander
January – March 2019
Covers all you need to know in this diverse subject, including TWO real design projects and CAD tuition. Not sure which Diploma course is for you?
Drawing skills, estimating, plant knowledge, water features, garden lighting and visits to the work of leading Come along to an information session to see our
designers with Rosemary Alexander and other tutors. location and find out more.
(3 days a week in school, 10.30am-3.15pm, plus 2 days homework) www.englishgardeningschool.co.uk
GARDEN DESIGN & CARING FOR YOUR GARDEN Email: info@englishgardeningschool.co.uk
Distance Learning Courses study anytime, anywhere in the world Tel: 020 7352 4347
A stepping stone to a new career
These two courses are a step by step guide to either designing your own garden or learning how to plant and Long established as the leader in all design
maintain an existing garden: drawing up plans, hard landscaping, site analysis, planting, month by month tasks etc.
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IN SEASON
Spring’s Crowning Glory

Fresh asparagus is a luxury all the more delicious for its fleeting season.
Plant a few crowns in your vegetable plot and you’re in for a tasty treat
hese days you can buy asparagus from 1800s. Today the Vale of Evesham, Cambridgeshire
T supermarkets all year round, but the

season for British-grown asparagus
and Lincolnshire are the biggest producers, providing
the loamy well-drained soil, space and sun that the
WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY IMAGE ALAMY
is short, lasting roughly eight weeks plants need. An asparagus bed can last decades, but
from St George’s Day on 23 April. the vegetable is hard to grow from seed. Instead plant
The 17th-century common term for this delicacy year-old crowns in March, wait two years, and then
was ‘sparrow grass’, stemming from ’sparagus – a limit your first harvest to six weeks. Above Perfect green
corruption from the Latin, which hints at just how Asparagus should be eaten as soon after picking spears of freshly cut
asparagus are one of
long it has been cultivated in the UK. Records as possible. All it needs is a simple gilding of butter
life’s simple pleasures.
show that more than 200 acres of land in London’s – hollandaise at a push – but it is also an excellent Just steam and serve
Battersea were given over to asparagus in the early match for eggs and makes a fine risotto. with salted butter.

IN SEASON
Growing
advice
OChoose male F1 hybrid

asparagus plants, which
are more productive. Dig
a 20cm deep trench and
backfill with 5cm of well-
rotted manure and topsoil.
Create a 10cm ridge down
RECIPE: ASPARAGUS, CROUTONS AND EGG the centre and place the
crowns on it, bud-side up,
Serves 6-8 METHOD paper and toast in the oven about 30cm apart. Spread
1 Preheat the oven to for about 10 minutes until out the roots, replace the
INGREDIENTS 160°C. Bring a saucepan of golden brown. Watch them soil, and water in well.
1kg green asparagus, salted water to the boil and carefully because they will
OHarvest the spears in
trimmed blanch the asparagus for 1-2 burn easily. Remove from
their third year when they
150g ricotta salata or minutes. Quickly transfer to the oven and leave to cool.
reach 15cm tall. Stop after
pecorino, finely grated a bowl of iced water. 5 To serve, drain the
six weeks so they can
4 duck eggs 2 To make the dressing, asparagus, season and dress
replenish for the following
4-5 thick slices of challah whisk all the ingredients with the vinaigrette.
year. In subsequent years
or brioche, crusts removed together in a small bowl. 6 Lay half the asparagus on
you can harvest for eight
Sea salt to taste 3 Bring a saucepan of water a platter and scatter with half
weeks. Cut back yellowing
to the boil, add the eggs and the grated ricotta, croutons
foliage in autumn.
FOR THE DRESSING boil for 12 minutes. Drain and and egg. Place the remaining
4 tbsp olive oil refresh in cold water. Peel asparagus on top, followed OMulch to keep weeds
Juice of 1 lemon and coarsely grate. by the rest of the ricotta, down and soil moist. Feed
IMAGES GAP PHOTOS/JULIA BOULTON; MARSHALLS; CROCUS; GARDEN WORLD IMAGES; THOMPSON & MORGAN
1 tbsp Dijon mustard 4 Cut the bread slices into croutons and egg. with blood, fish and bone
1 tsp caster sugar 1.5cm cubes. Lay them on a Taken from Feasting by Amanda in spring. This will produce
Sea salt and black pepper baking tray lined with baking Ruben (Hardie Grant), £25. more flavoursome spears.
Varieties to try
‘Pacific Purple’ This unusual ‘Gijnlim’ Holder of an RHS ‘Connover’s Colossal’ This ‘Amaro Montina’ These slender
purple variety from Marshalls Award of Garden Merit, this heritage variety dates from stems are the well-bred
has stringless, sweet spears. all-male variety from Crocus the 1800s and remains relations of a wild asparagus
To retain their colour, steam will produce a high yield of popular due to its early crop that grows in Venetian woods.
them instead of boiling. tightly budded spears. of large, thick, green spears. Sold by Thompson & Morgan.

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GREENHOUSES
Space-saving Solutions
A small garden needn’t prevent you from having a greenhouse.
West Dean’s Sarah Wain advises growers with limited room
maller greenhouses require canny Nevertheless, very small glasshouses should fit well
S operators to maximise their potential,

yet they ofer a sound way to increase
a gardener’s ability to raise and protect
into most gardens. Placing one near the back door
or in another prominent position means that regular
attention to its management is more achievable,
IMAGE GAP PHOTOS/NICOLA STOCKEN
crops throughout the year in a limited which is just what is needed. But don’t let any of
space. Their reduced size does, however, mean that these warnings put you of investing in one – just
vigilance on the management front is essential. In keep in mind watering and ventilation. Above Trays of tender
any greenhouse, ventilation and watering are major So what is the definition of a ‘small greenhouse’? salad leaves are the
ideal crop for growing
concerns, but this is even more the case in small ones, In my mind, these are structures with a floor space
in smaller greenhouses,
particularly on warm still days in spring and summer measuring between 0.6m x 1.2m and 1.8m x 1.8m especially during the
when temperatures under glass rocket. (such as the compact Deco range from White winter months.

GREENHOUSES
Cottage Greenhouses). They are often constructed

against the wall of a house or shed, or they can stand
independently. The smallest of all tend to consist
of little more than a stack of vertical shelving with
a plastic covering and a zip for a door. Assembling
these mini greenhouses is straightforward –
definitely a DIY job – and both Access Garden
Products and Two Wests & Elliott sell such versions.
They are simple in construction and a cheaper
solution than their larger, fancier cousins, but will
still ofer protection against the wind and rain,
which is a huge plus for keen growers who want to
defy adverse weather to grow plants successfully.
Generally, unlike the bigger versions, small
greenhouses tend not to have a brick base, which
allows light to penetrate right down to the plants
at ground level, letting you maximise every inch
of available growing space. But if you choose
this kind of greenhouse, bear in mind that it will
be more vulnerable to flying stones from lawn
mowing, especially if the covering isn’t made from
toughened glass or a polycarbonate skin. Locating
the glasshouse correctly is key, so in addition to
positioning it away from the lawn, you should try to
keep it clear of the dense shade of trees and buildings
to make the most of the efect of sun on glass.
Ensuring air circulation is a must for optimum
plant growth under glass. The gentle movement
of air across the leaf stimulates photosynthesis, so Above If you carefully for busy people. However you proceed, I cannot
before making your purchase look for ventilators time your sowings, even stress enough the need for air circulation.
a small greenhouse can
that will increase air movement within. Ventilators And now the fun begins: what to grow? I love
produce a year-round
at the base, side and top of the structure are the supply of salad my food, so the facility to produce delicious herbs
ideal, but are not generally ofered. It may be worth under glass, particularly over the autumn and
asking manufacturers if additional ventilators can be winter months, is a wonderful thing. The range of
incorporated into your structure. Some of the best salad leaves and herbs you can grow under glass is
ones on ofer are automatic, which is another bonus surprisingly extensive. What’s more, these crops will
JOBS TO DO IN SPRING
Start a succulent collection

You have such a wide variety of might not be a familiar name, but you’ll
succulents to choose from, but likely recognise its trailing stems of
Echeveria runyonii ‘Topsy Turvy’, glaucous, blue-green, fleshy leaves,
makes an interesting starting point. It’s which look fantastic cascading
a fast-growing, rosette-forming type, from a greenhouse’s upper shelf.
with pale grey-blue leaves. They’re Also look out for Echeveria albicans
thick, but flattened, like a rosette of × lindsayana (right), which is a beautiful
scoops or wavy chisel blades. pale grey-blue. Each of its leaves
There’s little doubt as to why is tipped with the tiniest accent of
Kalanchoe beharensis has the common pink, and it grows orange-yellow
name of velvet elephant ear. Thick flowers during the summer months.
stems hold large, folded, triangular All four will relish the protection of a
leaves in silvery grey that are coated greenhouse over the winter, but can
with soft hairs, giving the whole leaf be moved outside to spend summer
a plush texture. Sedum morganianum in pride of place as part of a display.

Salad crops to try
Leaves and herbs for small greenhouses
PARSLEY It can be slow to CORIANDER Sow small batches

germinate, but sow parsley of coriander throughout the
in spring for summer crops, year, and pick the leaves at any
thrive during the winter Above Air circulation is
more of an issue in small and summer for crops to be stage. Try gently cracking the
months if protected
greenhouses, so keep harvested from autumn. Keep hard-seed cases before planting
from the harmful efects doors and vents open the compost moist at all times. to encourage germination.
of rain and cold winds. in warm weather.
Try parsley, coriander,
rocket, corn salad (lamb’s lettuce), American cress,
Claytonia (winter purslane) and chard, in pots or
in the ground. These leaves will all grow well during
the colder months, but the best time to establish
them is in late August or early September, for
optimum root development before the cold sets in
and while the soil is still warm.
When harvesting, snip a few leaves from each of
the plants regularly, rather than cutting all the leaves
from one plant, since their ability to re-grow is slow
to non-existent in cold weather. During late spring ROCKET The hot and peppery CORN SALAD Also called lamb’s
and summer these crops will also thrive outdoors, leaves of rocket are easy to grow, lettuce, this is often thought of
but here at West Dean we find a more palatable leaf and the plants are less likely to as purely a winter salad crop,
is grown with protection from wind and rain, which bolt in the cooler temperatures but can be harvested year-
IMAGES GAP PHOTOS: ELKE BORKOWSKI/LIZ EVERY/RACHEL WARNE; SHUTTERSTOCK; GARDEN WORLD IMAGES
is where our vegetable coldframe comes into use. It’s of spring and autumn than those round from spring, summer and
the vibrating efect of the wind that toughens any grown in summer. autumn sowings.
loose salad leaf – and none of us enjoy eating that!
There is a great opportunity to play around with
the style of display in a small glasshouse and many
reasons to grow diferent types of plants for yourself
or for others. Perhaps your glasshouse generates lots
of small plants, edible and ornamental, for fund-
raising events – or maybe you’ve developed a craving
for succulents that have sucked you in with their
diversity in leaf shape, colour and habit. I know, to
my cost, that what started as a mild interest in six
succulents has developed into a slight addiction to
more than 100. There are plenty that will tolerate
quite cool temperatures, say to 5°C, withstanding CLAYTONIA Also known as CHARD The colourful leaves
most winters under glass, so long as watering is done winter purslane or miner’s of Swiss chard are perhaps
carefully. In summer they make fabulous displays on lettuce. Sow the tiny seeds of best picked young as a
patios and by doorways for everyone to coo over. this succulent leaf in autumn ‘baby’ salad leaf. Sow in small
Whatever your interest, small glasshouses ofer for winter and spring cut-and- quantities from spring onwards
far greater options for the grower and the rewards, come-again salad supplies. for a year-long supply.
when you get it right, are one of life’s great joys. Q

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SMALL SPACES
Perfectly Imperfect
Selina Lake, author of Garden Style, combines her keen eye
for beautiful garden objects with thoughtful use of space
to bring out the best in smaller garden areas

SMALL SPACES
GATHER Good Ideas

Walking through a beautiful garden on a sunny If there’s a chance to peep behind the scenes where
day is, for me, the perfect way to spend my free the magic happens – in the sheds or the greenhouses
time, and I always make sure I have my camera – then I’m there. My number one event of the year
with me so that I can take photographs of plants, has to be the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower
flowers and ideas that inspire me. I enjoy looking at Show. A day there involves marvelling at the show
all the diferent planting combinations, but I think gardens, buying plants from specialist suppliers and
it’s the details that I find most interesting. Take, for soaking up the atmosphere. The RHS is known for
example, the structures that are used to support the hosting an array of fabulous events, including the
plants. What are they made of? What style are they? Chelsea Flower Show in London, which I also love
Do they suit the rest of the garden? to visit. See rhs.org.uk for shows in your area.

Furnish a GREENHOUSE
There is something a little magical my favourite features is the salvaged
about greenhouses. Due to their decorative window in the back wall.
purpose – providing a stable, warm At the front are raised beds and low
environment for plants – they tend willow fence borders, with a plot to
to be comforting and cosy spaces. If one side. Decorative touches include
you’re a serious gardener, a greenhouse vintage metal watering cans and an old
will allow you to grow from seed and wooden barrel re-used as a planter.
to cultivate tender plants that can’t Shelving is essential in any
survive outside over winter. greenhouse – it’s somewhere to store
Greenhouses are also a perfect pots, tools and plant labels. It also
example of how a practical space provides a place to style gardening
can be both appealing and inspiring. items to create a decorative vignette.
This one is roomy enough for an If there is space, bring in a table and
armchair – it’s somewhere to sit and arrange a display of potted plants
enjoy your surroundings. One of and other objects you find appealing.

SMALL SPACES
Suit your SPACE

When it comes to choosing
garden furnishings, work with
what you have – don’t be afraid
to mix diferent chairs around
an existing table, for example.
If you are in the market for
a few new pieces, try them out
for comfort before you buy and
research how they will cope
with the elements. There is an
array to choose from, with DIY
stores and even supermarkets
ofering diferent ranges.
Before you buy, think about
how you use your space. Do
you like to eat outside during
the warmer months? If so, a
table and chairs will be top of
the list. If you have a tiny space,
could you slot in a bench or
folding chairs and a table? If
you do a lot of entertaining,
you might want a garden sofa.
Think about whether you want
to invest in something new or
if you could revamp something
that you already own. I am a
great believer in mixing old
with new. When positioning,
ensure there is enough room
for guests to sit around the
table comfortably.
Once your furniture is in
place, you can do the fun part
– style the tabletop with potted
plants and vases of flowers.
MAKE A Cutting Garden
Growing flowers in a dedicated plot especially for cutting is a lovely luxury
if you have the space, and it saves you from denuding or leaving gaps in your
garden borders. Depending on the size of your outside space, flowers for
cutting can be grown in tubs, large pots or empty spots in the border, but a
raised bed is the ideal option, since these are easily accessible and have good
drainage. You can buy treated wooden frames and kits from garden centres,
or make your own if you have the skills and tools, using rot-resistant wood GARDEN STYLE
such as red cedar, black locust or redwood. Position your bed in a sunny by Selina Lake
site and ensure that it is filled with weed-free, fertile soil. When it comes to
planting, choose cut-and-come-again plant varieties with long stems – they Adapted from Garden
are better for cut flowers, since the more you pick, the more you get. Sweet Style by Selina Lake,
peas, love-in-a-mist, Cosmos and Californian poppies are all useful additions with photographs
to a garden, whatever its size. Research how much space your plants will by Rachel Whiting.
need to grow and what height they will grow to – there is a fine line between Published by Ryland
growing plenty to cut and overcrowding. Q Peters & Small, £19.99.

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GARDEN-INSPIRED ART
Gardens in Art
Three talented artists explain how the colourful beauty of
gardens has inspired their work across a variety of media
rom the dreamy, escapist impressionism
A nature study
F of Claude Monet, who was influenced
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the azaleas in his own garden on the
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hardly surprising, for who can fail to be inspired by
for Angie Lewin’s a jaunty border of fizzing colour, sumptuous topiary
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IMAGE ALUN CALLENDER
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flowers or the studied beauty of distinctive cultivars?
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GARDEN-INSPIRED ART
PRINT & WATERCOLOUR
Seeds of an idea
Printmaker and watercolourist Angie Lewin on how
the smallest botanical details spark the artistic process
t is no accident that Angie Lewin’s eye is seeing them this way influences the way I capture
I attuned to the form and texture of the plants

she sees on country walks, and those she grows
in her garden. After training at Central St
Martins and Camberwell College of Arts, the well-
known printmaker, who uses lino and screenprinting
their essence in a landscape.”
Compositions usually begin with a stroll through
her garden, or a walk in the country – or along a
coastal path in Scotland or Norfolk. On these walks
she collects seedheads to dry, with the intention of
but also paints in watercolour, toyed with the idea using them in future, perhaps against pieces she has
of becoming a garden designer. She duly studied at gathered from the garden. “It’s the less significant
Capel Manor College before moving from London plants, such as dandelions and clover, that interest
Top left Angie’s print,
to North Norfolk, where she settled on printmaking. me,” says Angie. Look closely and you realise how
The Gardener’s Arms.
“The way you study plants influences the way you intricate their structure is. In the garden I grow things Top right Transferring
IMAGES ALUN CALLENDER
depict them,” she explains, before outlining how her subconsciously because they relate to my work.” a design to linoleum,
design training determines her compositions. “When For more, visit angielewin.com. An exhibition ahead of printing.
Inset Angie Lewin.
you compose a garden design, you look at form and of Angie’s new work ‘Spey Path and Strandline’
Above Detail from
structure. There are spokes, rounded forms – an will run at The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, from the watercolour
Echinops against an umbellifer, for example. And 2 May to 2 June. See scottish-gallery.co.uk Calendula Study I.

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GARDEN-INSPIRED ART
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It was almost inevitable that she should make Fantin-Latour,” she says, “but in summer I’ll O Debbie George
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gardens and my sister and I are include a set of six watercolours of inspired by landscape
both gardeners,” she explains. It Above left Topiary glasshouses, and garden prints are and plantlife, who
Garden with Fountain.
also helped that her father, George also available. works in acrylics.
Above right Detail from
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izzie Riches remembers the moment how fantastic it is. You see how there are plants
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At The Garden
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in The First of May.
first time in my life I have a garden. be very powerful.” gardenmuseum.org.uk;
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BOOKS
The Reviewer
A selection of the best garden writing to be released this month
Vegetables Love Flowers Hanging Kokedama Planting for Honeybees

by Lisa Mason Ziegler, by Coraleigh Parker, by Sarah Wyndham Lewis,
Cool Springs Press, £12.99 Jacqui Small, £20 Quadrille, £12
Soon after marrying into a family of Kimonos, miso and wasabi, wabi-sabi Honey bees are ‘assailed by threats from
vegetable growers, Lisa Mason Ziegler and shibori: the trend for Japanese every side’, explains Sarah Wyndham
realised her own passion was for raising design has enjoyed notable traction in Lewis, in this beautifully illustrated
cut flowers. As she set about growing the worlds of fashion, food and interiors book. If it is not a dearth of food
blooms among the vegetable crops, in recent years, and so it is little surprise sources caused by urban development
she noticed populations of pollinating to see it reach the more style-focused and agricultural monocultures, it is
insects increasing. So began her organic parts of the gardening community. pesticides and even mites to which these
journey, in which she developed Enter ‘kokedama’, a cousin of bonsai life-sustaining insects succumb.
abundant flower and vegetable gardens that involves binding plants with soil, As one half of the London-based
complete with a harmonious ecosystem. moss – or a similar protective material Bermondsey Street Bees which she
She describes her voyage in Vegetables – and twine so they will grow without runs with her husband, Dale Gibson,
Love Flowers, an insightful work the support of a container. Roots adjust Wyndham understands her subject
about gardening organically. Images accordingly, developing smaller fibres better than most. Hence this charming,
are clear; explanations are to the point; instead of becoming pot-bound as they compact publication, intended to aid
projects are achievable. Yet the work’s might in a container. And because the concerned urban residents in making
title is somewhat deceptive. This is not size of a plant depends on the extent of outdoor spaces more bee-friendly
a book about traditional companion its roots, it is possible to grow miniature through appropriate planting and care.
planting, whereby specific plants are versions of mature plants in this way. Cheerful illustrations by James
grown together for a defined benefit, According to Parker, much of the appeal Weston Lewis complement pithy,
but about maintaining a productive of kokedama lies in the balance of informed text tailored specifically to
garden holistically. Notes on bug abundance and containment, but in urban environments. Most helpful is a
boxes, predators and raising cut flowers addition to the opportunities for guide to seasonal bee-friendly planting
abound, but if instruction on growing mindfulness and reflection it provides, for window boxes and balconies, roof
spring onions with carrots, or French kokedama is also a practical solution for terraces, edible gardens, green roofs and
marigolds with tomatoes, is sought, this attentive gardeners with limited space. living walls, all prefaced by the simple
WORDS VIVIENNE HAMBLY
is not the right book to read. This work has the cool, pared-back advice that: ‘If bees like it, plant more.’
Cool Springs Press is a US imprint and mood of much Japanese design, but A selection of resources towards the end
while its broader concepts are relevant, Parker’s step-by-step care instructions of the book is the prompt to take the
some particulars in this work will be at for a range of plants place the technique subject further. A straightforward and
odds with local conditions. within the reach of almost anyone. sensible addition to any bookshelf.

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BOOKS
Q&A
John Brookes MBE, the influential garden designer who championed modernist
garden design, reflects on a long career in his new book, A Landscape Legacy
garden owners who were ready for something fresh

and new. I was focused on increasing the pleasure
and use people got out of their gardens, in a way that
was beautiful and easy to maintain, but also suited
their styles and met their needs. I still am.
What would you say have been the most

influential projects you have worked on?
I’ve been involved in many influential projects, both
here and abroad, including the College Garden at
Westminster Abbey and the English Walled Garden
at the Chicago Botanical Garden.
Denmans was a much-loved garden for many

years. How did your involvement with it influence
your other projects?
Gardening at Denmans was my hobby for 38 years,
and I learnt a lot about plants from it. I’m not
sure that my experience there has influenced other
projects at all, since my approach to design and
planting there is completely diferent to the way
I work with clients’ gardens.
What makes a good garden design?
A good design for a garden is one that fulfils the You’ve travelled extensively, in Russia, Iran,
requirements of its owner – or owners – and sits India and Europe. What effect has this had on
comfortably in its setting. your sense of design?
I feel I have evolved through travel, teaching, writing
You first designed a garden for the RHS Chelsea and working on a diverse range of projects. I have
Flower Show in 1962, and you have exhibited at found that travelling and designing landscapes
Chelsea several times since then. How did those beyond the British Isles has given me great insights
experiences influence your career? into how to approach landscape design around the
That first garden design for the Chelsea Flower Show world. It has taught me to dig a little deeper, bringing
was controversial because it had nothing to do with the client into the equation, of course, but also the
plants and everything to do with using the garden as cultural background of the job, as well as its physical
a space to live in. I was the first independent designer backdrop and ambience.
to create an installation. That one – and the other
Chelsea gardens I designed – gave me confidence and What do you think is the broad design mood of
brought in lots of enquiries from daring small-garden gardens today?
owners in London who were ready for modern Everyone seems to be more intent on being ‘trendy’
gardens that suited their lifestyles. and doing something new, but that misses the point
of what good design is all about. It is time for young
You were one of the first people in the UK to designers to get back to the basic principles of what
design gardens in a modernist style. How were good design is and, just as importantly, for whom A Landscape
they received at the time? they are designing. Plants should come last in the Legacy
I am sure that there was scepticism and derision equation. Gardens should be for the people who live By John Brookes
among the conventional, but there were plenty of in them – they are not just showcases for plants. Q Pimpernel Press, £40

BESPOKE PROMOTION
Treat yourself to a dose of spring cheer and

GARDENS TO VISIT colour at one of these beautiful gardens
THE MANOR
The Manor, Hemingford Grey, Cambridgeshire PE28 9BN
Tel: 01480 463134 | e-mail diana_boston@hotmail.com | www.greenknowe.co.uk
Approaching from the river towpath, visitors get a glimpse of the long herbaceous borders filled with mainly
scented plants of year-round interest. The 31/2 acre garden, laid out by Lucy Boston, also contains Coronation
and chess topiary and Lucy’s beautiful collection of old roses and award-winning irises. It is bordered by a
moat and the river Great Ouse.
The Medieval house is open by appointment.
OPEN: Daily throughout the year, 11am to 5pm (dusk in winter). Adults £5, Seniors £4.50, Children free. House
open by pre-booked appointment: Adults £8, Seniors £7, Children £3
ROOKWOOD HOUSE GARDEN & GIFT FAIR

Stockcross, Newbury, RG20 8JX
Tel: 01488 608676 | www.rookwoodgardenfair.co.uk
Now in its sixth year the Rookwood House Garden and Gift Fair grows bigger every year. There will be over 14
specialist nurseries including Chelsea Gold Medallists Hardy’s Cottage Garden Nursery, Edulis and Palm-
Exotics. Also over 60 stalls exhibiting garden furniture, garden sculptures, homeware, clothing, shoes and gifts,
including children’s toys and a food tent. The chosen charity for 2018 is The Rosemary Appeal, who are raising
funds to equip a Dialysis and Cancer Care Unit at The West Berkshire Hospital.
OPEN: Thursday 19 April 2018, VIP access from 9am, gates open 10am to 4pm. Tickets £7 available on the gate. VIP
Preview Tickets available in advance ONLY at £10. Please see our website for details.
THE COURTS GARDEN

Holt, Bradford-on-Avon BA14 6RR
Tel: 01225 782875 | www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-courts-garden
The Courts is an English country-garden retreat – a tranquil garden comfortably built on a hidden industrial
past. Spring is the perfect time to visit and stroll through its unique garden rooms. New for 2018, an arched
bridge over the Dye Pool provides a spectacular new reflection on its naturalistic planting. New blooms are
highlighted on helpful border plans and you can pick up tips from The Courts’ Head Gardener on seasonal
plant trails.
OPEN: Monday 26 February to Sunday 28 October 2018, 11am to 5.30pm (Open every day except
Wednesdays) Please see website for admission, directions and parking.
PECKOVER HOUSE & GARDEN

North Brink, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 1JR
Tel: 01945 583463 | www.nationaltrust.org.uk/peckover
Peckover House is a secret gem, an oasis hidden away in an urban environment. A classic Georgian merchant’s
town house, it was lived in by the Peckover family for 150 years.
The gardens themselves are outstanding - two acres of sensory delight, complete with orangery,
summerhouses, croquet lawn and rose garden with more than 60 species of rose.
OPEN: Sunday to Thursday, 11am to 4pm – check website before visiting. National Trust members free.
Non-NT members – see website for admission fees.
THE BISHOP’S PALACE & GARDENS, WELLS

Off Market Place, Wells, Somerset BA5 2PD
Tel: 01749 988111 | www.bishopspalace.org.uk
Over 14 acres of spectacular RHS partner gardens, with wonderful spring flowers, including picturesque,
romantic, formal and Victorian styles, a wild flower arboretum, specimen trees, a contemporary Garden of
Reflection and Community Garden alongside waterfalls, well pools, a moat with resident swans and a stunning
medieval Palace. Booking now open for Garden Festival 22-24 June.
OPEN: Daily 10am-6pm.
CERNEY HOUSE GARDENS

North Cerney Cirencester GL7 7BX
Tel: 01285831300 | www.cerneygardens.com | Email: janet@cerneygardens.com
Cerney House gardens is a romantic English garden for all seasons. There is a beautiful secluded Victorian
walled garden which features herbaceous borders overflowing with colour. The informal planting in
combination with our beautiful setting gives a unique and charming atmosphere. In March we feature a
wonderful display of tulips. Enjoy our woodland walk and new for 2018 is the extended nature trail.
OPEN: Daily from January to October 2018. 10 am -7pm (during summer months). Adults £5 Children £1 Groups
welcome by arrangement. Tea, Coffee and Home-made cakes. Dogs welcome.
OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST OF BRITISH NURSERIES
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LAST WORD
Character Building
Katherine Swift reflects on the havoc wreaked by a glorious snowfall,
but hopes her lovely new fruit tunnels will rise again in time for spring
W
e are a hybrid nation. Three the pear tunnel from west to east, and the apple
times in comparatively tunnel from north to south, like spring walking
recent history we have been across the garden. And where the fruit tunnels
overrun – by Anglo-Saxons, tide cross, and at each of the four ends, the supporting
Norsemen and Normans. ironwork rises into a rounded dome that in
You can see it in our place names: Harrowby, near
ossom midsummer is covered with white roses.
where I grew up in Lincolnshire, is a Norse name; hes over Last December, 14 inches of snow fell over two
Morville, where I live now in Shropshire, is an days in Shropshire. It was magnificent. But in the
Anglo-Saxon name made to look like a Norman from west garden here it brought down small trees, snapped
French one. You can hear it in the words we use
for everyday things: ‘pig’, ‘cow’ and ‘sheep’ are
to east, branches of 400-year-old yews, crushed the box
hedges and demolished the apple and pear tunnels.
Anglo-Saxon, but when the meat gets to the table like spring That high central dome with its dense covering
it is ‘pork’, ‘beef’ and ‘mutton’, from the French. of rose stems was the tunnels’ undoing. Under
And you can see it in the words we use for
walking the weight of snow it sank down to ground level,
flowers, too: ‘blossom’ is Anglo-Saxon, ‘bloom’ across the pulling after it the iron arches of the tunnels, like
is Norse, ‘flower’ is French (from fleur). And a line of dominoes. Amazingly, the trees themselves
like the social distinction between cow and beef garden appeared largely unscathed.
(Anglo-Saxon peasants dealt with the live animals; At the time I am writing this, measurements
Norman overlords ate them), these words, too, have been taken and drawings made for a new,
are not quite synonymous, but have subtly stronger structure; timber has been delivered and
diferent socially charged meanings. According to new ironwork is being made, and everyone is hard
Dr Johnson, ‘blossom’ refers to flowers, which are at work. I hope by the time you read this, my lovely
‘not much regarded in themselves, but as a token tunnels will have risen again, just
of some following production’ – the fruit or seed in time to greet the
to come – whereas ‘bloom’ and ‘flower’ convey pear trees in
‘the more delicate notion’ of the inflorescence bloom. Q
considered as the culminating beauty of the plant.
I disagree – not about the usage, but about
the implied value-judgement. What could be
lovelier than blossom time in an English
garden? In March and April, the garden
here – and the countryside round about
– is wreathed with white blossom: first
the myrobolan and the sloe, then the
plums and the damsons, then the
pears, then the wild cherries, then
ILLUSTRATION JULIA RIGBY PORTRAIT RICHARD BLOOM
their cousins the sour morellos – the

whole sequence taking eight weeks or
more. And then in early May comes
the heart-stopping moment when my
all-white garden begins to blush palest
pink: the start of the apple blossom.
When I laid out the garden, I planted
two crossing tunnels of trained apples
and pears: 16 apple varieties, eight pear
varieties, planted in pollination order so
that the tide of blossom washes slowly over

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THE english

SPRING 2018 For everyone who loves beautiful gardens www.theenglishgarden.co.uk

O Top 10 longer-lasting TULIPS

All greenhouses look similar.

The similarity ends there.

Before you decide, get up close and see for yourself.

www.alitex.co.uk 01730 826900

CLARE FOGGETT, EDITOR

ON THE COVER DIGITAL PLATFORMS

SPRING 2018 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 3

TEL 020 7349 3700 FAX 020 7349 3701

Production Widely used in the Exotic

27 Hidden Oasis Steve Edney and Louise

35 The High Life Stephen Crisp’s stylish

41 Rich Tapestry David Rosewarne and

48 Country Classic Sheila Shadfield’s work

56 God of Small Things Juan Carlos Cure

93 115 71 The Socialite Gardener The little-known

79 Chelsea Preview At this year’s show, the

115 Gardens in Art Three artists explain how

90 Rising Stars Sue Martin, holder of the

16 National Plant Collection of geums, discusses

93 Hardy Heroes Vanessa Cook, of York’s

101 In Season Asparagus is a luxury all the

6 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

109 Perfectly imperfect In this extract from

how to bring out the best in smaller gardens.

16 Shopping The best gear for small-scale

123 The Reviewer This month’s literary

130 Last Word Katherine Swift on the fall

77 Home Insurance Preferential rates on your

Designed for garden lovers, Cub Cadet takes lawn care

Perfectly FORMED clifftop path is unmissable.

The Compton Garden Natural History Museum

SPRING 2018 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 9

LOOKING AHEAD: SPRING Shows

10 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

Introducing a new boutique event for the

Advanced tickets £20.

O As roses come into

planting by double digging and pulled up by hand.

12 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

The sound of SPRING

A PLANT FOR POLLINATORS

Bird’s foot trefoil

seeds, which will O If your garden is fenced in, help

14 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

“The water is amazing, it’s like Gartenart Swimming Ponds

16 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

For further information or to find a local stockist please email pots@woodlodge.co.uk

SPRING 2018 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 19

WORDS NON MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHS MARIANNE MAJERUS

20 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

T visitors by surprise. The front of

22 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

SPRING 2018 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 23

24 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

The fig soars up to the sky

SPRING 2018 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 25

đ ADVICE đ DELIVERY đ PLANTING đ AFTERCARE đ

To the rear of this

WORDS ANNETTE WARREN PHOTOGRAPHS CLIVE NICHOLS

SPRING 2018 THE ENGLISH GARDEN 27

28 THE ENGLISH GARDEN SPRING 2018

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