A Gardening Woman

Gloucestershire Gardens Review Part II

Anticipation could not have been higher as a group of us met at Banbury Station last week to visit nearby Broughton Grange with its famous 'walled garden' created ten years ago by Tom Stuart-Smith. I'd seen the photographs, read T S-S's thinking behind the garden and like everyone else, couldn't wait to see it in the flesh.

Met by the delightful Head Gardener, Andrew, we were let loose on this icon of contemporary garden design. First impressions were as expected; one cannot help but be blown away by the scale of the design and scope of the planting.

This is an astounding garden which will undoubtedly influence other less ambitious gardens (including my own) for years to come. It oozes modernity yet also harks back to the eighteenth century. Money, patronage, and a strong sense of male-ness.

Small niggle: In general I'm a fan of labels as long as they are used discretely. But these are just too in your face and high. Some will get hidden by foliage eventually but those that don't give it the look of a botanical garden. I wonder what T S-S thinks of them? Maybe it's a boy thing...

Of course, Broughton Grange isn't just about the walled garden even though that's what everyone wants to see. There are other areas, an 80-acre arborteum in its infancy, a peat-block ericaceous garden, a stumpery (groan....), a Spring garden walk, a parterre in front of the house which is reassuringly modest for such a grand estate. And I'm delighted that the garden is now open to the public both for groups and for the NGS in high summer (see the Yellow Book for dates).

So did I come away exhilarated or disappointed? A little of both. I still believe it is one of the most influential gardens so far of the 21st century. There are planting combinations galore that I will be copying. But I didn't expect it to be quite so masculine and impersonal. Perhaps I should have done.

Marks out of 20:

Atmosphere 3; Planting 4; Design 4; Upkeep 3

So on to Upton Wold. Where? Yes, that's just what we said. I hadn't heard of it either. Quite a long coach journey brought us to some corrugated barns which did not auger well. But minutes later we were greeted by the ebullient owner, given plant lists and we sensed we were in for something special.

While the estate is enormous, the garden is traditional Cotswolds, divided into various rooms all with a different atmosphere. At the heart of this garden is the owner's astounding collection of walnut trees. While not the most exciting trees to look at, knowing that this collection is probably the best in the world makes it exhilarating. But for me it was the special touches like 'windows' cut into beech hedges, a tunnel made through a yew hedge for chasing grandchildren, and excellent specialist planting throughout that made this garden very special for me. It is only open to groups but is well worth seeking out.

Atmosphere: 5  Planting:  4  Design:  4 Upkeep: 4

Gloucestershire Gardens Review Part I

Being based mainly in Suffolk, I don't get over to the Cotswolds as often as I'd like so the opportunity to visit gardens between work commitments last week was not to be missed! Homework done on Twitter to find gardens I hadn't been to before (thanks to @DrFrond, @AnneWareham et al) gave me a short list of Snowshill Garden (NT) and Mill Dene (which came with a warning) to be followed the next day by Broughton Grange and Upton Wold with a Garden Museum tour.

Snowshill Garden (NT)

Most people visit Snowshill to see Charles Wade's eccentric and eclectic collections of weird and wonderful objects. He had so much that the house was given over entirely to the collect and Wade lived next door in the small Priest's House. He had just as firm ideas about the garden, distrusting roses for their short season and spiky look, and banning green paint in favour of his own mix of turquoise known as Wade's Blue. I couldn't resist taking this photograph since the woman's outfit almost matches one of Wade's painted plaques seen round the garden.

I loved the atmosphere here. A long walk from the car park and commercial NT aspects give it a feeling of other-worldliness just as Wade would have wanted. Some roses have been allowed back in by the Head Gardener who's been there 20+ years.  The planting is mostly familiar - lots of cottage garden favourites allowed to seed in a rather un-NT way. Some species peonies I coveted but this is not a garden to come to for rarities but rather to be transported by its magical atmosphere.

My marks out of 20:

Atmosphere 5; Planting 3; Design 3.5; Upkeep 3.5 = 15

 

Mill Dene, Blockley

I had been warned. But I wanted to make my own mind up. And I did. First the parking is a nightmare. Friendly greeting with that day's food menu and a returnable map of the garden. It's on a tricky site with the mill stream running through the middle but I have an instant hatred of black weed suppressant material showing through brash home made chippings. And then I turned to see what has to be the saddest auricula theatre ever.

Please, if you open your garden to the public - not for charity - try and see it as others see it on arrival. Wombles, etc, are not my taste but may be for others but there is no excuse for sad auriculas and large clumps of nettles in herbaceous borders. Don't be fooled by the photograph below - they are there. There are pluses - they've made the best of this sloping site and it is clearly a much-loved family garden. But I left hearing the words 'we told you so' ringing in my ears.

Atmosphere: 1.5; Planting 2; Design 3; Upkeep 1.5 = 8

Having expected to spend more time at Mill Dene, I left needing a fix of a good garden. The old stalwart Hidcote is closed on Thursday but luckily Bourton House Garden was just nearby.

Bourton House Garden, Bourton-on-the-Hill

Bourton House Garden calls itself the 'Cotswolds' best kept secret' but it was no secret that it was put on the market and sold a couple of years ago much to many people's distress. The good news is that the new owners appear to be carrying on the traditional of this marvellous garden since the previous owners had to sell due to ill health.

The design of the garden has always made the most of the imposing house and surrounding open countryside. It is immaculately kept as it has always been - the box topiary looks like a Firth of Forth bridge job to me but it's clearly a labour of love by the loyal but small gardening team.

I was too early for the sumptuous tubs and tender perennials that have been a feature of Bourton House Garden but a peek into the greenhouse gives a taste of what's to come.

The barn is to re-open later in the year for refreshments and exhibitions. I came away with my faith restored in private gardens open to the public on a daily basis. Bourton House Garden is grand but accessible at the same time. Long may it stay this way.

Atmosphere: 4; Planting 4; Design 4; Upkeep 5 = 17

Next blog: Part II - Did Tom Stuart-Smith's Walled Garden at Broughton Grange live up to the hype? And where and what is Upton Wold?

A Visit to Spencers

Yesterday I made my first and possibly last visit to Spencers, the beautiful garden owned by the Courtauld family, in Great Yeldham, Essex. It's just over the border from my garden in Suffolk and I have been keen to see it since I heard that Tom Stuart Smith had done some work on the borders. Henrietta Courtauld now works for Tom and so it came highly recommended.

Sadly the house is now up for sale and who knows if the new owners will want to keep opening it. Here are some of its delights. I was especially impressed by their sweet pea supports and rhubarb forcing methods!