Although my blogging has been rather minimal this year, I have quietly visited a few corking gardens and nurseries that I couldn’t resist writing about. My previous post noted the merits of Les Jardins Agapanthe just north of Rouen, and above are Les Jardins de Sericourt, roughly halfway between Calais and Amiens, also in northern France.
I must say that I didn’t find the gardens as a whole as satisfying as the exceptional Jardins Agapanthe, but this magical topiary walk really took my breath away and justified the trip.
I do seem to be developing a penchant for evergreens. Does this come with age? I think so. I’m not going to be throwing out my lush perennials, but I find that a fine bit of topiary increasingly gives pleasure and I’m (finally) starting to really understand the merits of year round structure, even in smaller gardens, where space is always fiercely fought over. And some evergreens, such as Myrtle, Sarcococcas, Pittosporums and Skimmias will also give you scent and berries.
This Chilean Guava is such an evergreen shrub (part of the Myrtle family I think) and was covered in the most moreish deep red berries at Edulis Nursery in Pangbourne (near Reading). Wouldn’t this be great for an edible hedge?
It needs neutral to acid soil, and a sunny sheltered spot, although it should tolerate temperatures to about -10. There’s also a rather attractive variegated variety and one of these might be featuring in a client’s garden (or two) as well as my own next year.
Edulis is a wonderfully exciting nursery to visit, with so many unusual edible plants to tempt you. I also came away with a few fantastic varieties of chives (edible flowers, stems, and roots), some which will grow in shady areas and others that have gorgeous flowers in September and October and all the way through to December. The Szechuan Pepper tree (above) is also on my list for when I get that extra half an acre.
Next on my favourite things list is this great Niwaki ladder which I’ve been lusting after for years. I’m absolutely delighted with it. I’m not great with heights, but I feel safe and secure working from it and it’s light and easy to carry around. What more could you want? Different heights? It comes in quite a few. Alas, more temptation!
And I finally got to visit Gravetye Manor in July for a spot of lunch and a good wander around the gardens, which are now under the very capable hands of Tom Coward, formerly Fergus Garrett’s deputy at Great Dixter. One needs to be a resident or lunching to visit the gardens, but there are some talks and tours in the gardens this year (see below in comments). Not a cheap option, but worth the visit.
The deep borders were soft and romantic,
packed full of summer colour and very uplifting.
However, the main draw for me was the enormous 2 acre oval-shaped walled veg garden (walled garden envy alert!).
All the beds were immaculately maintained, with trained fruit trees dotted along the walls,
as well as step-overs edging some of the beds.
And there was a great hum of insects from the flowers that were generously planted along the margins of the beds.
It’s great to see varied growing techniques in different gardens and I found these Hinnomaki Red Gooseberries, trained as cordons, very inspiring. A lot easier to harvest than from a bush, these upright fruits would be wonderful to grow in tight urban spaces and I’ve already ordered a few to experiment with in my own garden.
So onwards for 2016. I’m looking forward to visiting lots more exciting gardens. Above and below are the delightful airily planted gardens of Siew Lee Vorley, another Great Dixter gardener with an abundance of vision.
Her gardens are packed full of artful plant combinations, (Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Lavendelturm’ above from Marchants Hardy Plants, flanked by the annual, Larkspur ‘Sublime Lilac’)
with truly gorgeous colours and textures. This delicate Kniphofia ‘Rufa’ (above), is a non edible plant from Edulis. They do flowers too!
Siew Lee’s garden is in Brightling, East Sussex, a hop skip and a jump from Sarah Raven’s flower picking patch, and if you’d like to visit her gardens this year, you can contact her at slvorley@googlemail.com.
The topiaries took my breath away. Although I have no evergreens on my property, due to very poor drainage, flooding, and walnut trees in the vicinity. I tried some Hemlocks and they died within 2 years. There is the neighbour’s cedar hedge at the back, but it is not inspirational like these gardens.
I think you are correct about evergreens being an age thing. I am starting to really covet them, but am not prepared to rip out a flower for one.
Hi Lisa, Your trip to Gravetye sounds great. Any other garden visits planned on your itinerary?
On Monday April 25th we will be at Great Dixter for a course with Fergus Garrett, lunch and then a garden tour in the afternoon while it is closed to the public. We are doing gardens for 2 weeks, so I have a list of many to visit. Sissinghurst of course, Hever, Penshurst, the Salutation, Nymans, Leonardslee, Monk’s House, Godinton, I hope to book Woolbeding and Highgrove as well. There are many more, I have to narrow it down, because I don’t want to be overwhelmed.
Wow Lisa, sounds like a wonderful trip. Will have to look at some of these gardens-Monk’s House and Leonardslee-which I’ve never visited.Yes, good to pace yourself so that you can enjoy all that you see. Happy planning! Naomi
Ooh, loads of inspiration here. I love the look of the topiary at Sericourt and the planting at Gravetye. And those gooseberries – what a great idea. I am definitely going to have to get out and about more this year – Great Dixter here I come asap! Thanks for cheering me up on this January day.
Hi Sam, yes, it’s pretty bleak out there today, but always inspirng to visit others’ gardens. Hope you get to see some fab gardens this year.
Lovely photos Naomi, the shots from Les Jardins de Sericourt of the topiary are really enticing. I haven’t visited Gravetye yet but its been on my wishlist for a while, are the gardens open to the public without having lunch there, I’ve just scanned their website but cant decide?
Julie, they are having a guided tour with Tom Coward including lunch on April 26th. My mother and I will be attending, I was excited to be able to book it since we are coming from Canada.
Thanks Lisa, sounds like a wonderful trip.
Hi Julie, (and thanks Lisa for your reply to this question). Just checked with Gravetye Manor and you have to be a resident or having lunch to visit the gardens. However, there are also a few events this year. On Tuesday 8th March, Heidi Howcroft is giving a talk on ‘The English Garden: Designs and Influence’. £55 per person including lunch (with wine!). As Lisa mentioned, Head Gardener Tom Coward is giving a garden tour followed by lunch (£75) on Tuesday 26th April and the same again on Wednesday 25th May.
Thanks Naomi, I shall look into both events and have just found Tom’s Gravetye blog via their website too. Thanks again, Julie
I think there is an inevitability about turning more and more to evergreens – though I am personally far too lazy to cope with topiary! Gravetye looks amazing, that gooseberry training systems has me itching to order some bare rooted plants, except that I can’t work out where to put them. Yet… And I now have serious ladder envy!
Hi Janet, yes, I’m always struggling to find areas to plant all my new ideas in. Those gooseberries tasted so good though and shouldn’t take up too much space….Hmm
Lovely post. Inspiring to think about the beauties of last year and the possibilities of next.
Hi Nicolette, Yes, another N. France garden to visit?? N x
Lovely to see you back posting again.
Just thought I’d say that I recently (this Autumn) replaced the hedge in my front garden with one made up of serval Chilean guava plants plus a chaenemoles in the centre. The Chilean guava berries taste gorgeous, which is why I wanted them there. Am all in favour of edible front gardens,many of people pick and enjoy eating some of the fruit as they pass by, so much the better.
Wishing you a good and fruitful 2016.
Hi Deborah, Very excited to hear about your edible hedge. Would love to see some pics. Wishing you a fruitful (and tasty) year ahead too. V.best Naomi
It’s just a little baby at the moment – 3 small Chilean Guava with the japonica in the middle. All planted in the drought this summer, and stupidly my own neglect killed off the fourth CG. May well replace it though, as the others do now seem to be doing well.
So uplifting to read your blog on this cold and rainy January day. Please keep posting to inspire us all. Happy New Year!
Thanks Linda! Happy New Year!
An edible hedge is a lovely idea but not good for street boundaries, where passers-by are liable to strip it. (I even know people whose front garden olive trees are invariably plundered.) The same goes for flowering shrubs within reach of the street, sadly.
I’m very tempted by the tripod ladder (having envied Monty Don’s one for years) but the Niwaki one only has one (the rear) adjustable leg. There are alternatives with all three legs being adjustable, which would be more practicable for fruit-picking from trees at the back of sloping borders etc.
Hi Dianna, Deborah (above) seems happy to share her berries with passers by, and hopefully there’d be some left on the garden side for eating too. I think the more people plant in front gardens, the more loved a whole area looks and less stripping occurs. We do have a little bit of plant theft in our area, but mostly plants are left to grow happily away.
Just love the feeling of strength and stability of my Niwaki ladder and have found it gets to all the places I need to prune. Very happy with it.
I find myself implementing evergreens more and more as I mature also, it was funny to me how you put that into words!
Hi Lisette, More roses, more evergreens. Still love my fruit and veg and perennials though. I really do need that extra half an acre!
We visited Sericourt a few years ago Naomi and as you say the topiary is magical. There was also a great sense of peace and tranquility in that part of the garden. I was also most excited on that visit because I saw my first ever red squirrel as we were leaving. If you are ever in that area again you might enjoy a visit to Le Jardin de Marie Ange, which is a much smaller private garden with the most welcoming of owners. We are going to Sussex later this year so thanks for the details of Siew Lee’s garden 🙂
Hi Anna, Thanks for the info about Le Jardin Marie Ange. Will contact the owners if I’m passing that way again. Siew Lee’s garden is delightful, definitely worth a visit and Siew Lee is very generous about sharing her plant knowledge when visiting.
HI Naomi, Reading your blog, makes me realise that I don’t get out to as many gardens as I should. Gravetye in paraticular looks fantastic. I think your new steps are fantastic. I went on a course at Niwaki in the Autumn, all their tools are beautifully crafted, so far I only have their secateurs. Kind regards Sally
Hi Sally, I have some lovely Niwaki secateurs that I’m rather partial to too, and someone told me recently that they have both a red handle and a white handle so that they can be spotted in bright daylight and in lower light levels. How fantastic is that!
Hi Naomi, beautiful post. I visited Gravetye this past June whilst on a week long symposia at Great Dixter. They are sensational gardens. I also got the chance to visit Munstead Wood whilst spending a week with friends touring gardens in Somerset. One garden that stood out was East Lambrook. Have you been there?
Hi Cat, Shamed to say that I’ve never been to Munstead Wood, although I have planted a few roses of this variety and very gorgeous they are too.
I had a very brief visit to East Lambrook, but was a little disappointed. It might have been the mood of the day and the rushed nature of the visit though. I do remember that the nursery had a wonderful selection of plants. Will hopefully visit again in the not too distant future with a much more leisurely pace.
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