It had been a snowy winter, at least for a day or two, and naturally I ran out with the camera to capture some shots. A garden always looks best when it is muted by the greens of grass and trees, I find, and the stark white of snowfall is a mere curiosity. Nevertheless, I took a number of pictures which I rarely look at. I think this one of the view south justifies reproduction, though, to give an impression of the setting, which I haven't really made a lot of in my descriptions.
At this time, I had no idea that I would be leaving, and was looking forward to witnessing, along with our visitors, how the garden would develop in its second season. The terrace now had its pear trees in place and they had had their first winter's formative pruning to begin the espalier shape. Beneath were planted the Tulipa 'Shirley', a white, edged with purple flushes and speckles.
These opened out after the pears finished flowering to look like this:
Subtle colouring, attractive, and wasn't going to frighten the rabbits. It certainly wasn't going to frighten the rats. The first year we planted these, we wondered why they weren't coming up in any profusion until we found rodents had lifted and buried most of them in our compost heap for safe keeping. Told you - it's a battle on all fronts. Anyway, I was pretty pleased with this. It was simple and worked well visually, even if they could have done with being planted a bit thicker. When it comes to tulips, buy wholesale and always plant more than you think you have room for. Plant enough for the rats. Then enough for the badgers. And some for the pheasants. And have a few for yourself too.
By the summer the terrace took on a new look, although as far as colour was concerned, it didn't involve major steps in any new direction. The Echium vulgare hybrids provided a pleasing mixture in a range from white through purple to blue.
As for the box hedging that we recycled for the opening ceremony, somewhere along the line, my badgering had won the day, and I had been allowed to replace the ropey ones with new plants, and we had an altogether more pleasing foreground to the south front of the house.
All it needed was a couple of years to grow together. I suppose I was a little sad in the end that I wouldn't be there to see that.
By midsummer the feature pots on the balustrade were beginning to make a show, although I always felt that the hoops in which they hung were too small, and didn't allow for large enough pots to make a significant display. In that, the restorers were governed by actual Victorian remnants, so we had no choice.
And then we come to my lovely walled garden. I wasn't much of a photographer back then, and I didn't have a lot of time to devote to it, flat out as I was with the work itself, so I'm not sure that I really have illustrations that do it justice, but here goes.
The overall effect here is fairly full for a very young garden. The soil was extremely fertile and did a lot of the work for us in terms of promoting growth. A couple of close-ups will show the relatively simple choice of plants used to supplement the period roses which formed the basis for the design.
Here it can be seen that some of the climbing roses were already at the top of the wall, part-way through their second season in the ground.
Of course, it always helps to use fast growing herbaceous plants such as cardoons to give a quick bulk effect, but really, in this garden, there was little need to create such illusions. Everything grew fast.
And that's it. I was leaving the job in my sixth year as a gardener, two of which had been spent as a Chargehand in the parks, and now two more as a Head Gardener in an historic garden. This had been my first proper garden in terms of quality and history, and if I had had time to consider, not only would I have been proud, but I would also have been sorry to be moving on. But I couldn't spare the sentiment. I was progressing to greater challenges, in every sense of the word.
On the way back to my house to start packing, I took in the view of the family cemetery and ruined chapel, and maybe allowed myself to feel a little wistful. But no more.
I returned in 2006 to visit my trusty assistant who was still there. I usually try not to go back, but I indulged myself. Pictures tomorrow.
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