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HeAd GArdener - New British Landscapes

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A day in the life of a<br />

<strong>HeAd</strong> <strong>GArdener</strong><br />

Garsington Manor head gardener Hannah Gardener takes us through the experience of<br />

working full time in a beautiful six-acre garden, from the hard work and heavy boots of winter and<br />

spring to the tantalising scents and tennis shoes of summer and autumn<br />

PHOTOGRAPHS JASON INGRAM<br />

GLORIOUS GARDENS<br />

s<br />

OXFORDSHIRE<br />

July 2012 the english garden 57


GLORIOUS GARDENS<br />

OXFORDSHIRE<br />

Waking early, sunlight<br />

flooding my bedroom floor,<br />

I rouse my dogs, take my<br />

daughter’s hand and set off<br />

for the potting shed. This<br />

familiar wander marks the passage from<br />

home to work, and the start of my day as<br />

head gardener here at Garsington Manor.<br />

Negotiating the phalanxes of fastigate Irish<br />

yews - all slightly struggling with their<br />

starchy verticality despite the support of tight<br />

wire corsets keeping these grand old ladies<br />

in shape - we cross the south-facing slope.<br />

Coming around the back of a high brick<br />

wall, we enter the ramshackle, masculine<br />

potting shed, which is well hidden at the<br />

back of a pretty beehive glasshouse, full to<br />

58 the english garden July 2012<br />

bursting with the lipstick shades of zonal<br />

pelargonium flowers.<br />

Watering the potted plants is the first job<br />

every day from spring through to autumn. It is<br />

best to avoid delay. Watering cans, an eclectic<br />

selection of sticky traps, a spray of liquid soap<br />

(if the aphids are really getting carried away),<br />

and a keen eye are the only things required to<br />

look after the young plants for this entire<br />

six-acre garden, including the vegetables.<br />

They are the domain of John Prior, who has<br />

gardened here for 60 years.<br />

As we collect much of our own seed, I have<br />

never felt the need to buy Nicotiana sylvestris,<br />

N.mutablis, Salvia patens or an annual poppy<br />

of any description, but not all seed is as reliable<br />

and easy to nurture through to maturity.<br />

In spring, the 24 square box-edged borders are full of tulips, daffodils, swathes of forget-me-nots<br />

and wallflowers... Summer is the flower garden’s second planting chapter<br />

I boost our stocks of cosmos each year,<br />

and supplement the giant zinnia seed with at<br />

least one snazzy bright newcomer to contend<br />

head to head with the dahlias for the most<br />

gorgeous and garish late bloom.<br />

Summer is the flower garden’s second<br />

planting chapter. In spring, the 24 square boxedged<br />

borders are full of tulips, daffodils,<br />

swathes of forget-me-nots and wallflowers.<br />

I favour single colour varieties such as the<br />

vintage feel of Erysimum ‘Giant Pink’ and<br />

dramatic blood red ‘Vulcan’.<br />

Zinnias may need a little TLC, but not so<br />

the sweet peas, which we grow in profusion.<br />

We save plenty of seed, but I can never resist<br />

the promise of a new rich burgundy, or<br />

a moody navy. I particularly recommend<br />

‘Blackberry’, ‘Beaujolais’ and’ Hero’. Rosalind<br />

Ingrams, the owner of the manor, favours<br />

fiery magenta and scarlet blooms - so we<br />

agree to grow the lot.<br />

Sowing in spring (which for sweet peas is in<br />

January), I throw a generous handful of the<br />

intensely scented Lathyrus ‘Cupani’ into the<br />

mix. Introduced in 1699, it’s only a few decades<br />

younger than Garsington’s Jacobean manor<br />

house. I like the idea of growing it near the<br />

remarkable dovecote with its proud ‘1714’<br />

chiselled into the stone above the door.<br />

These rather demure little peas twine up<br />

the hazel sticks quite as easily as the more<br />

robust cultivars. Only Sam, another long-term<br />

gardener here, now in his 83rd year, has the<br />

patience required to guide the young seedlings<br />

with miniature rows of peasticks, perhaps only<br />

s<br />

PREVIOUS PAGE, OVERLEAF Hannah<br />

Gardener stakes in supports for delphiniums -<br />

just one of her tasks as head gardener at<br />

Garsington Manor. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM<br />

LEFT Hannah and her dogs xxxxxx and<br />

xxxxxxxxx. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT To<br />

look after the planters on the island, Hannah<br />

must venture out in a row boat; anticipating<br />

the bounty from the kitchen garden; Hannah<br />

deadheads the repeat-flowering roses<br />

religiously; sweet peas are a garden favourite<br />

here; the 24 square box-edged beds are<br />

planted up for summer with annuals such<br />

as cosmos, nicotiana and poppies, with<br />

structure offered by the fastigate yews<br />

and reliable colour from campanulas and<br />

roses; Hannah pots on more young<br />

plants in the potting shed.


I find gardening in summer... slightly slower in the<br />

heat. This steadiness affords an appreciation<br />

of one’s surroundings that can prove elusive’


30cm in height. Statuesque cut-hazel branches<br />

take over once they are established. We often<br />

plant in rows, but branches bunched into<br />

a loose obelisk can fill a corner very well.<br />

I find gardening in summer repetitive by<br />

nature and, of course, slightly slower in the<br />

heat. This steadiness affords an appreciation<br />

of one’s surroundings that can prove elusive<br />

while trudging uphill with endless barrows of<br />

manure, or energetically carving up a huge<br />

clump of asters. These are very physical tasks,<br />

but summer gardening can, for the most part,<br />

be done at Garsington wearing tennis shoes,<br />

which comes as a relief after a long season of<br />

heavy boots and hats. Deadheading, hoeing<br />

and staking are my main activities in early<br />

The mature trees, vibrant flower borders and wide views across The Vale of the White<br />

Horse to the Wittenham Clumps seem to speak for themselves<br />

summer. Careful winter pruning, autumn<br />

manure and a spring feed have set the roses on<br />

the right track. I no longer spray them, but<br />

I deadhead the repeat flowerers regularly as the<br />

weather, specifically rain, plays havoc with<br />

delicate blooms, and balled rosebuds just mope<br />

around looking tatty. I happily leave the species<br />

62 the english garden July 2012<br />

roses to their own devices, however - their<br />

generous hips and fine foliage are often every<br />

bit as beguiling as the early blooms.<br />

When I support plants, I like to keep things<br />

fairly loose, invisible(ish) and informal. I stake<br />

most herbaceous perennials with cut down<br />

pea sticks, reserving canes and twine for<br />

TOP RIGHT xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ABOVE xxxxxxxx xx<br />

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br />

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br />

delphiniums, peonies and, later, for dahlias,<br />

which we grow in quantity in the flower<br />

garden. A mass of sophisticated deep red<br />

Dahlia coccinea ‘Great Dixter’ and punchy<br />

scarlet ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ alongside forests<br />

of Nicotiana sylvestris and tumbling asters<br />

certainly make for a late summer spectacle.<br />

The mature trees, vibrant flower borders<br />

and wide views across The Vale of the White<br />

Horse to the Wittenham Clumps seem to<br />

speak for themselves, and we have relatively<br />

few planters for seasonal display. However,<br />

the small pair on the island are good for<br />

tulips - squirrels are poor long-distance<br />

swimmers. We usually replant in late May<br />

with pot geraniums. ‘Tom Thumb’ and<br />

‘Appleblossom’ are favourites elsewhere,<br />

but here we require impact, and it is the<br />

bright tarty scarlets that win, hands down.<br />

A moorhen will then usually sit here, rather<br />

belittling my horticultural efforts. Of course,<br />

the beauty of the subsequent chicks far<br />

exceeds that of a gaudy pot geranium, and all<br />

is instantly forgiven. The local red kites will<br />

be after them soon enough anyway.<br />

My days often end down by the lake,<br />

catching reflections, clearing old drains and<br />

enjoying the dragonflies. Thus the summer<br />

passes. I anticipate ripening fruit and watch<br />

the chicks grow up quickly.<br />

Garsington Manor, 28 Southend, Garsington,<br />

Oxon OX44 9DH. Open for the National Gardens<br />

Scheme on 23 Sept, 2-5pm. Also by appt with<br />

Hannah. Tel: +44 (0)1865 361234. Turn to pg<br />

111 to find out more about a career in gardening.<br />

Garsington notebook<br />

OveR THe pONd<br />

The white bridge (above) leads across the monastic<br />

fish pond to a small island populated with species<br />

narcissus and a handsome group of willows. for<br />

a similar style, see the Koi Bridge range from<br />

www.gardenbridge.co.uk<br />

GARDEN<br />

CHALLENGES<br />

WIND: We’ve strong<br />

winds on the edge of<br />

the hill, so ties need<br />

to be checked and<br />

replaced regularly.<br />

Natural twine is<br />

kinder than metal or<br />

polypropylene.<br />

COLD: The past two<br />

winters killed some<br />

shrubs off. They are<br />

rarely replaced like<br />

with like.<br />

TOp TIpS fROM GARSINGTON’S HANNAH GARdeNeR<br />

● Always order extra and unusual varieties of annual seed in addition to saving your own.<br />

This allows you to experiment, which is unreliable but exciting and keeps horticulture creative.<br />

● Treat tulips as bedding plants. If you want a strong display, start with fresh stock<br />

each autumn, and have a ‘dolly mixture’ area for all your odds and ends that you<br />

have lifted and replanted.<br />

AlSO IN THe AReA<br />

Hannah recommends these other local hotspots if you decide to visit Garsington:<br />

● NURSERY <strong>New</strong>ington Nurseries Good for exotics. <strong>New</strong>ington, Nr Stadhampton, Oxfordshire<br />

OX10 7AW. Tel: +44 (0)1865 400533. www.newington-nurseries.co.uk<br />

● PLACE TO STAY The Crazy Bear, Bear lane, Stadhampton, Oxfordshire OX44 7UR.<br />

Tel: +44 (0)1865 890714. www.crazybeargroup.co.uk<br />

● PLACE TO EAT The Mole Inn, Toot Baldon, Oxford OX44 9NG. Tel: +44 (0)1865 340001.<br />

www.moleinntootbaldon.co.uk<br />

● DESIGN Hannah also does design and consultancy. See www.newbritishlandscapes.co.uk<br />

GARdeN<br />

CeNTRe<br />

NeARBy<br />

● Spend time walking round and looking at your garden - it sounds obvious, but often<br />

gardens are improved by what is subtracted rather than endless additions.<br />

BRIllIANT fOR BIRdS<br />

The dovecote (below) was constructed<br />

from ships timbers back in 1714. This<br />

date is scored in stone above the<br />

ancient doorway.<br />

16.5 miles from Rhodds Farm: Wyevale Hereford Garden Centre<br />

Kings Acre Rd, Hereford, Herefordshire HR4 0Se. An array of superb<br />

gardening products. The restaurant stays true to its original philosophy of<br />

friendly service and excellent food. taurant stays true to its original<br />

● Look after your bee population and abandon spraying as a matter of habit and routine.<br />

● If a plant is struggling, listen to nature and plant something more suited to conditions.<br />

GLORIOUS GARDENS<br />

OXFORDSHIRE<br />

STATUe SIGHT<br />

Ancient characters stare out<br />

across the formal Italian lake,<br />

extended and formalised by<br />

Ottoline Morell in 1925.

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