The Main Garden
Although the whole of the grounds are treated as garden, the area to the south and east of the house is the cultivated area unlike the wilder woodland areas to the north. Like the rest of the land, there are many changes of level, as well as different soil types which provide particular challenges - and opportunities. Apart from the the House, Terrace and Driveway, the formal structure of the garden is mostly determined by the mainly mown grass paths which link the different planting areas. Other structural features include the beech hedge surrounding the Amphitheatre and some stonework that marks off the Roundel with some stone bordered paths as along Shanklin's Path and steps leading from the house down into the garden. Other structure is provided by the plants themselves, particularly trees and shrubs.
To see some aerial photographs of the garden taken in late autumn 2021 by James Baster click here.
There are a number of beds and borders with different themes and types of plants, but there is little formality in design or planting, reflecting the beauty and forms of the surrounding countryside. The aim is to give some interesting walks around the garden with changes of view, planting styles and colour effects. The planting in all areas is laissez faire and and owes something (but not everything) to the naturalistic styles of people like Piet Oudolf, Noel Kingsbury and others.
House, Terrace and Drive
Around the house are a number of climbers, some shrubs and a developing gravel garden with planted and self-seeded Dieramas as well as dog violet (Viola riviniana) both blue and white and various other plants. On the terrace are alpine troughs with pots of bedding and less hardy plants in summer. The lawn boasts spring bulbs and a number of trees and shrubs while the drive has a quiet border with shade tolerant perennial plants.
Matthew's March and the Mount
Along Matthew's March there is a line of purple-leaved cherries (Prunus cerasifera 'Pissardii Nigra') planted in the 1950s underplanted with flowering shrubs both new and old with many daffodils in spring.
The Mount is planted with bamboos, conifers and many other trees and shrubs with areas of meadow with many wild flowers.
Birch Bank and Soggy Bottom
Birch Bank is comprised of many self-seeded silver birch, beech and rowans with introduced ornamental trees, rhododendrons, pieris and other ericaceous plants. It drops steeply down to the river where there are spring and autumn flowering bulbs, willows and ferns. Soggy Bottom (currently being renovated) hosts damp tolerant herbaceous plants like iris, ferns and hostas and a few shrubs such as a foot-catkin willow (Salix magnifica) which is endemic to Sichuan province in China.
The Pines and Shanklin's Path
The Pines is named after the mature specimens of Scots pine and the area is planted with other conifers and many rhododendron species and cultivars. Shanklin's Path is a remnant of the garden laid out in the middle of the last century and contains original rhododendrons and later planted conifers. I added more rhododendrons, shade tolerant shrubs and herbaceous plants.
The East Bank and Meadows
Long neglected, the steep bank under the house, the East Bank, is now being gradually restored. It is pictured left in better days. The Meadows is a bit of a misnomer, but I use the term to indicate that I don't weed these areas! t the one closer to the house is planted with lots of daffodil varieties and looks good in April and May when the bluebells take over. Below that has been recently sown with a highland meadow mix which i hope will start to germinate next spring.
© Ronnie Cann 2021
© Ronnie Cann 2021