Welcome to Our Garden@19, Within brimfields.com I follow the year, preparing to open for the NGS while enjoying visiting gardens, the beauty of nature, the plants, the wildlife and a sanctuary to relax in.
We purchased the house in November 2004 and moved in during August 2005. During that time along with decorating the house, plants were dug up at our previous garden and potted up ready for the move.
The Garden@19 consisted in the main of lawn with a few shrubs, trees and a large shed in a lovely shade of Terracotta. The only plants remaining from when we took over are a Cherry Tree, a Magnolia soulangeana, a Mohonia and two Rhododendrons. One of the main reasons we bought the house was the size of the garden, not too big to demand too much time (sometimes) not too small to hold all the plants I would like to grow (all the time). I have never dug this garden. Maintaining healthy topsoil through minimal cultivation and mulching is beneficial to the plants, wildlife and the gardeners back!
Geoff Hamilton was an early inspiration, a rose named after him is in the front garden.
The gardens and writing of Christopher Lloyd at Great Dixter, William Robinson at Gravetye Manor and Beth Chatto then provided inspiration in the garden planting.
Rosemary Verey was the first garden designer to influence me with her Barnsley house garden, especially the Potager and later her small show garden for Chelsea in 1992, the inspiration for the Blue Borders original design.
I aim to have something of interest throughout the year.
The rear garden is North facing and divided into rooms, Hidcote is the inspiration here, essentially so that it cannot all be seen at once. This allows the planting of different garden styles. There is an Oriental garden, a White and Green garden, a mixed border (Blue Border) and a never-ending woodland walk! (this is the Head Gardener’s imagination getting the better of him but if it keeps him happy). There is a working, propagation area with two greenhouses, plants are propagated by division and seeds from the garden, there is a potting shed with a display of vintage garden tools and a plant sale area for open days.
Potager inspired, Raised beds edge the patio, one contains a herb bed and two others are edged with trained apple trees, the pear arch and planted with flowers and vegetables.
Through a vine and rose-covered arch is the main mixed border, The Blue Border. Why the blue border? It did not originally have a name, we found with people visiting the garden it is useful to name the different areas of the garden. I liked the idea of blue garden furniture since seeing some in the garden designer John Brookes Denmans garden, I painted some metal chairs and a table blue and renamed this border ‘The Blue Border’. I also use the named areas of the garden in my records to know which plants are where this is essential to help name plants when propagating for sale on open days. This is a mixed border with trees, shrubs, climbing and standard roses, drought tolerant perennials such as bearded iris and annuals including tulips, wallflowers, forget-me-nots and foxgloves for the spring.
The front is South facing and devoted to car parking, an iris bed, roses, alpine boxes and colourful pot displays.
We currently open the garden for the village church and the charity NGS
Please post your comments, I look forward to reading them.
You can visit my first blog: Our Garden@19 using the link on this blog.
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