Gardens of delight Susan Copeland, county organiser for the National Garden Scheme in , showcases some of the exceptional private gardens that will be opened exclusively to the public as part of this fabulous initiative

158  Essex Life: April 2020 Essex Gardens

ith garden visiting becoming an evermore popular W occupation, perhaps even an obsession, the arrival of spring is the ideal time of year to take a look at gardens which are opening around the county and start planning. Television programmes may tempt us with gardens around the country and further afield, but the superb gardens which open their gates to the public in Essex shouldn’t be overlooked. With strict guidelines as to which gardens can be accepted onto the scheme, visitors can be sure that they will witness the best horticultural examples, as well as receiving excellent hospitality. Originally established to raise funds for district nurses, the National Garden Scheme (NGS) is now the most significant charitable funder of nursing chance to revisit some favourites. Above: Friday, May 1. Larger than many in the UK with beneficiaries Here are some of the highlights Tulips at Ulting gardens, at three-quarters of including Macmillan Cancer Wick an acre, it nevertheless shows Support, Marie Curie, Hospice us ways of creating a design New for 2020 Left: UK and The Queen’s Nursing While new gardens will be Stocksmead for a long garden of any size. Institute. Thanks to the opening throughout the season, I in Arkesden Here, four distinct areas provide generosity of garden owners, wanted to particularly highlight opportunities for a good variety volunteers and visitors, the NGS some of the earliest to open and of planting including grasses, has donated a total of £58 million which can be visited over the mature shrubs and trees. to nursing and health charities next few weeks. The spectacular Another long and narrow since it was founded in 1927. garden at Scrips House in garden can be found at 14 Clifton In 2019 the scheme made total is perfect for those Terrace in , running annual donations of £3 million who enjoy a large, traditional as it does alongside the length of from the 2018 season and as the layout with herbaceous borders, a the railway station. It manages county organiser for Essex I am stunning pleached lime walk and to include flowerbeds, shrubs, very proud to report that more mature woodland. In addition lawns, roses, vegetables, a pond than £183,000 of that was raised to all this, Scrips House has a and woodland. It opens for the in Essex. charming spring garden, perfect scheme on May 16 and 17. And this year promises even for making its NGS debut on Not only does the NGS open more. Looking over the calendar Thursday, April 30. beautiful gardens for charity, for the year I am excited to see Another well-stablished below: the scheme also promotes the Scrips House a number of debutant gardens garden can be found at the boasts stunning physical and mental health providing our loyal visitors with curiously named Tsuru in herbaceous benefits of gardens too. Fitting new destinations as well as a Wickham Bishops, opening on border this bill is The Gates at London Road Cemetery in Brentwood, a horticultural project which offers members of the local community, including vulnerable adults, a chance to learn new skills from raising plants from seed, cultivating vegetables and fruit, and preparing the produce for sale. It is opening for the NGS on Sunday, May 31 offering visitors an opportunity to explore this innovative project and to buy some of the produce.

Spring offers There are some gardens in our group which are eagerly anticipated for the dramatic 4

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start they give to the season with unusual tulips are being trialled. Above: For sheer exuberance head stunning displays of spring bulbs The Ardleigh Group of gardens Long borders at to South Shoebury Hall in and blossom. in the north east of the county will Mayfield Farm, on April 26 Ardleigh Furzelea in Danbury starts be opening their gates again on and enjoy in excess of 3,000 a series of six openings on May 16 and 17 and the three large tulips and fritillaria. These are Wednesday, April 29. The and contrasting gardens make a delightfully set in a one-acre owners here enjoy adding to trip to this peaceful village more walled garden surrounding a their huge collection of tulips than worthwhile. You can be Grade II listed house, close to each year, set off by topiary sure to find new developments the 11th century church and sea. and other evergreen structure. at Mayfield Farm, which this Longyard Cottage in Nazeing Coordination of plant colour year includes a lake and prairie opened for the first time in guides the owners who alone style border. The avenue of February last year and was have created and maintained this birch trees at Charity Farm is a an instant success with its charming garden. delight with a wide variety of conceptual design and creative The first opening of the year cultivars, all clearly labelled. use of materials and permanent at Ulting Wick, always eagerly Some extraordinary topiary heges planting. This year the owners anticipated, is on Sunday, April at Hungerdowns are well worth have chosen to open on Sunday, 26. The garden will be open for tracking down too. May 17 to showcase the garden six hours giving visitors plenty My own garden at Wickets in in early summer. of time to enjoy the myriad of Langley Upper Green opens on colours erupting from the 10,000 April 26 and I love this time of Picturesque Essex tulip bulbs planted over the year for the abundance of blossom I wanted to group together a winter. Being planted against the and colour. This will be the section to highlight gardens copper beach hedge and black first opportunity to see our new which are in some of our county's barns allows the colours to truly Mediterranean Courtyard Garden finest and most beautiful dazzle. And it's always worth in spring and I’m looking forward villages. We have a garden in the checking out the pots of tulips by to seeing our six Italian Terrace charming village of Arkesden the greenhouse where new and pots overflowing with tulips. opening for the charity this year. 4

Essex Life: April 2020  161 Essex Gardens Photo: Brigitte Perdereau Stocksmead is a quintessential country garden with open views and everything you would hope for in a traditional country setting. A popular village pub surely makes this a perfect destination for Sunday, June 14. Located on the green right in the centre of Finchingfield, frequently cited as one of the best places to live in the UK, is Brick House which is open on July 4. The garden here will delight anyone interested in modern garden design. Professionally designed, it works with contemporary marble sculptures by Paul Vanstone and perennials planted in a modern and naturalistic way. Another village with an award-winning country pub to encourage thirsty visitors is Layer Breton. Here, Heath House will open a number of times over the season, but June 12 might be worth targeting as a near- midsummer evening opening offers the chance to enjoy this two-acre garden with a glass of wine in hand. So many of these charming villages offer a sanctuary for wildlife and the seven-acre hay Landscape artist and Above: August 2 and 23. You’ll find the meadow at The Old Vicarage in printmaker Kit Leese makes use A Monet style booklet in garden centres, tourist Broxted allows native wildlife to of his NGS open days to display bridge at Wickets information offices, libraries and thrive undisturbed while three paintings reflecting nature in gardening shows. Times and dates acres of formal garden and one his studio based at the garden at can be found at ngs.org.uk. Last of woodland garden feature Chippins in Bradfield. The garden year we started a blog with posts many rare plants and trees. You is open on May 31 and June 28, on some of our Essex gardens can enjoy all this and views but in addition Kit welcomes offering more background across the meadow to the church group visits from art societies by information on our gardens and on Sunday, July 5. arrangement from May to July. their owners. You can follow this The garden at Feeringbury at essexngs.co.uk Art in the garden Manor in Coggeshall features A huge thank you to everyone Adding sculpture to a garden some of the striking sculpture of who supports us and we can often lend more meaning Ben Coode-Adams and the ten- look forward to welcoming to both the art and the garden acre garden provides intriguing you to a garden this year. If in which it sits. A number of opportunities for the largescale you would like to open your our gardens use their outdoor metal works which include own garden for NGS, please space to exhibit and create intricate gates and a 50m metal contact me, Susan Copeland, a permanent display for rose support. You can visit this below: on 01799 550553 or email modern sculptures.Barnards garden any Thursday or Friday Susan Copeland susan.‌copeland@‌ngs.‌org.‌uk u Farm in West Hordon near from April 2 to July 31 and from Brentwood is well known September 3 to October 9. for its significant collection of sculpture including works Planning by Elizabeth Frink, Antony ahead Gormley, Thomas Heatherwick, The 2020 NGS Nicolas Lavarenne and Bernard booklet lists all Holmes. The gardens here open the gardens with every Thursday from April 9 to the dates on which August 27 for the NGS and on they open, and this two Sundays as well, when it is year the cover image possible to take a sculpture tour shows the beautiful with the garden owner, Bernard garden of Kamala, in Holmes. Hockley, which opens on

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