NorfolkNorfolk GardensGardens T Trustrust

Autumn 2016 No.22 norfolkgt.org.uk 1 :

Cover: Elsing Hall. Above: Patrick Lines (right) co-owner of Elsing Hall with gardener Robin Mahoney. All photos: Karen Roseberry Karen All photos:

Manor Farm, Coston: above, back cover and inside back cover. :

Contents

Chairman’s Report...... 2

Norfolk Gardens History Jonathan Spurrell - Bessingham Manor...... 3 Sally Bate - ‘Capability Brown in Norfolk’...... 8 Norfolk Gardens Deb Jordan - Pensthorpe...... 10 Clive Lloyd - How Hill Farm Gardens...... 14

In Town Lesley Cunneen - Sandys-Winsch: Tree-life...... 17 George Ishmael - Heavenly Gardens...... 21 Garden History in Art Lisa Little - Bringing the Outside In...... 25

News on Ash Dieback Allan Downie and Anne Edwards...... 30

The Professional Gardeners’ Trust Jeremy Garnett...... 34 RHS Plant of the Year 2016 Sue Roe...... 37

Readers’ Gardens Mary Wade...... 38 The NGT Website David King...... 39

Dates for Your Diary...... 41

Membership Matters Tony Stimpson...... 44

1 Welcome

Chairman’s Report - Autumn 2016

After a very wet early part of the year me. However others were a pure delight. followed by some sun and warmth there In addition to the show gardens there has been plenty to do in our gardens. were others, including some trade stands, There has been little time to stand and where it was impossible not to come away stare and appreciate all our hard work without a leaflet. At the end of the day The Norfolk Gardens Trust has also been I was weighed down with quite a bundle flourishing. I hope you enjoy this edition and it is only now I can begin to weed of our News. them out. The trip to Herefordshire in June 2017 This year has seen many events will only go ahead if we have the requisite countrywide to mark the tercentenary number of takers so please let Karen of Capability Brown’s birth. In Norfolk, Moore early if you would like to join the our Vice-Chairman Sally Bate along with group. The visit to Sir Roy Strong’s garden Professor Tom Williamson have edited is a special treat. a book called “Capability Brown in Norfolk”. As well as Sally and Tom the I met Sir Roy earlier this year and, without book is co-authored by Kate Minnis and making any promises, he said he hoped to Marcia Fenwick. As I write this Report be there to greet us. The Laskett gardens, the book is on the cusp of being released. which he and his late wife Julia Trevelyan So much diligent research has gone into Oman created over several decades, are it; I feel sure that you will all be interested one of the largest private formal gardens to learn more about the local landscapes to be laid out in England since 1945. created by this extraordinary “place These two people were at the centre of maker”. the arts in this country embracing theatre, opera, ballet, film, museums, exhibitions And now back to tackling the exuberant as well as writing. What makes this garden weeds in my garden … unique is that it makers wove the story Matthew Martin of their marriage and their lives into its fabric. Courtesy of some sponsors my wife and I went to the Chelsea Flower Show in May. It is many years since I last went. It remains an extraordinary feat of myriad achievements. Inevitably there were some stands containing nothing of interest for 2 Norfolk Gardens History

Bessingham Manor House: Its Gardens and Parkland By Jonathan Spurrell

While the small village of Bessingham, Manor House to reflect his position as near Cromer, is often confused with the main landowner in Bessingham. Bressingham, near Diss, the confusion Instead of building on the site of the rarely occurs from a horticultural existing manor house, Daniel chose point of view. Yet Bessingham Manor a different location on slightly higher House once boasted a beautiful and ground that overlooked the meadows varied garden too and was home to and stream. The new red-brick an Edwardian daffodil breeder whose house had Dutch gables and a heated cultivars won awards from the RHS. conservatory at the rear. Visitors to Decades of neglect in the second half of the house in later years remember a the twentieth century led to the gardens large camellia as well as maidenhair – and very nearly the house – being lost. ferns and Primula obonica plants in I have spent the last few years researching the conservatory. A window above the the history of Bessingham for a book, dining room’s fireplace allowed guests to ‘Bessingham: The Story of a Norfolk look directly into the conservatory. Estate, 1766-1970’, and have unearthed The parkland a number of interesting facts about the To set the new Manor House in gardens at the Manor House. the ‘polite’ landscape it required, The house Daniel converted about forty acres of In 1766 John Spurrell, a farmer and agricultural land into a park, separating maltster, purchased the core of the it from the house and lawn by a brick Bessingham estate from Viscount Anson. and flint ha-ha. It was grazed by sheep John and his son enlarged the estate over and contained tree plantations and the the following ruins of the old manor house and farm century, creating buildings. a prosperous Daniel turned one of the lanes in the farming business village into the driveway to the new that supplied Manor House and built another road malt to some – New Road – slightly to the north. of the leading Along New Road, between Manor House breweries in Farm and the entrance to the driveway, London. By he built a brick and flint wall as well 1870 John’s as a tower, or dovecote, designed by grandson, Daniel his nephew Herbert Spurrell. Herbert Spurrell, decided trained with Alfred Waterhouse and Daniel Spurrell to build a new later became an architect in Eastbourne. 3 Norfolk ‘Capability’ Gardens Brown History - Norfolk Gardens History

The tower at Bessingham is his earliest surviving work, although its roof has now collapsed. Along the new driveway Daniel planted a number of trees, including some that had been given to him by John Mott of nearby Barningham Hall. A note in Daniel’s account book for November 1871 mentions an Austrian pine, Corsican pine, Douglas fir, noble fir, Nordmann Bessingham Manor House and conservatory (c.1880) fir, Morinda spruce and Wellingtonia gigantea (or giant sequoia, 1940s remember espaliered fruit trees the first specimens of which had arrived (apples, pears, peaches and medlars), in Britain in the 1850s), all of which redcurrant and whitecurrant bushes, came from Barningham. raspberries and a prized asparagus bed. In the late nineteenth century the church at Burgh St. Margaret acquired a new font and the rector, the Rev. C. J. Lucas, presented the old mediaeval font to Daniel Spurrell, ‘who gave it a home in the beautiful garden of Bessingham Manor’. It was a plain font, the scenes of the seven sacraments having been removed by the iconoclasts OS map of the Manor House and park (1885) of the seventeenth century. Daniel’s son, Denham Spurrell, later offered to The gardens returned it to Burgh St. Margaret, but A walled garden was designed in the ‘much as the present Rector would like area between the driveway and New to see the font once again restored to Road, divided into various beds by paths its old home, yet he is unable to accept that can clearly be seen on the 1885 this kind offer,’ since the new font was a Ordnance Survey map and the 1946 memorial to his aunt. The font appears aerial map of Norfolk. Flowers, fruit and to have removed from the gardens in the vegetables were grown there; people who late twentieth century and its current grew up in Bessingham in the 1930s and whereabouts are unknown. 4 Norfolk Gardens History

The garden also contained a grotto to one side of the driveway, built of bricks and stones from various sources. Katherine Spurrell, daffodil breeder A springtime visitor to the walled garden in the early years of the twentieth century would have been welcomed by a host of daffodils bred by Daniel Spurrell’s daughter Katherine (1852-1919). Her planting book Aerial map of the Manor House showing the walled garden (1946) from 1906-1907 lists forty rows of bulbs. 1877, named a variety after her. Later, Kitty, as she was known, was not the only at the 1890 Daffodil Conference, the member of the family to take an interest Manchester Courier described Narcissus in gardening. The 1870 summer show ‘Katherine Spurrell’ as one of the best of the local horticultural society, held exhibits, and it became a popular choice at Baconsthorpe Rectory, included ‘a for gardeners in the final decades of charming basket of wildflowers arranged the nineteenth century. Writing in by some of the younger members of Gardening Illustrated in 1907, E. H. the family of D. Spurrell, Esq., of Jenkins told readers that ‘no good Bessingham, of which older adepts would collection was considered complete’ have no reason to be ashamed’. But it without it, and also rated it highly as a was Kitty who turned out to have the cut flower. greenest fingers. Although her name is In the 1880s Kitty wrote to the widely- now forgotten, read periodical The Garden with reports she won several of the plants growing at Bessingham awards for Manor House. One spring she described the daffodils the flowers in bloom, stating that ‘there she bred at are so many things budding up in the Bessingham well-stored garden,’ referring especially Manor House. to the double-yellow wallflowers. In Kitty was a another letter she gave a very detailed young lady when ‘outline of our chrysanthemum culture at Edward Leeds, Bessingham’. the celebrated In 1901 she won her first Award of Merit daffodil breeder from the RHS for a daffodil named Narcissus ‘Katherine Spurrell’ who died in ‘Major Spurrell’ after her brother Robert, 5 Norfolk Gardens History

a cavalry officer then fighting in South Africa during the Boer War. ‘Agnes Harvey’ (1902) and ‘Caroline Carver’ (1903) also received the Award of Merit and ‘F. C. J. Spurrell’ won the Bronze Flora Medal at an RHS garden show in 1906. It was described as a ‘lovely white flower, with flame-scarlet Engleheartii crown’. Three years later Kitty presented a bulb called ‘Mrs. Daniel Spurrell’ to The overgrown Manor House (2008) the Narcissus Committee but it failed to perianth and a yellow cup with a reddish- meet their approval. orange rim, was the most expensive bulb In all she grew at least twenty-three in the Gold Medal section that year. cultivars (see box below), mostly named Kitty lived in Bessingham her whole life. after family and friends. Of her cultivars In 1912 she married her cousin, Flaxman only ‘Agnes Harvey’ was sold in large Charles John Spurrell – the same ‘F. C. numbers, the others being much rarer J. Spurrell’ after whom she had named and therefore rather expensive. a daffodil a few years earlier. Flaxman Kitty grew some of her bulbs for Peter was an archaeologist who had recorded Barr’s nursery. The Gold Medal Daffodil a number of sites in his native Kent section of Barr’s 1908 sales catalogue and had catalogued Egyptian artefacts included ‘Agnes Harvey’ (12s 6d per sent back to London by his friend bulb), ‘Lady Jane Jodrell’ (63s per bulb) Flinders Petrie. He retired to Norfolk and ‘Major Spurrell’ (84s per bulb), in 1896, occupying a couple of rooms as well as the more reasonably priced at the Manor House, and spent his days ‘Katherine Spurrell’ (4d per bulb). reading in the tower that overlooked ‘Major Spurrell’, which had a snow-white the walled garden where Kitty tended to her bulbs. He and Kitty grew close and were married at Bessingham church in 1912: he, just short of his 70th birthday and she, just short of her 60th. Flaxman drove to the church in a landau while Kitty walked wearing her Bessingham Manor House after its restoration (2014) gardening clothes 6 Norfolk Gardens History

neglected by the new owners and most of the parkland was subsequently sold off. About five acres now remains around the Manor House, including part of the old walled garden, the ha-ha and the tower. The house itself became derelict: ceilings and roofs collapsed and vines smothered the exterior walls. It was sold The tower, with the walled garden behind (2016) in 2010 to a property developer who planned to pull it down, and straw hat. They then spent three but was rescued and restored, winning years together at The Den, a house on North Norfolk District Council’s award the estate, before Flaxman died. His for the renovation of an historic property archaeological collection was given to in the process. It now operates as self- the Norwich Castle Museum and the catering holiday accommodation for up Natural History Museum in London. to fourteen guests. Kitty remained at The Den until her The land around the house has been death in 1919 and in her seven years cleared and tidied up, and it is hoped there she naturalised thousands of bulbs. that one day the gardens too will be After she died the grounds were briefly returned to their former glory. opened to the public. An announcement in the Gardener’s Chronicle in April For details of Jonathan’s first book visit: 1919 mentioned a staggering 10,000 bessinghamhistory.org. daffodils in bloom, ‘all grown by the Jonathan Spurrell is a translator and amateur historian. celebrated raiser of Narcissi, the late MRS. CATHERINE (sic) SPURRELL’. The RHS is currently aware of the They included ‘Major Spurrell’, ‘Agnes following cultivars bred by Katherine Harvey’ and many other varieties that were Spurrell: popular at the time. It is possible that some ‘A Fifth Lancer’, ‘Agnes Harvey’, ‘Aide-de- of them still bloom every year. Camp’, ‘Bessingham Bouquet’, ‘Caroline Carver’, ‘Charles E. Hammond’, ‘Clara The gardens today Herring’, ‘Cottage Maid’, ‘F. C. J. Kitty’s brother Denham lived at Spurrell’, ‘Gertrude S. Mott’, ‘Helen Bessingham Manor House until his Gay’, ‘Henry Blake’, ‘Lady Jane Jodrell’, death in 1952. The estate then passed to ‘Lady Ogilvy Dalgleish’, ‘Major Spurrell’, a cousin before being broken up in 1970. ‘Marcus Allen’, ‘May Start’, ‘Moth’, ‘Mrs. E. Harvey’, ‘Mrs. Frank Barclay’, ‘Susani’, The manor house, gardens and parkland ‘White Dove’ were sold as a single property but were 7 NorfolkNorfolk Gardens Gardens History History

‘Capability Brown in Norfolk’ By Sally Bate

Timed to at Kimberley, Langley and Melton coincide with Constable. On the plans he has marked the 300th his suggested changes to watercourses, anniversary the creation of lakes, the planting of of the birth belts and clumps of trees, the building of of Lancelot drives to circumnavigate the parks, and ‘Capability’ many new features including kitchen and Brown in pleasure gardens, greenhouses, heated August 1716, walls, bridges and a menagerie. How the Norfolk many of these changes actually happened Gardens Trust and for those which did, what still has published remains of them to this day? a book on his work in their county. Over the past two and a half years twelve Each of the parks mentioned above has NGT members have been researching, its own chapter where the author has recording and writing up their findings, given a short history of the families and spending many hours carrying out field events which had shaped the landscape work, trawling through archives and before the 1760s, in order to establish obtaining a large number of images. what Brown and his men found when The culmination of all this hard work they arrived on site. After describing is a 188-page book with over 135 colour in detail Brown’s plans, and the work pictures, many of which have never been carried out in the latter half of the seen in print before. seventeenth century, each chapter

Although Brown only worked on a handful of sites in the county, the survival of three of his detailed plans and one descriptive contract, has allowed the research group to examine his proposals for the ‘improvements’ Contract between Brown and Sir Edward Astley of Melton Constable dated 1764 to the parks (Norfolk Record Office) 8 Norfolk Gardens History

Gardens Trust and the research group are indebted to the generosity of the parks’ owners and the people and organisations who allowed their archives to be searched, paintings to be examined Back wall of Brown’s greenhouse at Kimberley - the middle section is heated and plans and Photo: Roger Last documents to be concludes with a brief account of photographed. We are also grateful for alterations made to the parks in the two the advice, help and time given by several centuries that followed – many of which professionals. This has kept costs down, have masked his changes. allowing us to self-publish at such a reasonable price. The normal retail price We were very fortunate that Professor will be £15.99 but NGT members can Tom Williamson kindly offered to write buy the book for £11.99 (+P&P) either an introductory chapter about Brown’s by contacting me for a special discount work nationwide and the methods code or via the NGT website. You can and people he employed. Professor find my details on the inside back cover Williamson has also written a chapter of this NGT News. on four other sites in the county which have, or may have, connections with Brown as well as a new site he believes could have been a commission late in Brown’s career and which was finished by one of his men after his death in 1783. The book concludes by setting Brown’s Norfolk work amongst the great expansion of eighteenth-century park building in the county.

The book will be of interest to anyone who likes learning about Norfolk’s designed landscapes, local history, or the work of Capability Brown – the father Detail of Brown’s second plan for Kimberley dated of landscape architecture. The Norfolk 1778 showing variety of tree species. (Private collection) 9 Norfolk Gardens History

Pensthorpe: where art and nature merge By Deb Jordan

The Gardens at Pensthorpe Natural nature reserve, conservation farm, wet Park were landscaped by nature long meadows, scrape, woodlands and lakes before man. Pingos – earth-covered ice share this common theme: they provide mounds – shaped the area thousands a vitally important haven and food of years ago although the remains of a source for our native wildlife. Even the church and a railway line are evidence more stylised gardens play an important of much more recent activity. Ever since role; while they bring an artistic and the Domesday Book – when Pensthorpe colourful dimension to the reserve they was recorded as being larger than nearby also encourage an abundance of insects Fakenham – this village in the Upper and bird life into the heart of the visitor Wensum Valley has been based on attraction to be enjoyed by everyone. farming. More intrusively, gravel and aggregates were recently extracted from Involving the next generation and the site and it was this that allowed the encouraging them to get stuck in to creation of a 250 acre Nature Reserve nature and gardens is an important with lakes and woods for visitors to walk part of the Pensthorpe message. It is for around. this reason that we link our children’s trails around the closer lakes and Nature is at the heart of our approach gardens. This is where our Sculpture at Pensthorpe. The formal gardens, Trail began: in the early days we started

10 Norfolk Gardens

with metal bugs, bees and butterflies lower more obvious path, was the perfect being hung tantalisingly from the trees area to incorporate sculpture with a as a tool for teaching children about wildlife theme. nature. This proved very popular and the Julie Toll Wave Garden, with its Organic forms by Peter M Clarke undulating yew hedging and boggy link the end of the Toll garden with iris garden, seemed like the perfect the wetland and provides a stunning place to bring more art and sculpture viewpoint between stylised garden and together. So it was with great excitement wild reserve. Similarly, Nest by Miles that we commissioned Ros Newman, Halpin can be viewed in two ways. The a local sculptor, to design a covey of huge ‘nest’ – made of galvanised and raw silver birds that appear to float out of a small pond of blue and yellow iris and rise majestically towards a break in the tree canopy above. The feedback from visitors and members alike encouraged us to look further at how art and sculpture fitted into the landscape. We soon realised that the two-tiered layering of the Julie Toll garden, with a hidden higher level provided by the old railway line planted heavily with fruit trees and berries (for encouraging wildlife) and a 11 Norfolk Gardens History

metal – links Pensthorpe’s avicultural stage the view south looks over the lakes past and busy future whilst cleverly alongside the River Wensum but as the encouraging visitors returning from young visitor turns right by the original the Wader Scrape (who may have been cobble and flint cottages they see the unaware of the two levels of garden) to wood-clad play barn ahead; it rises out venture higher up and uncover more of a series of burnt orange six-foot-high hidden sculpture. Corten steel retaining-walls that nestle, like giant ship’s bulkheads, amongst the Younger visitors to Pensthorpe required planting between the two buildings. quicker access to the new indoor play area, Hootz House, especially in Each of these unique and very individual wet weather. A new path now takes gardens marks an important stage in the them past the Springwatch-inspired visitor’s journey around the park and Wildlife Habitat Garden underneath an in their experience of the day. However, imposing 5 metre high galvanised metal the real epiphany for garden lovers and pergola. This ‘gateway’ of gleaming novices alike is surely to find themselves organic arches was inspired by sculptural standing immersed in the shimmering arches in Brisbane and was drawn up waves of silvery swaying grasses of the on the maintenance shed floor with a Piet Oudolf Millennium Garden. Piet’s piece of chalk and hardboard cutouts by unique style of folding large groups members of our amazing maintenance of vividly pink astilbe and echinacea team. It now towers majestically, framing through burnished golds and vibrant the view towards play ahead. At this mauve is breathtaking – spellbinding.

12 Norfolk Gardens

This is a garden that stops you in your the beautiful views and to enable people tracks leaving you reeling and looking to see it as a garden, not as a piece of for a bench to acclimatise to being in the landscaping”. We at Pensthorpe are most heavenly acre of prairie planting proud to be custodians of the first public imaginable. I can only describe it as like garden that he designed in this country. sitting in the middle of a vast Monet painting when the paint is still wet! Deb, who grew up on her family farm in Ringstead, is co-owner of Pensthorpe Natural Park. It was back in 1997 that Pensthorpe’s former owner, Bill Makins, first approached Piet Oudolf – the founder of ‘New Wave’ planting – to design a garden. The garden was opened in 2000, its one acre planted with 12,500 plants of more than 100 species. After nine years some of the original vision was being lost so Piet returned to redesign the garden, replacing one third of the plants. Piet is now world famous and known, for example, for his visionary High Line – a walk through native planting on a disused elevated railway in lower Manhattan. Piet’s original philosophy is still important to us: “ to remember … to keep human proportions, to keep 13 Norfolk Gardens

How Hill Farm Gardens Clive Lloyd

When we visited How Hill farm in of marshland, farm and pasture. The July, Peter Boardman told the story family no longer own the House, which of how his great grandfather Edward has been run as an education centre – the chief architect of Victorian and since 1966, but Peter Boardman spent Edwardian Norwich – first came to the his entire life at How Hill Farm. Broadland landmark, How Hill. The boat that Edward usually hired for his In 1938-9, Peter’s father Stuart started annual holiday on The Broads was still growing several varieties of holly in an in Beccles so he was given a smaller craft. orchard at How Hill Farm but he did Significantly, this boat could pass under not survive the war, having been killed Ludham Bridge and for the first time in action in Malaya in 1942. By the they sailed past the grassy knoll that was time that Peter inherited the farm in one of the highest points on The Broads. the early fifties the orchard was looking This was where they decided they would neglected. The trees were not big then build their holiday home. Later, he because of his father’s practice of and his wife Florence, a member of the cropping them hard but Peter started a Colman family, rode out to the hill in different regime and was able to cultivate their pony and trap, found that the land the holly orchard to allow him to sell was for sale and bought it. In 1904 the cut holly at Christmas every year. In Boardmans arrived, not just to newly- the 1950s and 60s up to five tonnes of built How Hill House, but to 800 acres holly branches would be cut, packed Photos: Clive Lloyd Clive Photos: 14 Norfolk Gardens

throughout the garden. As we took coffee it was impossible not to be struck by Peter’s fascination with holly for dotted around his kitchen were plates, jugs and mugs, all decorated with red berries. He guessed he owned about in cardboard chrysanthemum boxes one hundred. As well as chinaware, and – provided they could be taken to there were several pieces of skilfully Thorpe Station in Norwich by 3.00pm – turned holly wood, one of which was a were guaranteed to be delivered to most favourite bowl by Norfolk artist Richard parts of the country by the next day. In Chapman. recent years the holly travelled less far, There are various aspects to the garden to local wholesalers and farm shops with at How Hill Farm: around the house a selection of holly boughs being taken is a semi-formal lawn with herbaceous to Norwich Cathedral every Christmas. borders; there are several densely- The commercial cropping of holly is rare in this country unlike the United States where holly orchards are better known. Peter Boardman’s connection with America was therefore a strong one; in 2007 The Holly Society of America gave him its highest honour, the President’s Award, following his 2005 Wolf Fenton Award for outstanding contributions. The holly orchard occupies about five acres, containing about 100 species, planted sheltered spaces created by some brought back from America. In the outbuildings surrounding the old addition to the orchard the farm has an red-brick farmhouse; and across a quiet attractive holly tunnel (we recognised one country road is Peter’s creation, a garden species as the yellow-berried ‘Amber’) of twelve acres. This particular garden and, to celebrate the Millennium, a is based around a picture-perfect lake Holly Avenue. Individual hollies appear created in 1978 by digging out the marsh 15 Norfolk Gardens

by 1940 only growing trees are depicted – no visible water. It is possible to walk, but only rather shakily, over boards into this former broad amongst five-foot high clumps of hundred-year old tussock sedge (Carex paniculata). This is a slightly nerve- Photo: Clive Lloyd Clive Photo: racking affair since to seven feet. The water in the resulting an information board warns that a drain lake is not connected to the nearby rod will go down 15 feet before touching River Ant and remains completely pure. solid ground. Oak and alder are dotted In the middle of the lake is an island, along the water’s edge and beneath bulwarked against erosion, containing a them is about an acre of native ferns. small grove of silver birch and a family of Peter had also planted rare conifers and swans. When we visited in high summer ornamental trees, such as a magnificent the water was mirror-clear. This is the magnolia displaying spectacular one-foot view that greeted Peter Boardman every wide flowers, together with azaleas and morning through his kitchen window: rhododendrons that were just going over his own lake and the barely visible in mid-summer. River Ant separating his land from the These are the wetlands – a very special picturesque Turf Fen Mill opposite and and beautiful habitat where land has the Reedham Marshes beyond. only a tentative hold over water. This broadland habitat is quite particular One-time President of the Norfolk and and is a beautiful demonstration of Norwich Horticultural Association, Peter the balance between man and nature. Boardman had opened his garden for Within this part of the garden is an old charity for 35 years. We were privileged broad, at one time cut for peat and over to have been shown this beautiful the years various editions of Ordnance garden by Peter in high summer. He Survey maps provide some idea of the was a gentle, kind man who will be succession that occurred when the broad remembered for his love of plants was left for nature to take its course. (especially holly) and his long association Where the 1780 map shows the broad with a special part of Norfolk. to be all water, one hundred years later Clive Lloyd edits the NGT News with his wife Sue Roe it is labelled with sedges and rush while

16 In Town

Sandys-Winsch: Tree-life by Lesley Kant-Cunneen

For six months following the Great War, The Captain brought a new sense of Norwich was completely without a Parks dynamism to the role. Kitty, the pony Supervisor. Mr. Wilde had accepted relied on by Mr. Wilde, was quickly medical retirement in 1917 and his dispensed with and, instead, the Captain replacement, Mr. Felstead had served a used a motorbike to patrol the green mere twelve months before departing, spaces. He inspired early confidence having demanded much but achieving with the councillors and officers and little. The Council was determined within a short time Parks and Allotments that their next appointment was better had become a department in its own placed to manage Norwich’s burgeoning right. Before the war Norwich had set parks estate of 360 acres. The war had up many home-grown initiatives to placed considerable pressure on the city occupy the unemployed: levelling the parks, and restoring them to normality rough areas of the early Norwich parks, was a priority. The advertisement was such as Eaton, Mousehold, Waterloo widely circulated, including Robinson’s and Wensum, and tree planting, were popular Gardeners Chronicle. Only two frequently used work-schemes but money candidates were interviewed and Captain had always been tight and precluded Arnold Sandys-Winsch, a returning more elaborate suggestions. By the soldier, was selected to be the ‘Parks and 1920s the vast numbers of returning Allotments Superintendent of Norwich soldiers, coupled with a major economic City Parks Department’. The Captain recession, forced the Government into was well qualified: he had trained at action and generous grants became horticultural college and gained a distinction in botany, before becoming articled to Thomas Mawson the celebrated landscape designer. His rank indicated that he had managerial experience albeit in a command and control environment. By the Autumn of 1919 the twenty-six year old was in post. A tree-lined Newmarket Road, early C20th. 17 NorfolkIn Town Gardens

attention to detail is evident, as is the influence of his Mawson apprenticeship. However the management of a large and mostly unskilled work force presented considerable discipline problems for the Captain in overseeing the labour, which ‘did little work for the first few days and then refused to work at all’. It is perhaps unsurprising that in 1923, a mere four years after his appointment, Sandys- Winsch applied for a job change as a Norwich town planner. The application caused consternation in the Parks Committee, which was so anxious to Whitebeams in Eaton Park. retain his services that it suggested a job- share. Whether the Captain was a victim available. Norwich was one of the many of political influence or flattered into authorities to use the funding to improve changing his mind his job application and develop its portfolio of seventeen was unsuccessful and he remained as parks and gardens; fortunately the Superintendent for a further thirty years. new Superintendent proved to have a formidable talent for design. Street trees had formed an integral aspect of the work of the Parks and Gardens The ability to draw up a workable plan Committee since its establishment in for a large scale park design was unusual 1911. The city perceived the management in a Parks Superintendent and certainly of ‘ a very large number of trees and not part of the Norwich job description; shrubberies’ as a key aspect of its in the past the city engineer might have horticultural work. Early post cards of undertaken such a task or contracted Newmarket Road reveal stately avenues it out to a local firm of surveyors or of elms; Unthank Road, which is bereft architects. It quickly became evident of trees today, was frequently subject to that Sandys-Winsch excelled at the task. tree removal and replanting as roads were Over the city’s green growth period widened under the road improvement of the twenties and thirties, not only legislation; in 1907 the proposed did he produce designs for numerous planting of conifers in Chapelfield parks, gardens and sports grounds, plus Gardens preoccupied the mayor for some a number of churchyard gardens, but weeks. At the time, and indeed until also plans for school grounds, such as the passing of the clean air legislation, the Blyth at Constitution Hill. In all pollution in city centres was considerable extant maps (sadly many of the originals and trees frequently had to be replaced. appear to have been lost), an exquisite In parks such as Wensum, Waterloo 18 In Town and Eaton, well outside the toxic fumes late twenties the planting of trees along within the city walls, trees had a greater newly developed roads became eligible prospect of longevity; possibly some for generous grants. Sandys-Winsch of the venerable Scots pines in Eaton made full use of the funding: an avenue Park are survivors of early twentieth of Mespilus floribunda at George Borrow century planting. Sandys-Winsch’s Road was one of many such plantings: meticulous designs exploited trees to the witness the gnarled Prunus trees at full: avenues criss-crossed Eaton Park, North Park Avenue, today subject to boulevards of trees planted at Mile Cross replacement. Two gardeners were even Gardens, flower-beds studded with trees seconded to the LCC in order to learn at Waterloo Park and radiating tree-lined the most up-to-date pruning techniques walkways planted in Heigham Park, for roadside trees; the grand, goblet- shaped planes that stride along Earlham Tree planting was not merely confined Road may owe their unusual form to to parks and gardens for tree planting such techniques and the venerable was given free reign along the Norwich beech trees that shade the 1940s houses highways and residential roads. An elite in Jessop Road have survived through pressure group with the improbable careful branch uplifting. name of the Roads Beautifying Association exerted considerable When it came to protecting his trees, the influence on the government and by the Captain revealed a passion that is hard

Waterloo Park, Norwich, opened 1933. 19 In Town

to associate with the stiff- lipped man we see marching alongside the Prince of Wales in the opening ceremony at Eaton Park in 1928. When residents complained, they tended to be ignored; if trees were vandalised, prosecutions for adults and children alike were promptly

implemented; barbed Lloyd Clive Photo: wire was erected close by The goblet-shaped pruning of London planes along Earlham Road, Norwich. Mousehold Heath to protect a large grove of damaged trees and to an injudicious outburst the Captain restrict public access. When the bus publicly railed against the ruling, stating companies petitioned the Council for that the destruction of beautiful trees tree-lopping, they received short shrift was a matter of supreme importance and merited a full debate in Council. Five years later the Captain retired, to be replaced by a more pragmatic officer. The leafy streets and well wooded parks and gardens are his epitaph, and a The Prince of Wales opening Eaton Park in 1928. In lock-step with the tall figure of Sandys- formidable green Winsch to his right and the mayor, in regalia, to his left. (c) georgeplunkett.co.uk legacy for the from the Superintendent. Arguments city in which he made his home. with the influential Town Planning Lesley is a keen gardener and garden historian. She is Committee, whose priority was house currently undertaking a Ph.D. in public green space building rather than tree protection, at UEA. continued until 1948. At this point it was decided that decisions on removal lay with the planners not the parks. In

20 In Town

Heavenly Gardens: caring for the medieval churchyards of Norwich by George Ishmael

Walking through most towns and cities redundant as burial grounds and there in Britain we are likely to come across is little to prevent them being used rather run-down and unloved green for a range of activities. In addition to space in the form of old churchyards. quiet relaxation and enjoyment they But they often add up to a sizeable area: offer training in horticultural skills, comprising nearly half of the publicly environmental education programmes, accessible green space in Norwich city local history interests, public arts – they centre. are also potentially excellent showpieces for biodiversity and sustainable land Churchyards may contain trees and management. are often a haven for wildlife but are generally neglected, regarded as out of Active involvement by local residents bounds by a general public that perceives and visitors can bring a range of physical them as graveyards. However, many are and mental health benefits in urban

St Giles churchyard 21 In Town

areas where it is often difficult to garden historical and cultural interest. It has or to get access to nature. Collectively, support from the Norwich Historic the churchyards, of which there are Churches Trust as well as other groups 32 of medieval age within Norwich such as the City Council, The Norwich city centre, could provide a productive Society, Friends of Norwich in Bloom, focus for community effort. A recent and Norfolk Wildlife Trust. To raise example is afforded by St Stephen’s funds and achieve these objectives the churchyard, which has been completely initiative is being hosted by Norwich re-designed to encourage public access Historic Churches Trust. Other trusts whilst maintaining the character of the have also participated and in 2014 The site. Formerly avoided as an unsavoury Norwich Society published a survey of and run-down area it has now become the churchyards, calling them “hidden a vibrant public space involving the gems” that were underused and under- local community to such an extent that appreciated. The report confirmed that various awards have been bestowed upon though reasonably well maintained it, including gold awards from Anglia in by the City Council a lot more could Bloom 2015 and 2016. be done to be inventive and increase their use. One suggestion was ‘grassless Heavenly Gardens is a project established lawns’, which have been pioneered to promote these opportunities for by researchers at Reading University; the care and improvement of Norwich these involve the planting of diverse churchyards as places of horticultural, low-growing plants that can literally be

St Stephens’ churchyard - sustainable planting. Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ Photos: George Ishmael George Photos: 22 In Town

St Stephen’s drought garden, with Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and Stipa tenuissima mown like a lawn but provide colour Close Trust which has funded a pilot and wildlife interest around the year. project to demonstrate the benefits of Members of The Norwich Society also the Heavenly Gardens project. This has volunteered to provide and plant spring enabled the provision of a small portable bulbs (snowdrops and wild daffodil) in exhibition and a website, together the churchyard of St Margaret, which has with materials to renovate some of the been redesigned as a medieval garden churchyards. All materials are sustainably with a central green lawn surrounded produced, recycled and sourced locally by herbaceous plants found in Norfolk wherever possible. before 1500 – either native wildflowers The churchyard of All Saints has been with a practical use or introduced herbs proposed as a “twinning garden” to such as lavender and sage. honour Norwich’s twin cities: Rouen, The over-arching vision of Heavenly France; Koblenz, Germany; Novi Gardens is that the churchyards could, Sad, Serbia and El Viejo, Nicaragua. together, function rather like a botanic The shadier parts of the churchyard garden, consisting of a series of sites will be planted on a French theme linked together by pedestrian walks. The with predominantly white flowers first two walks have been marked out in (Philadelphus ‘Belle d’Etoile’, Digitalis colourful leaflets and ultimately there ‘Alba’, Campanula persicifolia ‘Alba’, will be six walks that will join up all 32 Astrantia major ‘Alba’, etc). The sunnier of the medieval churchyards. These have parts will be modelled on the planting been generously sponsored by the Town at the Elector’s Palace in Koblenz – in a 23 In Town

more colourful ‘New Wave’ style – using Upper Goat Lane, for example, has Kniphofia varieties with Helenium recently developed a “quiet garden” ‘Moerheim Beauty’, Echinops retro and where everyone is welcome to come Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’. For and have lunch, read a book or sit the other cities it is hoped to incorporate in contemplation. It won the Best bulbs and wildflowers on the central Churchyard award of Norwich in Bloom lawn with a theme inspired by Serbia. in 2015. A greater challenge will be presented by Next year, on May day weekend, the Nicaragua! Norwich Historic Churches Trust is The Royal Horticultural Society, as coordinating a Medieval Churches part of their ‘Greening Grey Britain’ Weekend. Activities will include guided campaign, has given a grant of £500 walks, linking groups of churchyards and towards the purchase of plants for All highlighting their important role in the Saints. Additionally, the international townscape, not least by supporting many Communities in Bloom helped fund of the city centre’s trees. A common the planting of a Paper Birch tree in theme will be the role of plants in the the churchyard, which continues the development of the city, covering: their international friendship theme. use as building materials; dye plants for local textiles; medicinal and culinary Churchyards can be havens for wildlife, uses. It is hoped to include a ‘gardening even in the city centre. The Norfolk with nature’ demonstration and an Wildlife Trust operates a churchyard art workshop for families, using the conservation scheme and, as part of churchyards as inspiration. this, have started surveying If you would like to get involved with city centre the Heavenly Gardens proposal, please churchyards contact George Ishmael and will advise Tel 01603 504368 (eve) or, preferably, by on their email [email protected]. management. This will For more information about the project provide valuable visit: www.heavenlygardens.org.uk information because several Norfolk Self-guided walks leaflets are available wildflower species, such as meadow from the Tourist Information Centre, saxifrage, primrose and cowslip, are located in the Forum. heavily dependent on churchyard habitat. George Ishmael is a chartered landscape architect, In a city famous for its non-conformist currently promoting the ‘Heavenly Gardens’ initiative. views, other churches such as those He spent 35 years with Norwich City Council leading on of the Quakers are also participating. landscape issues and is now a trustee of Norwich Historic Churches Trust and Friends of Norwich in Bloom. The Quaker Meeting House in Garden History in Art

Bringing The Outside In by Lisa Little

The links between gardens and embroidery – making our interiors as beautiful as Mother Nature’s work outside – have been apparent since the earliest example of decorative needlework. The garden gives the stitcher something to aim for, providing subject and palette of infinite possibility. Garden visiting was a popular pastime: indeed, surviving records from the 16th century tell us that it was just a popular as it is today. The garden was therefore Muse to embroidery, from whole vistas to individual blooms. The trend for reproducing in miniature the hunting parks, woodlands, knot gardens and parterres of grand houses began in earnest after the professionally printed publication of Gerarde’s Herball of 1597 (Fig.1). Gerarde said that a garden was like embroidery (not vice versa): “…what greater delight is there Fig.1 Frontispiece of Gerarde’s Herball (1636). than to behold the earth apparelled with John Innes Foundation Rare Books Collection, John Innes Centre plants, as with a robe of embroidered worke …’”. houses, as the Hortus Floridus of Crispin de Passe (1614) shows in delightful detail. Here was a printed reference book of (Fig.2 See overleaf). design, ideas and innovation, not only for gardeners but for wood carvers, Indeed, a picture said a thousand words stonemasons and embroiderers too. and one printed design book proved so This book marked a sea change in the immensely popular that others quickly sharing of design ideas; for the first followed. Prior to this the sharing of time the printing press enabled a wider patterns, decorative themes and images audience to appreciate something that had to be done via hand-drawn copies, had previously relied on the written both amateur and professional. The word or painted depictions. At last it was Bodleian manuscript of 1504 is an early possible to see the knot gardens in grand example. Probably made at Helmingham 25 Garden History in Art

Fig.2 Knot garden from the Hortus Floridus of Crispin de Passe (1615). Courtesy of John Innes Foundation Rare Books Collection, John Innes Centre

Hall, Suffolk, for the Tollemache family, as large as the dog or person next to it depicted flora and fauna of the day them. Again, it seems that all reference that could be used as subject matter for to scale was lost at this time. Although the needle. charming and often comical to our modern eyes such stitchwork nevertheless The influence of mass-produced, popular showed the enthusiasm for incorporating design books such as ‘A Schole-House fauna amongst the flora that had for the Needle’ (an original pattern previously been the dominant subject. book of 1632) (Fig.3) cannot be over- emphasised for it is clearly seen that the Biblical and classical scenes were often stitcher populated their interior gardens seen in stitch within a garden setting. with ideas from this book. The motifs Here, embroidery was a vehicle for were attractive and some were squared up narrative, not only used for showing to ease their translation into fancy work allegiances to royalty but to elevate such as lace, needle lace, cut work and status. This was done through boastful embroidery. This made it accessible to self-depictions of gentry arranged all and as such we see the motifs applied theatrically, but with the characters and directly – the snails and caterpillars often the stage as products of the stitcher’s 26 Garden History in Art

In addition to these highly elaborate embroideries we see, in the 16th and 17th centuries, geometric patterns of ornamental devices, which are reminiscent of knot gardens, used as stitched border motifs to frame a work. They often depict common English plants such as pinks and roses – the rose being a popular way to express loyalty in Elizabethan embroidery. Indeed, there was a whole symbolic language attached Fig.3 From, A Schole-House for the Needle (1632) by to the flowers depicted. Acorns and oak Richard Shorleyker leaves symbolised fertility and life but also loyalty to the Stuart family – King own imagination. The Judgement Charles II having hidden in a oak tree. A of Paris, (Fig.4), originates in Greek carnation was said to have sprung from mythology but may have been prompted the ground on which the Virgin’s tears by Rubens’ paintings of the 1630s; the fell on the way to Calvary; carnations players dressed in C17th garb, not naked and pinks therefore became associated as Rubens had depicted them. with maternal love. The lily/fleur de lys

Fig.4 The Judgement of Paris ca 1660-65. Note the stumpwork with faces of padded silk and hands of modelled wood. Note also the out-of-scale floral ‘slips’. Courtesy of Norfolk Museum Service NWHCM : 1941.71 27 Garden History in Art

Fig.5 Mid-C17 stump work depicting the marriage of Charles II and Catherine of Braganza. Courtesy of Norfolk Museum Service NWHCM : 1937.165

was the Flower of Heaven associated with Catholic Catherine of Braganza (1662) the Virgin etc. but, alternatively, might they be nobles These motifs were, however, often wildly dressed as royalty? At bottom right, out of scale; indeed, scale seems to have note the tulip as big as the lion; Dutch eluded the early embroiderer and any tulipomania reached its peak in March direct influence of the garden seems to 1637 and tulips were certainly popular have been diluted by a slavish adherence motifs in mid C17th. to the design book as reference. These The period 1650 -1680s saw the large-scale, tent-stitched floral motifs introduction of three dimensionality were often applied to cushions and other into embroidery, with rounded figures decorative works, providing an important being depicted in coloured thread, or historical record of floral fashions of gold and silver metal thread, as well the time. The image above (Fig. 5) is as in beadwork. This raised work or open to interpretation. The man does stumpwork used padded elements to resemble portraits of Charles II so this create a 3D effect. In the stumpwork could represent his marriage to the orchard, apples and pears were 28 Garden History in Art

Fig 6. Stumpwork cushion cover celebrating the marriage of Charles II and Catherine, mid C17th. Courtesy of Norfolk Museum Service NWHCM : 1937.165.1 embroidered over miniature forms and maker and made into caskets or mirror leaves had hidden wires that allowed surrounds. It seems that the eclectic them to curl naturally. This is also selection of out-of-scale flowers, insects, illustrated in the cushion cover (Fig.6) buildings and people populating these that shows the courtship or marriage of scenes were assembled into miniature another Stuart couple, again, much in gardens of Eden with as much care the style of Charles II and Catherine. as given to the real gardens. These, There are three clearly delineated irises at however, could be enjoyed all year round front; above the woman’s head is a little for, winter and summer, these always nut tree clearly bearing hazelnuts; above bloomed and provided a colourful the man’s head, a little oak tree. glimpse of fashion in gardening. Whether countryside or formal garden, Lisa Little is the Assistant Curator for Costume and such panels would be painstakingly Textiles for Norfolk Museum Service stitched by affluent young ladies over many months. When completed, such embroideries would be sent to a cabinet 29 News on Ash Dieback

Ash dieback: where are we now? Allan Downie and Anne Edwards

The ash is one of our most common large trees and is a distinctive feature of our landscape but this is under threat. Experts from the John Innes Centre, Norwich, tell us about advances in understanding ash die-back.

Ash dieback disease swept east-west across Europe, appearing in 2012 in the ancient Ashwellthorpe Lower Wood, a Norfolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve. The disease looks set to cause the loss of many ash trees in the coming years. What causes the disease? Where did it come from and how did it get here? What can we do about it? Will the losses be as bad as with Dutch elm disease? Over the last three years, plant scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich have collaborated with experts from across the country and mainland Fig.1 The common European ash Fraxinus Europe to address these issues. Here, we excelsior. Excelsior in Latin means “ever up-ward” summarise the current situation. Figure 1 shows the Common European Ash. about June-July, in moist environments, What causes ash dieback? up to 20 small white mushroom-like Before its arrival in the UK, European structures – about the size of match- scientists identified the disease-causing heads – appear on the leaf stems (Fig. 3). organism as Chalara fraxinea; it is also These are the fruiting bodies, but unlike now known as Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. field mushrooms, which form spores on The disease cycle (fig.2) starts when their underside and drop them to the sexual spores of this fungus land on ash ground, H. fraxineus mushrooms produce leaves from June to September. After spores on their upper surface. They fire a few weeks brown lesions appear on these spores into the air (up to 8 million leaves, which eventually die prematurely spores per fruiting body), where they on the tree. In autumn, the leaves fall are caught by the wind. These airborne and fungal growth continues. By late spores spread ash dieback disease by spring the only recognisable part of landing on young ash leaves, restarting the leaf is the rotting leaf stem and by the cycle. 30 News on Ash Dieback

Fig.2 Chalara fraxinea (Hymenoschyphus fraxineus) life cycle

Where does ash dieback disease come However, there is a bigger question. How from? did this disease get to Europe in the first It arrived in the UK by two routes. One place? European ash had not shown the was on infected ash trees that had been disease until the 1990s, when symptoms imported after UK ash seeds had been were first identified in Poland. At the propagated in nurseries in Europe, where time, the cause of the disease was not the disease was already established. known and would not be identified until However, the main source of infection in around 2005. Comparisons of genome East Anglia was probably due to airborne (DNA) sequences of different isolates of spread of spores that had been fired into the pathogen by The Genome Analysis the air in mainland Europe and blown Centre in Norwich and Edinburgh to the UK. It is no accident that East Genomics, have given insights into what Anglia and Kent are where the highest may have hap-pened. Although we have rates of infection were first seen: they are not yet identified the original source, the where most spores coming from Europe nearest relative so far identified is from would be expected to arrive. Japan. This related fungus can grow on 31 News on Ash Dieback

the Manchurian ash without causing much disease; that means these two organisms have evolved to live together. One possibility is that infected Manchurian ash (or some infected wood) was imported from Asia to eastern Europe and fungal spores jumped species to grow on European ash. However, European ash has not co-evolved to live with this alien fungus and Fig.3 Scanning electron microscopy of a pre-fruiting fungal body so is highly susceptible to the disease. Manchurian ash slows nately, this pathogen is now established the growth of the pathogen so that, in Europe and we (and our ash trees) will come autumn, the tree gets rid of have to learn to live with the disease it the pathogen when the leaves fall to causes. the ground, leaving the fungus to contribute to the degradation of the What can we do about ash dieback leaves in soil. European ash is normally disease? infected by a cousin of H. fraxineus If you have an ash tree in your garden, called Hymenoscyphus albidus and in clearing up and burning the fallen autumn European ash gets rid of this leaves in autumn would reduce the rate native fungus with leaf fall. However, of reinfection. However, with trees in H. fraxineus grows rapidly on most woodland and in hedgerows this is not Europe-an ash, and crosses from the practical. Fungicides can probably reduce leaf stems into the branches; once there or stop the growth of the fungus, but the tree cannot get rid of it. The term these may have to be applied several ‘ash dieback’ comes from the growth times a year and would have to be of the pathogen in branches; when used every subsequent year; this is not spring arrives the fungus grows within practical in most situations and will not the branch strangling the growth of the work in woodlands, which will remain a outermost new leaves, which rapidly ‘die constant source of reinfection. back’ to where the fungus in the branch The only long-term answer will be to caused the strangulation. The pathogen select UK trees that can tolerate the has many more genes than its European disease. Some European ash trees seem cousin, and some of these may account to tolerate the pathogen by slowing its for its thug-like behaviour. Unfortu- growth in the tree. In Denmark, they 32 News on Ash Dieback

know that about one in twenty to one in fifty trees have such characteristics and this depends on the genes of the tree. Scientists at the University of York, the University of Copenhagen, and the John Innes Centre and The Genome Analysis Centre in Norwich have identified genetic markers associated with such disease tolerance. The hope is that these genetic markers may allow selection of UK seedlings that are likely to tolerate the disease and so survive long term. How bad will it get for our ash trees? Fig.4 Dying ash alongside a healthy ash in In Denmark, more than 90% of ash trees Ashwellthorpe Lower Wood, Norfolk show significant signs of the disease. Many of these trees will not die due to ash dieback, but will be weakened, knowledge we could collect the seeds making them more susceptible to other from the best trees and start to spread dis-eases like honey fungus. We just do them on the principle (as yet untested) not know how bad it will be in the UK; that the progeny from these tolerant ash East Anglia and Kent will be testing trees will have a higher probability of grounds because the disease is already surviving in the longer term. Only time established there. UK and Danish ash will tell; diseased trees may survive for trees have some genetic differences, 20 years, but this is a short lifespan for so we can hope that more than 2-5% an ash tree. Undoubtedly our landscape show long-term tolerance. In time, we will change, but we may be able to reduce may be able to identify healthy trees the impacts by planting trees likely to surrounded by sick ash trees (we can survive. This may come down to public already do this in Ashwellthorpe Lower voluntary actions because nurseries are Wood Fig.4). This means that many unlikely to want to sell trees some of infectious spores are present, making which are unlikely to survive. The future it very likely that healthy-looking trees of ash trees may be in your hands. will have been infected but show genetic Professor Allan Downie has worked at the John Innes tolerance. (Reasons for lack of symptoms Centre on plant-microbe interactions for over 30 years could be lack of infection, a different and coordinated a recent UK-wide research initiative environment, or partial tolerance that on combatting ash-dieback. Dr. Anne Edwards has also will not stand up in the longer term). worked on plant-microbe interactions at the John Innes Centre, and for the last twenty years has worked as Government funding could be used to a volunteer, coordinating coppice management at the identify which of these trees have the Norfolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve at Ashwellthorpe best genetic markers. Perhaps with that Lower Wood. 33 The Professional Gardeners’ Trust

The Professional Gardeners’ Trust and the future of the horticultural profession by Jeremey Garnett

The uncertain future of the horticultural 2013 in the horticultural profession is perhaps the greatest of the industry’s Horticulture many threats facing the nation’s heritage Matters, an alarming of magnificent gardens and landscapes. report that highlighted There has been a significant drop in the the extent of the skills shortage in UK number of career gardeners entering the horticulture. Of some 200 horticultural profession early in their working lives. businesses surveyed, 72% couldn’t fill The emergence of contract gardening skilled vacancies. and outsourcing has led to a decline The challenge of confronting this threat in traditional work-based training, led to the formation of the Professional particularly apprenticeships, previously Gardeners’ Trust. It is the charity that such a strong attraction to young people. provides professional gardeners in With an ageing workforce and a shortage the UK and Ireland with funding for of young entrants to the profession the essential horticultural training. It is an transfer of knowledge and skills to the independent organisation funded by next generation is being lost and this, in private donations, responding to the turn, threatens the future of our prized need to generate financial support for public gardens and plant collections. skills training and development within Evidence of this was produced In May the gardening profession. It does this by providing grants to working gardeners to acquire skills and gain qualifications through part-time training courses and work placements. It encourages gardeners to progress their careers by qualifying for jobs requiring higher levels of skill. An important corollary is that better awareness of this sort of funding at school and college level is likely to attract further prospective entrants to the profession. The Trust was founded in 2004 by The Professional Gardeners’ Guild. Its officers and the majority of its trustees

Photo: RHS Sheila Dearing Photo: are professional gardeners themselves. 34 The Professional Gardeners’ Trust

In the twelve years since it was established, the Trust has been able to assist over 250 applicants throughout the UK amounting to over £100,000. From modest beginnings with very limited resources it has become one of the largest providers of funds for training of its type. Thanks to a number of generous benefactors the Trust’s current annual budget is £25,000 pa and helps 50 or more applicants of all ages every year. We hope that will continue and we would like it to be more. well as aiding the horticultural profession Inevitably though, word of mouth breeds as a whole by raising standards across ever greater demand but we have every the board. Many of its awards provide confidence that the work of the Trust practical training, for example on the use will continue to grow. of pesticides and chainsaws. These are The scope of the Trust’s activities is wide. all important qualifications for applying The Trust aims to enhance the career for jobs. With the disappearance of the individual by adding relevant of apprentice schemes, the Royal qualifications and experience to a CV as Horticultural Society’s diplomas are particularly valuable. Many of them are part-time courses enabling full-time gardeners to study through distance learning programmes. Other more specialised projects have included plant identification, tree survey training, social and therapeutic courses, wild flower meadow management and tractor driving – with all the Health and Safety requirements which that entails. Applicants usually work in private

35 The Professional Gardeners’ Trust

Trust. We have also developed a partnership with Perennial’s Lironi training funds to identify professional gardeners seeking funding for part time training courses. One generous donation allowed the Trust to fund short term placements – an important part of our work. This enables gardeners to experience working in gardening Photo: RHS Sheila Dearing Photo: environments gardens or gardens open to the public, different to their own. These provide but many are self-employed. Employers experience and inspiration to gardeners tend to be very supportive by either who will go on to make a real mark on making a contribution or by giving their chosen profession. time away from work. Applicants must How can members of the Norfolk demonstrate that they derive the majority Gardens Trust help? There are three of their income from gardening. The ways: first, to encourage garden application process is quite simple and employees to search the website info@ is accessed though the Trust’s website pgtrust.org and see whether the Trust [email protected]. can help their careers; second, to spread The Trust’s benefactors are primarily the word locally about the work of the charitable trusts and horticultural Trust; and third, to consider supporting organisations. They include the the Trust financially in a way that might Professional Gardeners’ Guild, the bring benefits to Norfolk gardens and Finnis Scott Foundation, the Worshipful gardeners. Company of Gardeners, the Governors Jeremy Garnett is the Chairman of the PG Trust of The Royal Botanical and Horticultural Society of Manchester and the Northern Counties, the Ernest Cook Trust and, most recently, the Stanley Smith 36 New Plants

RHS Plant of the Year 2016 by Sue Roe

Every year at the RHS announcement of the winner creates a Chelsea Flower Show a real buzz at the show. The shortlisted 20 new plant introduction is plants are then exhibited to the press and 2016 awarded the prestigious public on a special display in the Grand title “Plant of the Year”. Pavilion throughout the show week. Before the show opens, Great Pavilion This year’s winner was Clematis exhibitors – usually nurseries and plant koreana AMBER (‘Wit141205’) from breeders – are invited to submit their Taylors Clematis, a clematis with new introductions to be assessed by the nodding heads of a yellow/cream RHS Plant Committees, the Director colouring and flowering from early to of Horticulture and the RHS Garden mid-summer with a second flush in Curators. September. A shortlist of 20 plants covering a wide In second place range of genera is then presented to a was Geum ‘Scarlet panel of over 100 RHS Plant Committee Tempest’ displayed experts just before the Show opens on by Hardy’s Cottage Monday morning and three plants are Garden Plants, selected for first, second and third places. bred by Elizabeth Judges take into account innovation, MacGregor in 2012 excellence and impact and public appeal from parentage and of course, the plants must be of G. ‘Beech House available to buy. Apricot’ × G. The prestige of winning this award is chiloense ‘Red Dragon’. recognized around the world and the In third place was Calendula POWERDAISY SUNNY (‘Kercalsun’) (PowerDaisy Series). Bright yellow flowers on a spreading plant which is easy to grow in containers and borders You can find stockists of these plants by contacting the relevant nursery, at RHS Garden Plant Centres or by using https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants Sue is co-editor of NGT News, an NGT committee member and member of the RHS Herbaceous Plants Committee. Images (c) RHS/Sarah Cuttle Images (c) RHS/Sarah 37 Readers’ Gardens

Mary Wade, The Tithe House, Peaseland Green, Norfolk.

How big is your garden? When we bought the property we had ½ an acre and since have purchased an additional 1½ acres. The cultivated part of the garden is around 1 acre. What was it like when you arrived? In 1984 it was a blank canvas with a lot of Leylandii trees, many of which we removed. … and as it is now We have a country garden surrounded with field hedges and trees. We have a very high water-table, clay loam and a stretch of dry stony soil. Initially I had no set plans but a fork adding plenty of homemade compost because I love growing herbaceous plants and manure. I try to be as organic as from seed and propagating anything I possible, which has produced a wonderful bought, I now have many beds crammed eco-balance with plenty of predators. with herbaceous plants repeated many What is your favourite part of the garden? times throughout the borders. Summer The bulb beds - plenty of colour from early months are a profusion of colour. There autumn to mid spring. Very cheering in the is an abundance of pollinating insects, dark days of winter. as the single flowers produced from seed are rich in nectar. The soil is covered Which are your top ten plants? with geraniums, most of which flower Gansu Mudan Tree Peony, Cyclamen, all summer; rarely divided they cover the Hellebore, Roses, Lavender, Rosemary, wet clay in winter and allow few weeds to Geranium, Salvia, Snowdrop, Malus germinate. A flower blooms most days of Particular challenges? the year as I have a variety of bulbs in two An old ash tree stump developed honey bulb beds. I have box hedges, deciduous fungus that affected quite a few shrubs and and evergreen shrubs, roses, apple trees and roses. I could only treat the base of shrubs/ a medlar. My pride and joy are the Gansu trees with diluted Armillatox (available Mudan Tree Peonies I grew from seed. I at the time). This inhibited underground planted approximately fifteen, ranging from fungus from continually attacking the varying shades of deep pink to pale pink plant, encouraging production of surface and white, all with a dark purple blotch in fungi that do not harm live wood. the centre and varying shades of foliage. Interestingly, some shrubs sent out 1-2 ft I have a vegetable garden with a series runners that produced healthy new growth. of raised beds. These were dug initially What plans for the garden? incorporating manure but I now use the ‘no To keep it weed free and to refresh stale, dig’ method and just turn the soil over with crowded areas. 38 NGT News

The NGT Website By David King

Computers have been around for a long time albeit in forms we would not recognise these days. My own first contact with one was in the 1960s. It was vast and housed in the basement of the company I was working with. It ran on a card system. They had to be filled in with a special pencil that had an electronic charge in the lead and if one misplaced the required mark the computer rejected the whole lot, which meant that, very annoyingly, they had to redone the following day. It was a nightmare. Some time later fax machines came in and what a wondrous thing they were as we could send documents to clients over website for the Norfolk and Norwich the telephone line in seconds. Even Horticultural Society so, after some though I worked in the communication thought, we decided we would offer what industry I don’t think anyone really saw was, at that time, our somewhat novice what was coming down the road and help. Subsequently, after some months, how everything would change and so our first website for the Society was born rapidly. Now we live in the electronic and uploaded, although looking back it age and most people have a computer, was far too big and wordy. Nevertheless, mobile phone, tablet or other piece of we were able to monitor how many electronic equipment that allows them to people viewed it each day and could see communicate with the outside world. that the website was well used. The original website for the Norfolk In the second half of 2014 it was felt Gardens Trust was constructed by Simon that the website needed refreshing and a Owen-Johnstone but he and his wife meeting was held to discuss the options. Lucy, the then Norfolk Gardens Trust Out of that meeting a small, manageable, Honorary Secretary, were moving away group of three emerged to plan and from Norfolk. Professionally constructed design the new site. Major changes were websites can cost a great deal to design made and the present website developed. and implement so at the next AGM It is lighter in content and has a more members were asked whether anyone airy, fresh design which makes it much would be willing to help. Brian Ellis easier to read and find what you want. and I had previously put together a The number of main pages was cut to 39 NGT News

just six plus the Home page. These six contain all the information members and visitors will need about events, contacts and news. There are of course many more pages to find should you fancy delving down through the various links that are provided on each page to galleries of photographs and reports of the various events. Another benefit of modern electronics is that we can, and do, monitor the site and know how many are using it, at what time and where, in general terms, they are geographically located. Most, of course, are UK-based but there aim is that these two outlets should are visitors from many other parts of complement each other in providing the world including China, Australia members with all the news, pictures and and other European countries. In an longer in-depth information they require. average month there are nearly fifteen A call to action. Now, this is a call to hundred page views on the NGT website. engage members with their website. Generally the visitor spends only about We are very happy to receive members twenty seconds on each page but that is photographs as soon as possible after a good thing. It may not sound much an event so that we can consider using but that is how websites work. People are them in the many galleries we put up to rapidly given the link they want and so support reports of events and meetings. can move on quickly. Websites are and Remember, it’s your website so please let should be a source of information that us know of your activities. Just email us: can be found quickly and hopefully that [email protected] is what we are providing. If not the user will go elsewhere. The Norfolk Gardens Trust has two main HELP! communication vehicles: the website We are seeking and this publication. The advantage volunteers to help serve of a website is that it is immediate tea at our garden events. and available twenty four hours a day, Any help supporting seven days a week and if necessary can the NGT would be welcome! be updated in seconds when changes Please contact Karen are needed. A printed publication Moore at: moore. can provide the reader with, perhaps, [email protected] a longer, more considered view. Our 40 DatesDates for for your your diary diary 2017 2015-16

NGT visit to Herefordshire 20th to 22nd June 2017

We are planning a three day trip by For those who are not members of luxury coach to Herefordshire next the Historic Houses Association or the June visiting some of the country’s most National Trust there will be an additional beautiful gardens. entrance fee payable to Hampton Court Castle and Gardens (HHA) and Day 1 Coughton Court (HHA/NT). Coton Manor Garden, Northamptonshire, NN6 8RQ Day 2 Bryan’s Ground, Stapleton, Presteigne, Herefordshire LD8 2LP Hampton Court Castle and Gardens, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0PN Day 3 The Laskett Gardens, Much Birch, Herefordshire HR2 8HZ Coughton Court, Alcester, Warwickshire, BA49 5JA Accommodation Two nights at The Chase Hotel, Gloucester Road, Ross on Wye, Roseberry Karen Photo: Herefordshire HR9 5LH Coton Manor This peaceful ten acre garden occupies Cost a hillside position extending down Calculated on a minimum group of 23 from the 17th century manor house, people the approximate cost per person constructed of mellow Northamptonshire sharing a double or twin room will be stone. Landscaped on different levels, it in the region of £299. Please note there comprises a series of distinctive smaller will be a single occupancy supplement gardens, providing variety and interest of £60. The cost includes coach travel, throughout the season, and enhanced by two nights at The Chase Hotel inclusive flowing streams, fountains and ponds. dinner, bed and breakfast, three lunches Beyond the confines of the garden, there (one picnic) and entrance fees to Coton is a magical five acre bluebell wood and a Manor, Bryan’s Ground and the Laskett colourful wildflower meadow at its best Gardens. in June and July. Extensive Nursery and Garden Shop. Visit includes lunch. 41 Dates for your diary 2017

Bryan’s Ground of the house in the 1830’s and 40’s, This superb garden has been developed the work being designed and carried since 1993 by David Wheeler and Simon out by Charles Hanbury Tracy, later Dorrell who are also well known for their Lord Sudeley. The Arkwrights lived at quarterly gardening journal ‘Hortus’. Hampton Court until 1912. Three acres of intimate garden rooms The Gardens at Hampton Court furnished with follies and fragrant Herefordshire are one of the most flowers, towers and topiary, pools, ambitious garden creations of our time. a potager, and paths to five acres of Original Victorian garden walls enclose specimen trees on the river bank. Visit stunning flower gardens divided by includes refreshments. canals, island pavilions and pleached Hampton Court Castle and Gardens avenues. The kitchen garden is an (HHA) ornamental garden of fruit and The Hampton Court Estate has a rich vegetables. It is managed organically, and fascinating history dating back to the supplying produce to the Orangery for its 15th Century. The estate was originally seasonal menu. formed by the merging of the manors There is a maze of a thousand yews with of Hampton Richard and Hampton a gothic tower at its centre. Climb to the Mappenor. It was granted by Henry top for a panoramic view of the gardens IV to Sir Rowland Lenthall at the time or descend underground to a tunnel that of his marriage to Margaret Fitzalan, leads to a waterfall in the sunken garden. daughter of the Earl of Arundel and a Walk behind the waterfall and hop cousin of the King. Lenthall built the across the cascade stepping stones. original quadrangular manor house in Beautiful herbaceous borders stretch 1427, twelve years after his knighthood at out from a one hundred and fifty year the battle of Agincourt. In 1434 he was old wisteria tunnel that leads to vast granted a licence to crenellate the house lawns and ancient trees beside the castle. by Henry VI. Beyond the lawns are riverside and Sir Rowland was succeeded by his woodland walks. daughter who married the Baron of Adjoining the castle, in the grand Burford and it was their grandson who conservatory designed by Joseph Paxton sold Hampton Court to Sir Humphrey in 1846, is the Orangery Café where we Coningsby in 1510. Hampton Court will have lunch. remained in the Coningsby family, a prominent noble Herefordshire family, The Laskett Gardens until the early 19th Century when The Laskett Gardens, set in the idyllic the estate was purchased by Richard countryside of Herefordshire on the Arkwright, the son of the famous Welsh borders, are the creation of Sir inventor. Richard Arkwright’s son, John, Roy Strong CH and his late wife Julia then commissioned the remodelling Trevelyan Oman. This is an architectural 42 DatesDates for for your your diary diary 2017 2015-16

garden with geometric structure, angles, herbaceous plants. There is something vistas, statuary and buildings. The for everyone in horticultural terms: a avenues and garden spaces comprise bog garden; formal lawns; vegetable yew and native hedges and trees cut into garden; orchard; riverside walks and orbs, dials and geometric shapes. The a formal garden in the courtyard. A overriding colour is green in a formal daffodil garden devoted to the rare setting with colour confined to the rose Throckmorton daffodils developed by garden, the Silver Jubilee garden and the the late Dr Tom Throckmorton and a V&A walk. soft fruit garden. Coughton Court’s gardens, designed by Christina Williams daughter of Clare McLaren-Throckmorton, the present owner of Coughton Court, have been described in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Recommended Gardens 2009 as “breathtaking”. In 2006, the gardens were given the Award of Garden Excellence by the World Federation of Coughton Court (NT & HHA) Rose Societies, the first time such an Coughton Court has been home to accolade has been awarded to a garden the Throckmortons, one of the UK’s in the UK. oldest Catholic families, since the A booking form will be sent out to members early fifteenth century. 2009 marked shortly. In the meantime it would be helpful the 600th anniversary of the family’s to have an indication of whether such a trip residence at Coughton Court and is of interest and I would therefore be most although the National Trust has owned grateful if members could let me know by the house since 1946, the family still live email or telephone. there. The family was very prominent in Karen Moore, NGT Events Organiser Tudor times and later were instigators of Catholic emancipation. Through its Email: [email protected] rich and varied history, the house has Tel: 01328 700313 witnessed some of the most defining moments in British history – from the ADVANCE NOTICE 2017 court of Henry VIII to the Gunpowder plot of 1605. Wednesday 15th March. Annual Tate Talk The gardens at Coughton Court are of Oxford College Gardens by Tim special significance and are recognised Richardson as being amongst the best in England. The centrepiece is the famous walled Saturday 22nd April garden, with a concentration of roses and Annual General Meeting 43 Membership Matters

We are pleased to announce that our Penelope Spinks membership of around 500 has been Alison Wakes-Miller increased by the following new members Richard Nicholls & Jill Warwick who have joined the Trust since the last Nedra Westwater issue of Autumn News. Helga Williams Clare Winkley Alexandra Alberry Frances York Andrew & Rosie Barclay Ursula Barton If you are looking for an unusual Clarissa Cave Christmas or birthday present for a Pauline Christian friend or relative, why not buy them Haydn & Maggie Claridge a year’s subscription to the Norfolk Helen Davenport Gardens Trust? Jennifer Jane Faire We have a number of “Voucher Margaret Farrell Members” many of whom, having had a Peter & Ruth Jacobs taster year, go on to become permanent Pam Janacek members in their own right. Please Julie Ann Lane contact me for details of how to do it. Carol Lee Tom & Janet Mutimer Anthony Stimpson Chrissie Nicholls Membership Secretary Hugh Pilkington [email protected] Ann Pyle David & Barbara Roberts Readers’ Gardens Ian Roofe If you would like your garden to be Ian & Anita Shann featured in the NGT News please Martin & Jan Shaw contact us…. We welcome hearing about all gardens big or small, town Jackie Simon or country and whether you are Susan Simpson open to the public or not. Contact: [email protected]. Call For Articles

We welcome suggestions for articles to further afield), historical research, be included in future issues of the NGT gardening, plants, people in gardening Newsletter. These could be pieces you etc. In the first instance send us an are prepared to write or just thoughts email at: about articles you would like to see [email protected]. in the Newsletter. We are interested in ideas about gardens in Norfolk (or Sue Roe and Clive Lloyd, Editors 44 NorfolkDates for Gardens your diary Trust 2015-16

Committee

The President Lord Walpole, Members Mannington Hall, Norwich NR11 7BB Graham Innes [email protected] 30 Chalfont Walk, Norwich NR4 7NH Chairman Matthew Martin T: 01603 452775 Dairy Farmhouse, Low Common, [email protected] Swardeston NR14 8EG Janet Johnston T: 01508 570124 23a Queen Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1HT [email protected] T: 01553 760085 Vice Chairman Sally Bate [email protected] M: 07881 907735 Joanne Kidd [email protected] The Ringers, The Green, Shipdham, Membership Secretary Anthony Stimpson Thetford IP25 7LA Hillcrest, The Street, Lammas, T: 01362 820533 Norwich NR10 5AF [email protected] T: 01603 278272 M: 07768 384181 Roger Last [email protected] The Mill House, Corpusty, Norwich NR11 6QB Secretary Maureen Kimbley T: 01263 587223 2 Great Yard, The Street, Saxthorpe, [email protected] Norwich NR11 7AH Peter de Bunsen T: 01263 587705 M: 07867 840149 The Old Rectory, Kirby Bedon, [email protected] Norwich NR14 7DX Treasurer Peter Woodrow T: 01508 491648 1 Millers Court, Norwich Road, Wymondham NR18 0BF Newsletter Volunteers T: 01953 603694 M: 07756 213297 Newsletter Editor Clive Lloyd [email protected] 15 Waverley Road, Norwich NR4 6SG Events Karen Moore T: 01603 455917 M: 07931 328484 Point House, Back Street, Litcham PE32 2PA [email protected] T: 01328 700313 Newsletter Designer Karen Roseberry [email protected] Rockland All Saints NR17 1TU Newsletter Editor Sue Roe M: 07990 522836 15 Waverley Road, Norwich NR4 6SG [email protected] T: 01603 455917 M: 07931 328484 [email protected] Website Jenny Dyer Orchard Barn, 4 Lacey’s Farm, Long Lane, Colby, Norwich NR11 7EF T: 01263 761811 [email protected] 45 NorfolkNorfolk GardensGardens TTrustrust

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