Great Dixter - A Pause for Thought

First view of Great Dixter - 'over the garden gate'

Is it possible to have a memory of a place without going there?

This is the central question posed by a book called Losing Site, which I tried to review for Green Places magazine last year. I gave up in frustration because a) I found the book unreadable and more importantly b) I heartily disagreed with its premise that a place can have resonance through artifacts such as postcards.

But I'd forgotten about Great Dixter.

The Long Border

Visiting Great Dixter last week was like going home. Christopher Lloyd was the first garden writer who 'spoke' to me. His words made sense and for the first time I 'got' how magical gardening can be.

His words also form a golden thread sown through very dark times. Some years ago NAH's father died just before we went on holiday to Derbyshire. Much of that time was spent to-ing and fro-ing between our holiday cottage and Darlington;  making arrangements, attending the funeral, dealing with the final part of growing up losing a parent brings.

In the quiet pauses between the bustle, I was reading Succession Planting for Adventurous Gardeners. It was  a healing balm. If we'd been at home I would have spent time in my own garden, but as we were away, Great Dixter and its Long Border was my place of recuperation.

It's one of the reasons why I've not visited before. When so much emotion is invested in a place and what's been written, visiting can only lead to disappointment can't it?

Well, I was wrong.

Despite what the sign says, we were made most welcome!

We may have visited in one of the coldest of Marches and just before the doors opened to the public, but Great Dixter was magical. It's the first time I've been to a place where its feel can be summed up in one word. Happiness.

The team there truly enjoy what they do. Fergus Garrett is inspirational and his enthusiasm flowed from him into we bloggers there for the day. I was struck how Christopher Lloyd's legacy carries on through those left behind. The strive to learn, do better, and experiment is refreshing. It's not always perfect - Fergus readily admits they get things wrong sometimes - but the key importance is it's taken as a positive thing, an opportunity for learning. It's something that's sadly missing in most places I've experienced, particularly work.

As well as feeling inspired and invigorated, I also felt a bit daunted. The team there have so much knowledge* and expertise and I have so little. Thank goodness I have my garden and my blog; they form the backbone of my own learning.

Probably the tidiest garden nursery I've ever seen
It was a fabulous day. I had great company in the shape of blogging buddies and the team at Great Dixter put a fantastic programme together for us. I shall return as soon as I can. I feel the need to simply sit on a wall and make copious notes, just like the woman in the picture.

And I NEED to find one of these:

Helleborus 'Anna's Red'
* = this time I understood all the latin names. When I heard Fergus speak at my first ever visit to the Bath University Gardening Club 4 years ago, I hardly understood any of the plant names he mentioned. I'm holding on to the fact I've improved in the meantime!

Comments

  1. Gwenfar's Garden3 April 2013 at 08:54

    By accident, I came across Christopher Lloyd quite early in my gardening addiction. I think his sense of challenging the idea of what does and does not go together, particularly with colour, has helped formed my own way of gardening. I visited Great Dixter a few summers ago and spent hours wandering around, taking in the colour and textures and just enjoying the garden. I agree, happiness describes it exactly. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP3 April 2013 at 13:35

      Gwenfar - and thank you for today's #bloglove :) Yep, challenging ideas has to be good! I loved what Fergus said on the day about giving so much to the team, so that they have the chance to learn and even become better than he. He said he had that from Christopher Lloyd and its such a generous approach. How many 'bosses' encourage a culture that their staff should become better than they? It's a philosophy I've only seen elsewhere in the teaching profession.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous3 April 2013 at 08:58

    The long border reminds me of the purple and yellow long border in the gardens down here at Dartington Hall, first planted by Beatrix Campbel (Edith Wharton's niece) for Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst. Something about tumbling mature perennials over soft coloured stone is very satisfying. Hope you are well, Michelle! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP3 April 2013 at 13:36

      Hello and welcome! Dartington Hall's on my list of gardens to see :) So nice to see you here after meeting you in Bristol! x

      Delete
  3. Anna3 April 2013 at 11:12

    VP, your emotions sound similar to those I experienced on my first visit to Great Dixter in 2011. After many years of reading Christopher Lloyd's books as well as endless written material about the garden I was most apprehensive that it would not live up to my expectations. I need not have fretted as it surpassed them away and above all my wildest dreams. I was not only enamoured by the garden but the house too with its aura of timelessness and felt a profound sense of déjà vu and wellbeing. I'm hoping to return in the next year or so and plan this time to visit Sissinghurst too. Funnily enough that hellebore features on my wish list too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP3 April 2013 at 13:38

      Now I already had you down for one of those :) The label below the picture is a link to Anna Pavord's article about the nursery which bred the Hellebore and how the owner named it after her. It's a lovely story - another example of generosity: from both the nurseryman and Anna's writing :)

      Delete
  4. Anonymous3 April 2013 at 11:19

    Hi Michelle, your post perfectly sums up this heavenly garden and the ethos of those who work there. Don't think I could ever tire of visiting or volunteering in this joyous haven.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP3 April 2013 at 13:39

      I understand now why you feel that way Naomi :)

      Delete
  5. Helen/patientgardener3 April 2013 at 11:25

    I'm glad you had a good time. I suspect I am reluctant to visit for similar reasons, I have built it up in my head and I dont want to be disappointed.

    Ashwood Nurseries have Hellebore 'Anna's Red' but it is a newish introduction and rather pricey - £20ish if I remember right. I think it was named after Anna Pavord.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP3 April 2013 at 13:43

      Hi Helen - for once Great Dixter is a place which exceeds expectations, so I think you're safe to go. It's a blimmin long way away though - perhaps we can manage that time away together after all sometime when you've come back from San Francisco :)

      Yes, I saw Ashwood Nurseries have it and having read Anna Pavord's article, I understand why it's so pricey. The seed is incredibly difficult to germinate. Trust me to pick the one plant, that's difficult to propagate, but then that'll make it even more special when I find it.

      You'll see Catherine from Dixter has commented on the plant's origins. I've decided I'd like to get it from the original nursery if I can.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous3 April 2013 at 12:25

    Hi Michelle,

    Catherine from Dixter here. So pleased (as I said in my email) that you had a good day with us. It was great to meet you all - albeit for a bit of a whirlwind tour. As you say above - you'll have to come back and spend some more reflective time!

    Anna's Red was originally bred by Rodney Windsor of RD plants who will also have it for sale- pricey as Helen says but the result of 15 years (or more) work. (Lynda Windsor, Rodney's wife came down a couple of winters ago when they had just been launched for one of our open weekends with a whole load for sale but unsurprisingly they all went)- here are their details http://apps.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/nurseryfinder3.asp?id=1369

    Hope that helps

    Catherine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP3 April 2013 at 13:47

      Hi Catherine - so kind of you to comment :)

      Thanks for the information on the origins of 'Anna's Red'. I'm not surprised they all went when you had some. Gaz (who correctly identified the plant for me on the day) warned me it's quite difficult to get hold of, but I think it'll be well worth the wait!

      Delete
  7. VP3 April 2013 at 13:53

    A couple of people have commented via Twitter, which I'd like to capture alongside my feelings about my visit. There's only a few gardens I've visited which have really touched my soul and it seems Great Dixter has reached quite a few of us in that way.

    Firstly Susie White, @cottagegardener said: I feel just same. Felt I'd been to #Dixter through words but my first trip with @GardenEmma was as calmingly lovely as my dream

    and then Sharon Moncur, @SharonMoncur added: It is such a magical place isn't it. Somehow it feels like a home to us too. Everyone is always so welcoming
    #fergusInspires

    ReplyDelete
  8. Angie3 April 2013 at 16:00

    What a lovely read. Memories of your first visit will never leave you and I doubt they will ever fade - even if you visit 100 more times, you will never be able to recreate the feelings of excitement and apprehension going on inside your mind as you walked through those doors. I wonder did you have butterflies in your stomach? I am so glad you were not disappointed - a reason I often put things off!!
    That sure is a beautiful Hellebore - we will all be looking forward to seeing it take pride of place in your garden!
    Too far away for me to be a regular visitor but if I'm ever in the area Great Dixter will be top of my list!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous3 April 2013 at 17:04

    Great post - I find reading other people's blogs inspiring too..always gaining new knowledge and insight
    Great Dixter will be on my list too, if I ever go to that area

    ReplyDelete
  10. Unknown3 April 2013 at 20:23

    Have not yet visited but have always had a soft spot for Christopher Lloyd's dismissal of tight colour schemes and gardening orthodoxy. 'Succession Planting for Adventurous Gardeners' is also one of my favourite chilly day reads, along with Geoff Hamilton's "The Ornamental Kitchen Garden" - these are probably my top two page-turners and the ones I'd take with me to a desert island.

    Must go to Great Dixter this year.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gardeningbren3 April 2013 at 23:15

    My visit there was much like yours at about the same time of year. Outstanding in memory as yours was. I liked this post very much VP...really special.

    ReplyDelete
  12. flowerlady4 April 2013 at 12:30

    I am too like you,I have read his books and even reproduced some of his ideas in my own garden but still have to visit.I am sure I will be like you and wont be disappointed.

    ReplyDelete
  13. VP11 April 2013 at 08:39

    Angie - you are totally right :)

    Lynda - I've been exploring Sussex quite a bit over the past couple of weeks. Well worth a holiday there :)

    TTG - desert island books, now there's an idea for a blog meme for next winter :)

    bren - thank you - so glad you've been there too.

    flowerlady - you won't. Now I need to get to grips with layering...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love hearing from you and welcome thoughtful conversations :)

Comments aiming to link back and give credence to commercial websites will be composted!

Your essential reads

That blue flower: A spring spotter's guide

Image
Spring is a prime time for blue flowers and my daily walks currently have several from the same plant family* lining the local footpaths. As I walked past the Donkey Field the other day, I overheard some children ask their parents** what the pictured blue flower was. It reminded me it's often mistaken for those other familial blues and this time was no different, as they said it was forget-me-not, instead of the green alkanet it actually is. As well as similar flowers, most of these plants are hairy in their nature, flower around the same time, and favour damp, shady places. Many of them are great for pollinators too, especially bees and this week's warm weather has certainly drawn them to these flowers. This makes it even more likely for these plants to be mistaken for each other and it's a great opportunity for me to put together a spotter's guide in case you find the same flowers on your outings. Staying with green alkanet, the key features which set it ...
Read more

Jack Go To Bed At Noon

Image
Last year this rather exotic looking flower appeared on mine and several other allotments for the first time. Having been stumped (again) by Mr Allotment Warden as to its identity, I rushed home to find out what it was. It's salsify, aka the marvellous Jack Go To Bed At Noon - named as such because its flowers always close by midday. Here you can see both open and closed flowers - making it seem even more exotic and alien than in the first picture. I think this must be the cultivated version because the flower in my Francis Rose Wild Flower Key looks exactly the same in form, but is bright yellow in colour and called meadow salsify . Its other common name is Goatsbeard, which must be a nod to the fantastic dandelion-like clock which forms the seed head. With 'parachutes' like those shown above, who knows how far our plotted plants came from. I rather like the photographic dissection of the seedhead found in this link . Salsify is edible: its lateral shoots and fl...
Read more

Red Nose Day - Gardening Jokes Anyone?

Image
The nation goes ever so slightly bonkers on Red Nose Day - hurrah! Previously, it's been very easy to join in - usually via a dress down day at work plus lots of people up to mad things at the station and in the office. Everyone smiling for once - it's a real feel good day and all in a good cause. This year's different - every day's a dress down day for me now - my friend L suggested yesterday that perhaps I could have a dress up day instead and whilst that's a good idea, I confess that ballgowns and tiaras don't really feature in my wardrobe: scruffy student's always been my favourite look. So my Red Nose Day contribution for this year is to compile a list of gardening related jokes. For each one (clean ones only please) you leave in the comments below, I'll make a donation of 50p to the cause. Here's a few for starters just to get you warmed up: Q Why do potatoes make good detectives? A Because they keep their eyes peeled. Q What did the grape...
Read more

Salad Days: Mastering Lettuce

Image
I've decided one of my salad challenges for this year is to grow as many lettuce varieties as I can, ready for the publication of my planned Factsheet* later on. The idea is to grow as many of the Tried and Trusted lettuce varieties last year's Salad Challengers helped compile, then provide a visual guide and as many lettuce facts as I can muster. So far I've found around half of those listed**. Then naturally whilst I was out searching - because such is the way with seeds - a number of other varieties found their way home too ;) A couple of weeks ago I sowed 22 varieties***. Just the simple act of sowing them has me intrigued. Why are some lettuce seeds black and others white****? They split into about half white to half black in my sample and as far as I can tell it's nothing to do with whether they're a type of cos, iceberg, or whatever. I sowed them indoors and popped them into a propagator on the windowsill. The soil's too cold outside for sowing ...
Read more

VPs VIPs: Derry Watkins of Special Plants

Image
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Derry Watkins at her home, garden and nursery - the acclaimed Special Plants - just a few miles along the road from me. I first met Derry at one of her open garden days last year and was keen to find out more about her wonderful garden and running an independent nursery. She specialises in tender perennials and regularly goes on plant hunting trips to find new treasures, particularly in South Africa. As well as running Special Plants and opening her garden under the NGS scheme , Derry holds day courses at her nursery, hosts Special Tuesdays from April until September, lectures and has written a couple of books. How did you find your way from Connecticut to the UK? I'd started a biodynamic vegetable garden in Connecticut and we used to have people come along at weekends to help out. A particular young man turned up: he returned many times and at the end of the summer I married him. So it was all down to love? Isn't that the...
Read more

#mygardenrightnow: heading into summer with the Chelsea Fringe

Image
Ahhhhhh, that's better! I love walking through dewy grass in bare feet, not that there's much in the way of grass on my back lawn this weekend. My wild and woolly lawn has morphed into meadow of sorts this month, which even NAH admits looks attractive*. It's also proved a great source for my Flowers for mum project so far, yielding self-sown perennial cornflowers, lamb's ears, and lemon balm in addition to the blooms you can see. These originated from elsewhere in the garden, the ox-eye daisies must have blown in from the A350 nearby. * = he got very stroppy about the weeds aka self-sown foxgloves in the lawn one year, so he's come along a bit since then. Skimble's demanding to say hello to you too. He does enjoy the patio when it warms up. If the embedded video doesn't work try this link instead. The Nectaroscordum are a revelation. I planted the bulbs around 2 years ago, but it's only this year they've bloomed properly. The bee...
Read more

Make Use of Mildew

Image
On my garden patrol this morning I spotted some powdery mildew on a couple of my new Verbena bonariensis plants. I suppose it was almost inevitable as I prefer to grow my plants hard - this means no water for them unless they look absolutely desperate. This approach means plants root themselves more deeply and have a better chance of survival during spells of dry weather like we've had lately. However, it also means I run the risk of problems like today's, especially with any garden newbies planted late in the season. We've had a good drop of rain overnight, so this should help my plants survive. I'll mulch them later today to help lock in the moisture as it's water stress which encourages the mildew to take hold. I've also removed the infected leaves and sprayed the rest with a milky drink.* I'm also pleased to find there's a use for my infected leaves. Oliver Ellingham at Reading University has started a PhD - sponsored by the RHS - researchi...
Read more

The Resilient Garden

Image
  Part of Tom Massey's Resilient Garden at RHS Hampton Court I've been pondering VP Gardens a lot lately. Last year's drought conditions set me off initially, then our harsher than usual winter combined with this summer's flip and flop weather means the thinking continues. It's a huge topic which I freely admit I'm struggling to get my head around. Tom Massey's Resilient Garden  at Hampton Court recently  tackled this topic brilliantly and was a timely interlude which gave me much food for thought. There he encapsulated the detailed research he'd found which informed both his show garden and book of the same name. I think it's one of the most important show gardens I've ever seen. It's clear the way I garden needs to change so that I have my own resilient garden. I haven't worked out the exact details yet, but Tom's book plus a couple of others (see below), alongside the rainwater management handout from the show garden's  sponso...
Read more

Chelsea Fringe 2014: Shows of Hands - Episode I

Image
The gloves NAH used to build the raised bed . The effects are L to R, top to bottom:  Original photo, Warhol, HDR, Green tint, B&W, Posterize, Boost, Cross process and Sepia Welcome to Shows of Hands - my Chelsea Fringe project for 2014! As you can see I've been having a bit of a play around in Pic Monkey for my first contribution. You're welcome to join in between now and 8th June 2014. The idea behind this year's project is to highlight the tool most precious to a gardener: their hands. How do I take part? It's simple. All you need to do is take a photo of hand(s) in a gardening context and then share it via your blog or other social media (such as Twitter or Facebook), then make sure I know you've done so. I've set up Mr Linky below for your blog contributions. The Chelsea Fringe photo on the right sidebar links to this post, so you can easily find it again when you're ready to add your contribution. If you share your photo on Twitter, ...
Read more

Testing Times: Tomatoes

Image
  I've run a couple of tomato trials this year. The first is a revisit of the biochar trial with Oxford University I attempted some years ago (with a different organisation this time), and the second is a trial of a water gadget called Plantsurge which I was given to try at Malvern Spring Show earlier this year. Most of you have probably heard of biochar already and the claim that this inert, carbon-rich material can help soil fertility and plant health. The RHS information in the above link says results can be mixed, with reduced effects found in alkaline soils. This may help to explain the lack of difference I found in my previous trial as VP Gardens is on a lime-rich soil. Plantsurge is a different beast altogether. It's a strong magnet which is attached to a hosepipe as shown in the photo above. It's claimed that it softens water, with the result more like watering with rainwater. The higher nitrogen found in rainwater is thought to be beneficial to plants. Gardener...
Read more