yes... isn't it stunning?? what beautiful gardens.... I did see one page that listed the plants. I have yet to fully explore the site.
Fall...so what's blooming in your garden?
A million thanks for the great link, TCS1366!
There are several pages that list the plants. Plus there are befores and afters, detailed illustrations ... it's truly amazing. I think I just added books about Gertrude Jekyll's gardens to my Christmas wish list. LOL
tcs,thanks for the link ,I really enjoyed reading it. I just love English gardens,I could spend days wondering around in aww .Thanks again :)
Neil, am adding my thanks to the others above for your sharing such a wonderful experience in reconstructing a Jekyll garden. What an honor in so many ways:)
And another welcome to you - I hope you'll stay with us for a long time to come.
It might be fun over the coming fall and winter to muse over how we - in all our different kinds of gardens - could incorporate/adapt some of Jekyll's principles into our posy patches. We could do it with other designers, too, for fun. This could work for both dream and actual gardens - surely one is never far from the other within a gardener's mind (though the powers that be know full well how far apart they can be in reality). (Well, argh! I just remembered this is the Cottage Garden and not Design forum. Well, hopefully, we can keep this kind of subject here, because I don't think there is such a thing as any type of garden to which design can not be relevant)
And TCS1366 - thank you for that website - loved it very much
Every time I go back to Gertrude Jekyll's books, I always find something new to learn (or to remember as I get older - sigh). A major winter treat for me is reading her books by our woodstove - holding an actual book in my hands is a totally different experience for this gardener's imagination. But if anyone should have any difficulty acquiring any of her books, here are two available in digital form, free and on line - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7122145
Neil, if you come across any English gardens that allow you to photograph them, we'd love very much if you could share the pics with us. And not just pictures - I grew up on books before the computer age, and I still find that the route words can take to the imagination cannot be totally replaced by a picture route.
Karen
There was no formal planting list as is done nowadays, or like in fact in Christopher Lloyds garden, or Vita Sackville West's garden design at sissinghurst and many others.
The link was nice, and fun to look at. However the one I did was not as big as that and did not have tennis courts, wild areas, or an orchard.
It was formal to match the schools formal architecture, hence the six carp ponds on a terrace overlooking the garden, it did have twisty paths at the beginning of the garden, then you got onto the straight borders.
The plants in the plans are similar to some in the one I did, but the soil was Surrey greensand, it had years of manure in it, but was still a sandy loam and acidic in some areas. So other plants were used by Jekyll to get round this problem, as Jekyll lived near Godalming, at Munstead wood she would have been familiar (one hopes), with the soil in the area I was working.
Apart from her lovely letters to the Governors and her watercolours of what she hoped to achieve there was just the plans.
I was trained in Horticultural and when I started my apprenticeship, My foreman pointed to a Salix × sepulcralis (weeping willow), I made the cardinal sin of using a common name, and then saying "I do not know its Latin name." He went mad with rage and gave me a lecture on that firstly, common names were not allowed to be used by any member of staff, and there is no such thing as a Latin name! For instance Salix is a Celtic word, sal being near and ix being water, so it means near water, and what has that got to do with Latin.
So as a punishment, he made me clean the ornamental lake of leaves and debris out in January, and it was freezing, in that water.
Upon getting my job to do the Jekyll garden, the first thing that struck me was; Jekyll had the annoying habit of using common names, a generic name mixed with a common name, a common name mixed with a cultivar name and a name like white double alba rose!
This is confusing and frustrating, especially when I could only look at her plans, and hand write bits and names out of them.
For common names vary from village to village and definitely in different counties.
In one of the borders there was a clump drawn on the plan with Michaelmas daisy Robert Palmer written on it, this does not tell me the generic or species name, just a cultivar name. As Michaelmas daisy is a fairly common name I knew it was an Aster, but what species. So it was to the R.H.S. library at Wisley, luckily it was not that far, and then go through pages and pages of Aster species until you find the species and the cultivar. In this case Aster novi belgi 'Robert Palmer.
In another segment of the border was written Paris daises, what pray are Paris daises, I asked the Head gardeners on the estates and one told me they are in fact Chrysanthemum frutescens, as there are cultivars of these, I just went for the type species.
Then you have to look up if you can find it, who reared it and where it came from, the grower and do they still exist.
All this tales a lot of time and money, plus the internet was only in its infancy then, so most people did not or had even heard of it.
A wonderful Librarian at Wisley saw me often going through books and magazines of that period, so politely asked what the fascination was.
So I informed her exactly what I was doing, she just told me that she thought that was what I was doing as over the years three people had come in and done the same, and most of them lived in Surrey or Hampshire.
Although they were secretive and strictly private or so I was told, but she would see what she could do. I then got a phone call from a nice gentleman, who wanted to meet me in a nearby pub called aptly the Yew Tree. He wanted to know my Qualifications and where I was doing this, I informed about the school rules and the reason why, so he just wanted to know what village I was staying in and nothing else.
So I told him and he said " I knew there was one round there,: but like the one I was doing, was in a poor state and the records were even less than what I had.
He got me into his car and made me swear I would not mention where this was, and getting there, he took me through his gorgeous house, poured us both a drink, and then walked me out onto the first terrace. I was speechless and breathless at the same time, for in front of me was a pristine Jekyll garden in its Summer glory, totally amazing and secret. We walked around for ages looking and talking about the plants and the colours, the different bits of the garden, about the woodland full of Rhododendrons etc, totally awe inspiring.
We went back to the house for another drink and sat talking, he was telling me that the reason why it was kept secret and no public were allowed near it was because; it had taken him 11 years just to get the research and the frame work done, and then a further 5 years to get it right, plus hundred and hundreds of hours of research, and hard work outside to get it done, and untold money!
For he admitted he was not Horticulturally trained, so it took him a lot longer, where I was and could get thing done a lot faster than him.
So he claimed the villagers would not like hordes of tourists, and he would hate to see loads of people damaging his beloved garden, so it was out of bounds.
I told him about the original Jekyll lavender and the Ajuga (bugle), I had got, and he asked me to see if I got get him a plant of the estate.
He also took my address and gave me his phone number, and said he would put some things in the post for me.
When we got back to the pub, he had a shandy as he was driving and then suddenly gave me an envelope, telling me it was the Jekyll bible and that I would need it. So I took the envelope home and opened it, a book called THE GARDENERS ESSENTIAL, Gertrude Jekyll, was inside.
It was published by Robinson Publishing and was originally £5.99p, so I looked it up on Amazon ( in case any DG persons want one), and they had some used ones for £1.50p.
It is basically eight chapters of passages taken out of her many books, but put into chapters regarding each process she did.
Like Design and Ornament, Colours, Flowers for the Flower garden, Roses, Trees and Shrubs etc. and it has some botanical names in it, a life saver.
I went and got the Gentleman's lavender and his Ajuga as he had sent me a lot of useful information.
Then I went to the Governor who was my boss, and told him about this Gentleman and the amazing help he had given me and about his own garden, but not where, and could he see the schools one.
He agreed to meet him in the village pub, so I rang the Gentleman and said I had his plants and he came straight over. After the Governor talked to him about the non disclosure of the whereabouts of the garden, which he agreed to wholeheartedly as I knew where his one was.
I showed him the plans and the drawing, then took him around the garden, he was suitably impressed.
So giving him his plants he went home a happy man. A month later he rang me up and told me to meet him in my local pub, which I did.
driving some distance he pulled into a large cottage, and introduced me to a lovely lady, she was only to pleased to show me her Jekyll garden.
This was a pure cottage garden, nothing formal at all, quite wonderful, yet again I was speechless. This one is out of bounds as well.
Or as Jekyll herself said" The main purpose of a garden is to give the owner the best and highest kind of earthly pleasure."
Sorry this is so long but there is no other way to convey it.
I now have plans when I move up my cottage which was in the Domesday book of 1086, of making a Jekyll style garden for my wife and I.
Regards to all from England.
Neil.
Oh Neil, your stories are waaaaaaay too short for me. Reading them, I feel like the resident feline ruler of our tiny hovel rolling in mountains of catnip.
Secret gardens? Lost and found Jekyll gems? Making a Jekyll garden in a cottage that goes back to the Domesday Book of 1086? It's all so very intriguing. A garden in a place with history going so far back would seem a timeless "kind of earthly pleasure", as well.
Karen
NEIL, thank you so much for sharing that wonderful story with us. It was absolutely fascinating.
Dreamy gardens (such as the picture I posted earlier of the British coast) can be found in "The English Cottage Garden" by Ethne Clarke & Clay Perry.
Also found that I have an interesting anthology called "Gertrude Jekyll on Gardening" edited by Penelope Hobhouse. Had forgotten about it, but it does have many Jekyll plant lists and border designs.
Christopher Lloyd book "The Mixed Border" published by the RHS (a Wisley handbook) is a nice resource.
"The Garden Border Book" by Mary Keen profiles 30 private English Gardens with plans and plants. It was there I found many great plants were used in English gardens that are not to be found in the US . So I joined the RHS and in those days they sent 30 seed packets to overseas members (because they were not using the free passes to the Garden Show) per year when they had their seed exchange. They no longer do this due to new mail regulations. Things like Onopordon, for one. Then I found some British seed sources so that I might have access to the wonderful seeds available in England. The US seems way behind in their diversity of seed.
Dear bluespiral, I have just been lucky, in the right place at the right time.
My cottage was mentioned as a dwelling in 1086, but burnt down in 1403 and rebuilt in 1432, then in the village fire more recently, lost its thatched roof, along with many other cottages.
So as the roof had collapsed it took the second floor into the ground floor, or some of it.
That is why I got it cheap as it was deemed uninhabitable, by our council.
Although a listed building with no electricity in the village at the time, the council gave permission to use selected tiling on the roofs as the fire risk was too great with thatched roofs.
It took a lot of work but has been wort it in the end.
As for Jekyll, that was a chance meeting over a glass of beer in a pub with a really nice man.
I can understand both points of view about the secrecy side of things having been a Head gardener in two Gardens open to the public and a rather large park.
For in one I worked in, the public would walk up and look in the windows of the house look in and try to get in. I can assure you if you put a PRIVATE sign up, that just encourages people to see what is in there.
PLEASE KEEP OFF THE GRASS signs means more people will walk on it.
if you dare put up a RUBBISH HERE sign, they will dump it somewhere else.
So I cannot blame people who have worked hard and spent a lot of money restoring a Jekyll garden, to want to keep people out.
There are more out there, but the cost and time of restoring one is catastrophic, and the upkeep is immense as well.
Please do not forget Jekyll had sixteen full time gardeners working six days a week on her garden, try paying that nowadays?
I cannot make a Jekyll garden, I can only make a Jekyll type garden, there is a lot of difference.
I could not understand why there was a beech hedge in the one I did on one side, as the rest were yew.
Then when I read her book I could understand, as she went almost blind in the later stages of her life, and it is alleged that she could tell what sort of tree/ hedge it was by the sound of the leaves slowly rustling in the breeze.
I can only consider myself to be remarkably lucky, and indeed honoured to do such a thing.
From putting a post on this forum, I have received a lot of messages, and it has brought some very lovely memories back to me.
Buy the book for $3.00 and you will see what I mean!
Regards.
Neil.
Neil ... you have indeed been at the right place at the right time. What experiences that must have been.
and i understand about the privacy issues, and may even do the same in his position.
there are so many who do not value the beauty and respect others properties like some of us do... it's such a shame, but that is life sometimes.
thank you for taking the time to tell us your stories.
Terese
I just found this thread and couldn't help jumping in. What beautiful photos and interesting stories about all your gardens!
I have a few blooms left, not nearly as many as I'd like to have this time of year but it's getting late for me.
Here's "Otto's Thrill" Dahlia today. I planted the tubers in May, it rained the entire month of May and the first half of June. I really thought I'd lost it til I saw a few leaves sprouting in July.
OH MY ,absolutely gorgous, and that photos worth cropping and printing,can I get a print !! lol
FruitOfTheVine, that Dahlia is simply captivating! I'm glad it came through for you!
WOW -- I gotta git me some Dahlias!!
that is gorgeous.
Can they be grown by seed, or do I have to get tubers?
Go git ya some tubers next Spring. Tubers produce "true" replicas of the mother. You can grow from seeds too but the plants will not come true, you never know what you'll get, could be one that's very interesting though. "Otto's Thrill" was the runt of the 3 I have all Summer then suddenly last month it took off! Can't wait to add more next year, especially want a few amethyst and dark purples. See the little blue gossamer bag over a flower head on the left, just behind the stake?
Thanks for the compliments everyone! Here's a few Helenium blooms.
The weathers been nice flowers holding on
Trying to get the christmas photo taken , need to take it earlier,or much later !!
Hugger, your garden is absolutely gorgeous!!! You both look awesome , too!!
Fall I love it
sand, thank you ,I only have a small area hanging on ,we have had heavy frost,today will be the last nice day for a while more rain and cold tonite and the weekend,hoping to get all the walnuts and the first round of leaves picked up and mowing,yup still mowing here ,all the rain and the ground is obviously still warm ,arrgg !! This shot is just before our driveway at the top of the hill.
Hugger, I totally love that witch flag. Where did you get it? I dress as a witch at Halloween for the kids... The arrangement around it is just beautiful...you are so artistic! Chickens and watering cans are also themes in my garden. I need to get another digital camera as I dropped mine. boo hoo...
sand ,that stinks,dropped camera,The camera we have now ,we bought the extra warranty ,that even covers dropped cameras,thats the only extra warranty we ever buy,we have used it 2 times now,2 cameras failed shortly after the fac. war. exp. I got my flag at peebels a while ago,shes so cute and bright,this is the 1st yr. Ive decorated for fall,DH grumbled about it untill I finished it, then he liked it.Finishing the nut and leaf duty
Just curious as I need to get on the stick and get one soon, What dig camera do you use and from where?
sand, I use best buy ,they sell 2 different ext. warr,I think 40 $ -60 $ ,my last dig.was a lemmon and it was a kodak
Hugger, you are in such a beautiful, scenic area! The turning trees are just wonderful! Looks like alot of acreage. Love it!
sand,my new camera is a pansonic lumix,it has 10x optical and digital zoom,i think I like it,seems to take great pics havent figured it all out yet,guess the book might help !!!LOL(we have the front 3 acres of a very large woods)
