The English Garden December 2021

Andrew Duff An internationally recognised garden designer, Andrew has lectured in Russia, Chile, Argentina, South Korea and Japan and is vice chairman of the Society of Garden Designers. He visits Denmans on page 40. Jo and Rob Whitworth Jo and Rob have been photographing gardens for 25 years. They’ve just moved to Cornwall and love exploring the gardens in their new area. Their photos of Hatch House are on page 48. Vanessa Berridge Vanessa was launch editor of The English Garden (see p97). She writes about heritage and gardening, and her latest book, a history of Borde Hill Garden in Sussex, will be published by Merrell in April 2022.…

Really, this issue should come with a complimentary bottle of champagne because there’s so much to celebrate. To start with, this is our Christmas issue, with festive gifts, ideas for home-made wreaths and wintry gardens full of magical seasonal sparkle, like Malverleys in Hampshire and John Brookes’ former home, Denmans. On top of that, it’s also time to reveal the winners of our Nation’s Favourite Gardens competition, which you can find from page 65. We received thousands of votes and would like to thank everyone who took the time to vote for their favourite National Garden Scheme garden. The competition was stiff, so hearty congratulations to our seven winning gardens and their owners. All are beautiful and well worth arranging a trip to see. In addition, this issue is The English…

Emma House The curator of London’s Garden Museum discusses past and future exhibitions and examines the impact of lockdown on visitor engagement I’ve always loved objects. My favourite part of curation is installing exhibitions because this is when, after months of research, you can finally handle the things on display and see them up close. It’s a special and engaging time. I’ve been a curator for 20 years. When I joined the Garden Museum six years ago, it was undergoing an 18-month redevelopment. On top of an influx of designers, builders, technicians and subcontractors, all our collections were in storage and the place was a building site. But once the works were completed, we were left with a fascinating and truly lovely collection. The museum has really diversified in recent years. We aim to…

Anglesey Abbey Cambridgeshire This garden is a wonderful place to visit through all four seasons. There’s a winter garden with a huge collection of snowdrops to lift the spirits over winter, while in autumn they put on a spectacular dahlia show. Tel: 01223 810080; nationaltrust.org.uk Prospect Cottage Kent I admire the garden at Derek Jarman’s cottage in Dungeness. The gravelly, windswept site presents so many challenges for growing, but Jarman created a lovely and inspirational garden in this stark landscape.…

Royal Botanic Illuminated Gardens London & Edinburgh The well-loved light trails ‘Christmas at Kew’ and ‘Christmas at the Botanics’ return to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh from November, so visitors can explore these beautiful gardens in England and Scotland’s capital cities after dark. Expect sparkling tunnels of light, dancing waterside reflections and illuminated trees. Finish with a spiced winter warmer, a hot chocolate or delicious treats from one of the independent on-site street food vendors. For dates and booking see kew.org or rbge.org.uk Christmas with the National Trust Nationwide National Trust-owned properties across the UK will be hosting all sorts of festive events and activities in the run-up to Christmas. Treats on offer include the renowned light show at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, carols at Tyntesfield, and Buckland Abbey’s Winter Food…

Give a gift of SUCCULENTS A delightful handmade gift with a difference, this jewel-like display of plump potted succulents will bring lasting joy to its recipient Home-made gifts are always special, and gardeners never tire of receiving plants as presents. Combine plants with handmade creativity by planting up a container of addictively collectible succulents. These beautiful, plump-leaved, colourful plants are riding a wave of popularity at the moment, especially with younger gardeners, so could be just the thing to give a tricky-to-buy-for grandchild or niece, for example. That said, gardeners of all ages will find these pots hard to resist. Quite a few succulents can withstand colder temperatures, and in courtyards or balconies in urban areas or mild parts of the country, these pots should be fine outside over the winter months. Otherwise,…