52 Week Photo Challenge: Tension

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52 Week Photo Challenge, Drew Charlton, Tension, willow fencing, willow hurdles, willow weaving, www.norfolkbaskets.co.uk

Willow weaving

This week the photo challenge set by Sandra at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge  is ‘Tension‘

Craftsman Drew Charlton is halfway through the creation of a willow fence for me. Drew harvests his willow from Norfolk and uses it to create, amongst other things, beautiful fences.

fence detail

The process is to first set two timber round posts into concrete at either end of the fence to be created.  Between these two posts, steel posts one meter apart are hammered into the ground then between the steel a further four willow posts are hammered in.

Fence in formation showing posts

Once the posts are all in place the weaving can begin.

willow whips ready for weaving

The whips of willow are then woven in and out between the posts, and with a rubber mallet firmly tapped down.  The tension of the weave around the posts is I guess what gives the fence its strength.

The process of creating the fence is knee numbing and back breaking, but to my eye the beauty of fence is undeniable.  I am delighted with the results so far and my deliberating about whether to chose a willow fence as opposed to anything else, the stress and tension that caused has evaporated.

 

 

Garden Visit : Serge Hill

• In aid of a good cause is reason enough to look at gardens, drink tea and eat cake is another one! So on Sunday afternoon I took myself and my lovely garden chum, Liz,  to visit the gardens at Serge Hill.  This is one of the many gardens open to the public under the National Garden Scheme ‘NGS’. NGS has well over 3,500 gardens in England and Wales open to the public for charity, these tend to be privately owned and opened perhaps just once or twice a year.  All the money charged for entrance, tea and cakes is paid to NGS who last year donated some £2.5million to support nursing, caring and gardening charities.  Its patron is HRH The Prince of Wales.   
• The two gardens at Serge Hill are quite different: The Barn is the private garden of Landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith, and Serge Hill is the garden of a Queen Anne house, remodelled by Busby (architect of Brighton and Hove) for those who are interested in these things, belonging to the Stuart-Smith family.
• Pressed for time, we headed straight to the garden at The Barn. We took a look at the vegetable garden which has a most wonderful greenhouse at one end and a galvanized corrugated shed at the opposite end. (Reference to “The Barn Garden” by Tom and Sue Stuart-Smith credits the shed to Ptolemy Dean). Its pale muted silver tones blend seamlessly with the fading timber window frames and the band of lavender planted against its walls. Not really like any shed I have ever seen, more, rather stylish outbuilding.  The greenhouse was stuffed with a delightful selection of scented leaf geraniums, seedlings and rows of beautiful old terracotta pots. Raised beds housing a range of vegetables, sweet peas and anemones were set out on a grid.  We appreciated that all produce did not look pristine and reminded us that veg growing can be a tricky business. Phew that got us off the hook then!

• From here we strolled through the recently created wildflower meadow which has yet to flower, thanks to our lengthy winter and slow-to-start Summer, onto the outer rooms created by high walls of Hornbeam hedges.
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• I love these rooms as they have openings and draw you onto the next space and squeeze you out of the garden to the rolling countryside which falls away into the distance.
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• This is a simple but effective tool; the hedges create rooms, steer the visitor around the space, create privacy, and provide shelter against the wind as well as acting as a sound barrier from the M25 nearby.

• How peaceful to sit a while in such a tranquil green setting.
• Following the paths you are eventually lead into the garden proper.
• Wow is the only word which adequately describes what awaits you.
• The planting is lush, full, tall. Planting combinations are repeated and weave around the beds creating a fluid, balanced effect.  I cannot guess how many people were visiting the garden while we were there, but judging by the field full of cars, a great number and yet the garden remained peaceful.  There was an audible hush as people strolled around in admiration, chatting quietly to one another, photographing at every turn.
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• Then there is the courtyard garden, which is a sunken garden area housing a version of one of Stuart-Smiths award winning Chelsea gardens.  It comprises wonderful reflective pools of water set in striking corten steel tanks.  The deep rust colour of the steel is reflected by the planting which includes Astrantia “Ruby Wedding” Iris “Supreme Sultan” Euphorbia grifithii “Dixter”in deep moody earthy tones.  This is stylish and sits beautifully in its rural scene and its great to see a ‘show’ garden in a real life situation.
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• From here, we crossed the lane into the magnificent gardens of Serge Hill.  The contrast is clear as soon as you enter the garden facing out to the countryside. No walls of Hornbeam here, rather a vast level lawn flanking the house, with a ha-ha serving to keep the Jersey cows at bay. The view in the distance is uninteruppted.  To one side you follow a gravel path which runs parallel to a large garden wall.  The wall acts as backstop to a traditional herbaceous border which blooms and tumbles onto the path.  Entering the walled garden via a beautiful gate an abundance of plant life awaits.
• Step over fruit trees, lupins, paeonies, vegetables and herbs abound.  I liked the path of Nepeta, simple and pretty.
• Out of time, we by-passed the cake and teas, agreeing to save that for next year, stopping to collect a couple of plants which Liz had bought for her own walled garden. Our visit to the gardens at Serge Hill was brief due to forces outside our control, but in that short space of time we left full of ideas and inspiration and eager to return again next year.

One of the wonderful aspects of The Chelsea

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Gabriel Ash /Dubarry/Hunter

One of the wonderful aspects of The Chelsea Flower show is the quality of the corporate stands.  All those stalls maybe trying to flog us stuff we never knew we needed but boy do they do it in style.  At the Hunter wellies stand I found myself looking at new boots, the display was so enticing, with a kaleidoscope of colour to choose from. So hard to resist! Who knew you could have a different colour for every day of the year (well almost).

My favourite greenhouses are by a company called Gabriel Ash.  Their range of greenhouses and cold frames are made of cedar and consequently smell as good as they look.   Now their stand is not just a series of frames and houses, no it is set out as if you had just strolled into someones personal garden space.  Using all vintage clay pots, tools, watering cans, seed packets and even teacups, things are planted with herbs and alpines as well as the more expected salad and veg.Take a look at these snaps and you can see why I love them.  

Even the clothing stands were decked with foliage and fauna.   Dubarry of Ireland, and they do do a lovely bit of kit, had managed to incorporate some lovely flower arrangements to compliment the soft tweeds of the clothes.  How gorgeous to see soft pink roses and paeonies mixed with the Eucalyptus and succulents.