Left to right:
Double herbaceous borders at High Glanau Helena Gerrish, author of Edwardian Country Life: The Story of H. Avray Tipping High Glanau from the octagonal pool
High Glanau’s ribbon parterre looking towards the pergola
We’ll probably never know why he chose the Wye Valley. Perhaps he’d fallen in love with its natural beauty on earlier visits. Maybe the splendid historic buildings mingled with mountains, valleys and rivers was, for him, a heady mix that provided an essential source of inspiration.
F
or whatever reasons, Henry Avray Tipping – a wealthy 39-year old architectural historian with a passion for plants, and a friend of Gertrude Jekyll and Harold Peto – set up home in the Wye Valley in 1894. And it was in this part of Wales that he refined his skill as a garden and house designer over the next 30 or so years, reaching a pinnacle with High Glanau Manor, near Monmouth.
He combined practical projects with his role as Architectural Editor
of Country Life, which he transformed into essential reading about Britain’s country houses. ‘But his real love was plants, and his love of plants led him to designing gardens, and gardens led to houses,’ says Helena Gerrish, present day owner of High Glanau Manor. ‘Regarded in the early 20th century as a leading authority on British country houses, Tipping is less well known for his skills as a garden designer, though he notably designed Chequers and Dartington Hall.’ A fine gardener herself, Helena Gerrish is perhaps Tipping’s greatest fan. Not only has she restored the house and its gardens to what Tipping originally created, but she has undertaken extensive research on the life of this rather eccentric man – the focus for her Masters degree and the subject of her first book Edwardian Country Life: The Story of H. Avray Tipping (2011). ‘Each of the small estates which Tipping developed in this area
was carefully chosen, with regard to historical associations, aspect, soil, rocks and water.
Improve your garden One of the UK’s most talented garden designers, Arne Maynard, runs courses at his home, Allt y Bela, a medieval towerhouse near Usk. Look out for him this year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show as he designs the garden for Laurent-Perrier.
arnemaynard.com
Specialist plantsmen and garden writers are invited to lead courses at Llanover Garden School set in a 15-acre listed garden complete with arboretum. Abergavenny-born Anna Pavord, gardening correspondent for the Independent, returns to her roots in March to talk about growing food.
llanovergarden.co.uk
Or take the easier option and let RHS Chelsea medal winner Cheryl Cummings from Monmouth design your garden for you.
gardendesignerwales.co.uk
visitwyevalley.com
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