THE GARDEN HOUSE BUCKLAND MONACHORUM
“EXCITING TIMES AT A FAVOURITE GARDEN Over the winter a huge amount of work has been undertaken on the creation of a new 2-acre Arboretum to the rear of the house at this lovely Buckland Monachorum garden. This exciting feature will open to the public in the Spring, and visitors will be able to stroll around the wheelchair-friendly paths to admire what is recognised to be the most important horticultural developments at The Garden House for many years. The very first tree was planted last October by TV Garden Presenter, Carol Klein (a locally bred Betula utilis ‘Buckland’) to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fortescue Garden Trust, the charity which owns and manages The Garden House. Over 100 young trees are currently being planted, all of which have been carefully selected for their spring and autumn colour and many for their rarity. An integral part of the Jubilee Arboretum is a 50 m lake with 2 bridges connected paths either side, and it is hoped that this stretch of water will do much to attract wildlife. Visitors to the Garden in 2012 will be able to see the trees in their infancy and then enjoy following their progress as they grow into superb specimens over time. The rest of the mature 8 acres continues to delight. In late April and May, The Garden House is always proud to show off its famous array of Wisterias in their varying hues of purple, mauve, pink and white. These eagerly-awaited plants adorn ornamental bridges, clamber over the ‘Umbrella’ above Tom’s Steps as well as dressing the walls of the old vicarage and Walled Garden.
Last year the Head Gardener, Matt Bishop, took a decision to transform the South African style garden by strewing a kilo of Californian Poppy seed across this area. The startling result was a kaleidoscope of brilliant colour that had our visitors reaching for their sunglasses when entering this part of the garden, and for an extended summer period there was no doubting that the South African garden grabbed star-billing! This exercise is to be repeated with another kilo of poppy seed destined to create another dazzling display from late June. The ancient Walled Garden is the romantic heart of the Garden, and last year the newly-planted specimen Lupins in a range of pinks and reds were greatly admired. They are expected to perform equally well this year. The garden team are planting 900 Gladioli corms this spring, and it is anticipated that their multi-coloured spikes will create additional height and structure to the spectacular borders of the Walled Garden’s lower terrace. The main aim of the Plant Sales Centre at The Garden House is to produce plants for sale, many of which reflect the more unusual and special varieties seen in the garden, and visitors coming along at Easter will be able to select from an excellent range of high quality plants. Of course, no visit is complete without a visit to the Tearooms with its excellent home-cooked lunch and tea menus. These are exciting times at one of Devon’s favourite gardens.
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4 Whats On 2012
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