PUBLIC PLACES


Mick Brown, Horticultural Technician


The Vinery Ian Bell with freshly cut grapes


the plants. He’s taken five large camellias out as overcrowding was an issue and planted new shrubs which reflect the The Duke and Duchess’s tastes. As Ian commented, “The Duke and Duchess are very much involved, have a passion for flowers and know what they like”. Ian’s portable radio burst into life just then with a request that he selects and cuts a suitable bunch of grapes to add to other fruits for the house. “Would you like to come?” he asked. So off we walk to the vinery and Ian skilfully selects a bunch and cuts it, presenting it to his colleague to add to the basket. I couldn’t help wondering why most of the bunches of grapes were contained in delicate muslin type bags. Ian explained that a blackbird had been in and that wasps too had been more of a nuisance this year. The bags protected the bunches whilst still allowing light and air through. Job done, we returned to the three-zone greenhouse. Ian, as with everyone else I met, is passionate and proud of his work. He showed me a lovely species of Dicksonia Antarctica (soft tree fern) which he’s nurtured. We moved on, admiring other plants, and another call came through for a couple of large lemons. Ian disappeared into the plants and found what he needed. He asked me to come and see. These Imperial Lemons (actually a cross between lemon and grapefruit) are a sight to behold, as the photo shows; nearly the size of a football but used in the house to make marmalade! On we went into the tropical zone (not normally open to the public so as to maintain


heat and humidity) and we looked down on a pond of hybrid giant water lilies (Victoria Amazonica). Ian is particularly proud of these; they are grown fresh from seed each year, so are an annual. As Ian said: “Quite difficult, but well worth the effort!” Who’d argue with that? We then walked round to view a lovely growing bunch of Musa Dwarf Cavendish bananas, now the world’s main commercial crop! First grown by Joseph Paxton in 1835 after he obtained one from Mauritius, and then subsequently grown in large volumes. It was “time for coffee”, said Mick as we left and walked down to an attractive kiosk. Mick suggested that I tried one of their sausage rolls, fresh from the oven. What a good suggestion; not a regular sausage roll eater, this was rather special and most tasty! On our way back to continue our tour, we passed Ian who showed us a bunch of bananas he’d just cut. We pressed on, passing the Emperor Fountain (Excellent view but poor light; so, I made a note to come back later!). This very high fountain, situated in the canal pond, was the 6th Duke’s idea and Paxton put his engineering skills to the test by creating a record-breaking, gravity fed water plume, on record as having achieved a height of 90 metres! It was installed in 1844 to impress the Emperor of Russia, Czar Nicholas. When the Duke heard that the Czar might visit Chatsworth, the idea of welcoming him with an even higher fountain than the one at the Czar’s palace in N.E. Russia (Peterhof), appealed to the Duke. Unfortunately, the


Just cut bananas 104 PC October/November 2020


The Case


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