PUBLIC PLACES
Rock Garden 2018: Phase one planting Jeff Madin strimming Matthew Bullen strimming
Rock Garden is the fourteen-metre-high Wellington Rock waterfall. The Rock Garden has been an ongoing project over the years with the latest major project, commenced in 2017, being remodelling to provide improved access, including wheelchairs. This has included the work of the celebrated garden designer Tom Stuart-Smith who redesigned the planting. He wanted everything pulled together with a more cohesive planting palette. As Mick put it: “The original concept of the 6th Duke of wanting ‘a garden of rocks’ has not been forgotten, so the rocks remain dominant with the plants being subservient.” The photo here is of Phase One replanted area in 2018 which shows the new paths. “We have been respectful to the original Paxton and 6th Duke’s concept,” says Mick. Our tour continued to the Great Conservatory or, as Joseph Paxton called it, the “Great Stove!” The concept of Paxton and designed by the 6th Duke’s architect Decimus Burton, this huge glasshouse (84m long, 37m wide and 19m high) took Paxton four years to construct and was completed in 1840; All that remains are the base walls. The Crystal Palace sprang to my mind and Mick told me that Paxton did, in fact, go on to use the techniques and skills he had developed at Chatsworth for his
masterpiece: The Crystal Palace in 1851. Tasteful use has been made of the area however and split into three sections; first a Tom Stuart-Smith garden, then a maze (established in 1962 by the 11th Duke and Duchess) and finally a tropical planting. We then came upon one end (glade four) of an immense project called Arcadia; The transformation of a 15-acre area, within the 105-acre garden, of mostly sloping land that had never previously been planted. The project is part of the biggest transformation of the garden for almost 200 years. The concept of Arcadia is to split the lengthy area into four different glades. Each glade will have a different look and all will be interconnected by three woodland walks. The 25-strong Chatsworth Garden team, directed by Head of Gardens and Landscape, Steve Porter, working with the help of four trainees and 70 volunteer gardeners are handling this huge project in- house. It is hoped to have the project completed very soon (there’s been a slight delay due to Covid-19!). They are working to a plan by Tom Stuart-Smith which is supported by the Gucci fashion house. The whole area was cleared, hundreds of new trees planted and over 1000 tonnes of mulch laid before the team could start work on phase one with over 80,000 plants going in!
The Emperor Fountain 106 PC October/November 2020
Dave Spencer working in the Rock Garden
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