VALLEY COUNTRY VALLEY GARDENING


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NOT ONLY HERE FOR THE DEER: There are some spectacular sights for visitors to the Ribbie Valley to enjoy.


■ 1 ^- SCENIC: A bird's eye view of Ribblesdale Park on the Gisburne Park Estate. COTTON & CLOTH


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Tel: 01254 825 000 FREE ON-SITE PARKING


12 The Valley r I '■ ' -.V" ^


HERE is the latest monthly instalment of the highs and lows of running a country estate in the Ribbie Valley,


as chronicled by GUY HINDLEY


managed primarily as a D •■ ■■’ ■


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fantastic sporting estate. . Over the years he put considerable energy into building up a top quality two- day shoot which was focused


around the spectacular Rib­ bie River...


The emphasis now is to


continue to evolve the shoot, ' but also build Ribblesdale Park into a thriving holiday destination.


. - One aspect which is


essential to this is Ribbie Valley Borough Council and


Its support in what we are endeavouring to achieve.


Without the council's support for tourism there would be no hope for us, which would


in time impact greatly on Gisburn. .


•


the continued opposition I come up against from a small


What is disappointing is


minority of people who look at the national situation from


a selfish perspective, the so-


seen Gisburn hit the limelight ■with a clever marketing cam-


called "Nimbys" -not in my backyard.-' This last few'weeks lias


paign from Renault. Sadly, the tongue-in-cheek ads por­ tray Gisburn as a glum place


to live and have focused on — the worst points.


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: The problem is that there is a lot of truth to what is be-


STYLISH: An interior shot of one of the park's lodges.


ing said and the village does Ribblesdale Park are really ^


onIvwavofTr'hi


through investment. . That's why high quality


only way of achieving that IS


ties, adventure areas etc. are important. they draw people in and


walks and cycle paths, ac­ commodation, leisure facili­


in doing so smarten the. place up and offer the village things to do.


There are pheasants wandering everywhere at the


moment, which is a major problem when the agricultur­ al contractors want to mow the grass.


, The young poults tend to get stuck in ttie long grass so before we can allow the grass to be cut the gamekeeper


and all the family, plus the dogs and anyone else who is -


about, have to flush them out back to the release pens. '


brought lots of rain .which has been fantastic for all the , trees we have planted this


The past month has ’


year. Had the dry summer' continued we would have


struggled to establish them. ' Also the gardens on ' ■


tourist attractions including restaurants, retail outlets,


them back


with a well known landscape architectural firm, InArcadia garden design, an extensive planting scheme for the new development at Ribblesdale Park and extending the park­ land aesthetically from Lord


I am currently planning


Ribblesdale's original park over Mill Lane. This will involve planting


select trees in certain posi­ tions and removing some of the shelter belts.


• been out and has captured


to holiday in the new devel­ opment at the end of July. ’ There was a mad rush at the eleventh hour to transform it from a building site into a finished product, but with minutes to spare we pulled it off. Each week'a new lodge is coming in and being installed. There are now six new ones. I he photographer has ■'


some great shots which will feature in the various • brochures and websites that market us and there was


another mad rush as the


deadline for the Hoseasons brochure was "yesterday"!


The first customers came .


■ thickening up, so much so^ that we are having to prune


uring my father's era, the Gisburne Park Estate was


f ;


ourists By Hannah Stephenson


season types, such as C. macropetala, cascading over walls and fences or


I


scrambling up shrubs. In fact, there are clematis


, providing colour and interest intertwined with evergreen shrubs. There are even clematis


for virtually every setting, whether you want them to hide a structural eyesore, or


specifically bred for contain­ ers, which will add a flourish to your patio. Combining clematis with


is


other choice plants, such as roses, can create a focal point in the garden which will be colourful from spring to autumn. Roses and clematis are par­


ticularly good plant partners, as they have similar feeding and cultivation requirements. I have a gorgeous shrub


rose, Rosa "Gertrude Jekyll", which is heavily scented, bearing double, dark pink flowers in summer and au­ tumn, growing up an obelisk, combined with C. "Nelly Moser", an early to mid-sum­ mer flowering clematis with pink striped petals which fade in the sunlight. It makes a fantastic focal


I


flowering clematis, includ­ ing C. "Lasurstern" and C. "Marie Boisselot", are better if thinned to five or six shoots before being tied into a rose, because then the flowers will be larger and more evenly


as C. alpina and C. macro­ petala, have bushy habits which are naturally suited to training up and hiding the bare stems of climbing or rambler roses. Early to mid-summer


point and as the clematis starts to fade the rose comes into its own. Early season clematis, such


LOVE the big showy flowers of the hybrids as well as the early


spread, making a better display.


shrubs can be perked up when planted with large-flow­ ered hybrids, viticellas and compact species clematis, which flower from mid-sum­ mer to autumn. 8ut bear in mind the flow­


Evergreen and deciduous


hybrids will happily grow through evergreen shrubs like rhododendrons, while early to late-summer bloom­ ing clematis with shorter stems and closer flowers, such as C. "Fuji-musume" and the lilac coloured C. "Jose­ phine", are more suited to combine with smaller shrubs with compact crowns. The dramatic, velvety deep


ering time of each plant and how they will complement each other. Mid-season, large-flowered


red flowers of C. "Niobe" will climb happily through the popular evergreen shrub Choisya ternata, while many hebe cultivars make a good foil for clematis. Timing is important when


growing clematis through trees or shrubs if you want maximum colour impact. Plant C. montana var.


' rubens with Ceanothus ar- boreus "Trewithen Blue" and both will flower at the same time, from late spring to early summer, the pink clematis making a striking show with the purple ceanothus. Directing the stems of the


clematis through the cean­ othus should maximise the


overall effect. . Similarly, star-like pink


blooms of C. alpina will pepper the crown of small, flowering apple trees, while climbers can also perform


well as ground cover. C. "Nelly Moser", for instance,


will flower at the base of a tree trunk, brightening up a bare patch of ground. Combine another variety with it and you can create an inter­ esting patchwork effect.


Clematis and roses growing together will enhance any garden You can also buy more


compact varieties of clematis which will engulf a wigwam or other support in a pot. I have one beautiful lilac-


flowered compact Raymond Evison variety, C. Parisienne, which grows to around 1m (3ft) and produces a profu­ sion of blooms in late spring and early summer, but there


are many more from which to choose. Plant compact clematis


in a moisture-retentive but free-draining soil, where their roots are shaded but top growth isin the sun. Check ■ the.variety for best location, as some will thrive in semi­ shade while others prefer a fair amount of sunlight.


Best of the bunch - Gordyline


THESE spiky architectural gems are often used as the low maintenance focal point plants in patio pots or borders, their striking evergreen foliage providing a tropical feel to any display. The foliage ranges from deep red


stripes to acid greens and forms an impressive structural shape, and as it


matures it assumes the look of a palm­ like tree.


Cordylines like well-drained soil and ;


are particularly good in seaside gardens. If you live in a cold area, be warned that they can be damaged by severe frost. Cordylines look great as individual specimens in pots, but make sure you


cover them with horticultural fleece if frost is forecast. Good specimens include C. Australis "Torbay Red" or "Torbay ; Dazzler", which has leaves striped with cream.


. ' -


Mature plants bear clusters of tiny white flowers followed by’white or blue- ' tinted berries.


. The Valley 13


dramatic, velvety


"Niobe"


• The


deep red flowers ofC.,


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