Garden Visits and Events in 2012

Planning for 2012 is in progress and full details will be included at a later date. However as at the end of November 2011, the following events in the early part of 2012 have been confirmed for the dates indicated.

This event will be by invitation to members who have joined SGT over the past few years, and will be an opportunity for newer members to hear about the work of SGT, the programme for 2012, and meet some of the people involved.  There will also be an opportunity to walk around  the gardens and see the winter and early spring plantings.



Members wishing to attend the events below should print the attached booking form:
 Please complete and send to the Events Secretary at the address shown on the form, along with with your cheque payable to SGT.


The lecture, to be given by Jennifer Harmer and entitled ‘The Gardening Garniers (1680-1873)’ will look at the story of a gardening family, their gardens and their plants.  Jennifer Harmer first researched the Garniers in connection with a new garden in the cathedral close named for Thomas Garnier, Dean of Winchester, but her talk goes right back to Isaac Garnier, a Huguenot refugee who became the first apothecary at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.  Through the story of this horticultural dynasty, Jennifer will take us through the many changes in gardens and garden plants that have brought us to where we are today.  A most entertaining speaker, she is not only the Hardy Plant Society’s archivist, but is also involved with the Hampshire Gardens Trust.
 

The afternoon will begin with the AGM, after which Dr Arthur Holman has kindly agreed to talk to us about medicinal plants.  Following the talk there will be a guided tour of the grounds of Stanmer Park.


Please note that the numbers are limited to 25 but that it is possible that the SGT may organise another visit in 2013

The gardens at Gravetye Manor are a very special place and can be considered amongst the most influential in English gardening history. The manor became the home of the creative, innovative and revolutionary gardener, William Robinson in 1884. Robinson spent his remarkable life as a professional gardener and botanist, but made his fortune through writing about his experiences and ideas on horticulture. His most notable works include The English Flower Garden, which is one of the best-selling horticultural books of all time, and the hugely influential title, The Wild Garden.

 

Other Garden Events and Visits in 2012


In addition to the above, we are planning a full schedule of visits, which will include Parsonage Farm, Kirdford.  This visit will take place on 14 September at 1.30pm and the cost will be £9.50 per member, £10.50 per member’s guest or GHS member.




 

Previous Events and Visits

There are no more visits arranged during 2011 - the paragraphs below show details of the completed programme.

Talk at Queen's Hall, Cuckfield

Monday 21st March at 6pm
Cost: £5.00 per member, £6.00 per member's guest or GHS member

Virginia Hinze will give a talk entitled The secret history of Brighton's parks and gardens with occasional nods to Hove actually. Virginia trained as a landscape architect and worked for local authorities designing pubic spaces and restoring historic parks and gardens (including those at Brighton Pavilion) before moving to English Heritage where she worked first as an Inspector for the Register of Parks and Gardens and then as landscape architect for the South East region advising on development of historic parks and gardens. She researched and wrote a History of Brighton's Parks in 1994 as part of her diploma in designed landscape conservation from the Architectural Association. She promises us a light-hearted lecture with some fascinating stories and lots of illustrations.

Her talk will start at 6.30pm when those attending have had a chance to enjoy tea and cake.

Annual General Meeting of the Sussex Gardens Trust, visit and talk by Richard Bisgrove, St. Mary's, Bramber

Saturday 16th April at 11am for coffee
Cost: £28.00 per member, £30.00 per member's guest or GHS member

The AGM will begin at 11.30am and will be followed by a tour of the 15th century house, with its Monk's Parlour, Octagonal Dining Room and Painted Room, said to have been painted for a visit by Elizabeth I. There will then be time for lunch before Richard Bisgrove talks to us about William Robinson: The Wild Gardener. Before retirement, Richard was the director of the Landscape Management degree course at Reading University and has designed gardens in Britain and the USA. He lectures internationally on the history of garden design and has published various books including The Gardens of Gertrude Jekyll as well as a more recent account of William Robinson's life and work.

The AGM is free but bookings are required for the rest of the proceedings. Guests may attend but should not attend the AGM. Please note that we have been able to reduce the cost of the day by £2 from the price advertised in the last Newsletter.

Holmbush House, Faygate

Saturday 14th May at 2pm
Cost: £10.00 per member, £12.00 per member's guest or GHS member

Holmbush House sits on part of what was once the manor of 'Beaubush' given to the de Braose family by William the Conqueror. In 1822 Thomas Broadwood, of piano-making fame, bought a large part of the Bewbush Manor estate and proceeded to build himself a new country seat. Around Holmbush House, designed by Francis Edwards and constructed 'Asymmetric, in castellated Gothic style', Broadwood laid out an extensive landscape with gardens, lakes, woodland rides and towers, two of which are mentioned in Gwyn Headley and Wim Meulenkamp's Follies, Grottoes and Garden Buildings discussed by Julie O'Hara in the last Newsletter.

After Broadwood's death in 1864 Holmbush came to be owned by James Clifton-Brown who continued to nurture and develop the gardens created by his predecessor with its many rare rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and magnolias, some almost certainly given to the family by their friend Sir Edmund Loder.

The Clifton-Browns lived at Holmbush House until 1951 but by then it was proving too large and expensive to run, so the house was rented out for 25 years until it was sold to a group of families who converted it into five separate dwellings. And the new residents have done much to retrieve the gardens from the dereliction into which they had fallen after the Clifton-Brown's departure. In the meantime, Harry Calvert, great grandson of James Clifton-Brown, has, with his wife, most skilfully conjured a superb house and garden from the stable block of the main building.

The Trust is invited to see both gardens. Although now reduced in size, and with restoration work still to be done, the garden of the main house has a lawn with unique double terracing, a Victorian formal garden with a clock tower and a small hidden glade. Majestic beech trees, probably planted by Broadwood, still survive and the grounds contain an unusually varied collection of other trees. The Stables' gardens should be under a carpet of bluebells when we visit, while the fine variety of azaleas and rhododendrons, in clever combination with other plants, will have their own special spring appeal.

Woolbeding House, Woolbeding, near Midhurst

Thursday 16th June at Uppark for 10.15am departure by minibus for Woolbeding House
Cost: £6.00 per member, £8.00 per member's guest or GHS member

We have arranged a second visit to Woolbeding House gardens as we felt that many of you might like an opportunity to visit again at a different time of year. As a reminder of the information given last year, the house and estate are in the ownership of the National Trust but were let to Simon Sainsbury for many years. His partner, Stewart Grimshaw has remained at Woolbeding following the death of Mr Sainsbury.

The joining arrangements have changed since 2010 and we now need to meet at Uppark to pick up the minibus for transport to Woolbeding. You will remember that there is no parking at the house. We will return to Uppark in time for lunch there (not included in the price) and a chance to visit the gardens if you wish.

Numbers are limited to 20 so please book early if you wish to come. Full details about the arrangements will be sent nearer the time.

Broadhurst Manor, Horsted Keynes

Saturday 2nd July at 2:30pm
Cost: £7.50 per member, £9.50 per member's guest or GHS member

Broadhurst Manor is in part a 16th century house that was largely destroyed by fire in the late 18th century. One wing still remains from the earlier date as do some of the garden walls, the fine barn and cart shed. The house continued to be a farm before being bought by the Clarke family (Borde Hill) who, in the 1920s rebuilt the house most sympathetically in the Tudor style and restored the gardens according to a survey of the estate dated 1764. Memorial tablets in St Giles Parish Church record the lives of those who lived there before the fire.

Some of you will remember our last visit to Broadhurst Manor, partly memorable for the thunderstorm that occurred. Many changes have taken place in the gardens since then. Carla Lane sold the house, and the animal sanctuary has moved to different premises. The new owners have undertaken a huge amount of restoration work, removing the silt in the succession of hammer ponds, clearing paths and brambles and cutting back overgrown shrubs and trees. What had been a sad apology for a swimming pool should be a revelation, sitting in a new garden designed by Andy Sturgeon. The property has had mixed fortunes in recent years and we are delighted that this rather special house can now look forward to a more settled period as a family home.

Following the visit, we will drive back to Horsted Keynes and have tea at Bowling Alley Cottage. There have been some changes to the garden here as well.

Chiswick House and Garden

Tuesday 16th August at 10:45am
Cost: £29.00 per member, £31.00 per member's guest or GHS member

(On booking please let us know if you are a member of English Heritage.)

Chiswick House is a neo-Palladian villa set in beautiful historic grounds. The house and garden were built by the third Earl of Burlington in 1729 and the gardens are described by Chiswick Trust as the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement and a source of inspiration for many other gardens. They were created by Lord Burlington and William Kent on the site of an earlier formal Renaissance layout and produced something which reflected the sites of the Grand Tour of the day. Curved walks, informality, open spaces, sculpture and architectural details were introduced. A sloping lawn was created from the house to the river and the parkland was incorporated into the garden with numerous meandering paths.

The gardens had fallen into decline but a £12.1million project has now enabled them to be restored to their 18th century glory. As with all gardens they are constantly added to and we will also see the 19th century conservatory that houses Chiswick's famous camellia collection.

To enjoy the full glory of the garden we have organised a visit which includes a tour of the house to set the estate in context. After visiting the house we will have lunch and then tour the garden. We are hoping that the Head Gardener, Fiona Crumley, who was involved in the restoration of the garden, will be able to take us round, but if she is unable to be there we will have another experienced guide.

It is possible to park at Chiswick House or access the site using public transport. Details will be available on booking or can be found at: www.chgt.org.uk.

Places are limited to 25 so early booking is advisable.

Sussex Prairies Garden, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9AT

Sunday 4th September at 11:00am to 5:00pm
Cost: Payable to Sussex Prairies on the day

On Sunday 4th September (11am to 5pm) Sussex Prairies Garden are holding an Unusual Plant and Art Fair (see http://www.sussexprairies.co.uk/#/plant-art-fair/4548264219). SGT visited Sussex Prairies in 2009 and the event on 4th September 2011 provides another opportunity to see this wonderful garden and also to enjoy a wide range of art and nursery exhibitors at the same time.

Sussex Prairies have kindly agreed to allow SGT to have a stand at the event so we can share our objectives with the public at large and network with a wide range of organisations. So do try and come along to enjoy the day and talk to us on the SGT stand.

Perryhill Farmhouse, Hartfield

Wednesday 7th September at 2:30pm
Cost: £9.50 per member, £11.50 per member's guest or GHS member

Perryhill Farmhouse has a delightful country garden with fine views over Ashdown Forest. The farmhouse is a 15th century hall house which overlooks the garden.

The garden is divided into a number of different compartments with a rose garden, parterre, herbaceous and mixed borders with rich planting. There is a water garden, an area devoted to dahlias, and a productive Victorian greenhouse. The garden has also an interesting array of unusual shrubs and trees. For some light-hearted fun the croquet lawn should be available for those wishing to play. To end the afternoon the owners will provide tea and cakes for us.

For those plantaholics in the group the well-known Perryhill Nursery, which specialises in a wide variety of shrubs and perennials, is only a short distance away.