June 2024 Update

Group visit to Lower Bowden Manor

This month saw members of the Group visit Lower Bowden Manor and Edulis, a rare plants nursery, in Berkshire on 6 June.

Ro Fitzgerald has kindly written the following account of the trip:

“A smallish coach party of us set off into the (to me) unexplored region of the Thames Valley from a damp grey morning at home, but this dim start led to a remarkable day. I know little about the Home Counties, and approaching Lower Bowden Manor garden the landscape seemed frankly tame and over-tidied after Somerset. I was unprepared for the really stunningly original garden we found, and for the unusually interesting history of how the owners, Juliette and Robert Cox-Nicol, have come to create it.

After living in Paris, where Juliette was a respected garden designer, in 2016 they found this early 20C house near Pangbourne, surrounded by 7 acres of mature trees and shrubs in a state of complete neglect. To most of us this would have seemed impossible to cope with, but they could see what treasures were lurking under the scrub and brambles and have worked, and are still working, to develop a garden which manages to be both grandly stylish and intimate, and which delivers a surprise at every turn.

The basis of their style is the management of woody plants to reveal and emphasise shape, colour and structure, to ‘brush up’, to ‘cloud clip’, to place individuals strikingly in the wider habitat of the garden. A Eureka moment in my life was when Princess Sturdza’s garden, Le Vasterival, was first described to me, where every shrub and tree was managed to show trunk and branches clear of twiggy mess, and where the oriental principle of ma which honours space as much as solidity is fully used.

At Lower Bowden Juliette has used her own version of this principle to wonderful effect. I found her design of different areas both grand and playful, with details which inspired both beautiful and quirky ideas. Her signature features are ‘drums’ of different sizes using beech with a variety of leaf colours, and these occur with a multitude of balls, pyramids, and layered clouds. Robert was an excellent guide through the formal parts of the garden and the many intriguing corners including a pond and an orchard housing beautiful slate standing stones from Brittany. We were treated to refreshments and greeted by charming staff and small friendly dogs so it was altogether a memorably enjoyable visit.

The day continued well, sunny by lunchtime which we ate beside the Thames at Pangbourne Bridge where driver James managed to get us to within yards of the river, and then skilfully negotiated the extremely narrow approach to Paul Barney’s Edulis nursery which keeps its amazing rarities very far from the usual public gaze. I don’t much go for ‘fairyland’ comparisons, but have to for this magical collection of treasures.

Paul used to plant-hunt with Nick Macer of Pan Global Plants, and still supplies him with propagated rarities. A visit has the thrill of wild botany – plants are not priced and lined up like-with-like, so you have to examine each one, looking for a small division as larger pots are probably waiting to be divided.

My purchases were from both Paul’s rare stock (an obscure Podophyllum which is rarely listed) and from a much more homely but equally rarely seen range – a pot of Bowles’ mint because I must have everything which that hero selected, and an equally historic large-flowered chive selection called ‘Forescate’ which I’d once had many years ago from the wonderful former Four Seasons nursery.”

Click the images above to enlarge them.

Plant Fair at Batcombe House

On the 15th June our Summer Plant Fair was held within the superb gardens of Batcombe House, near Shepton Mallet, by kind permission of the owners, garden designer Libby Russell and her husband Alexander. Despite a couple of very light rain showers, the day was a great success and still drew a crowd of about 400 people who enjoyed the skilful planting of head gardener Tom Price, ate a lot of cake and went away with lots of plants.

My personal thanks go to everyone who volunteered to help on our plant stall or on the entrance table and those who brought plants along for us to sell. A considerable amount of money was raised for group funds. Please think about offering to help at one of our events next year – it’s actually fun!

Our next event is our coach trip to High Glanau Manor and Wyndcliffe Court in South Wales on Thursday 11 July. Details are available on the “Programme” page of the group’s website. There has been a very good response to this coach trip but there are still some places available. Please get in touch with Penny and book your place(s) as soon as possible.