2019-08-01_Country_Homes_&_Interiors.

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CH&IlovesÉ

recycling

materials

Whenyouarerestoringor

relandscapinga garden,havea

‘makedoandmend’attitude.The

Lambertsre-usedplantsand

materialssuchasstonewherever

possible,following‘green’

strategiesthroughoutthegarden.

Here’swhattheydid...

• Old stone was re-used to repair
  thelakesidewall,aswellasto
  redefinetheoriginal Victorianpaths.


• The woodland was cleared of
  debris,revealinga numberof
  healthytrees– limes,sycamores,
  yews,blackpoplarsand
  horsechestnuts.


• Lakeside paths were resurfaced
  andbordersprepared,usinga
  mixtureofsiltfromthelake,top
  soilcompostandhorsemanure.


• A large underground reservoir
  nowcollectsrainwaterfromthe
  houseandoutbuildingroofs,
  supplyinganirrigationsystem.


• A small pond was excavated
  usinga mini-digger,anda
  waterfallwassuppliedvia
  pipeworkfromspringsat
  the top of the site.

andtrulytenderspeciessuchasaeoniums,daturasandstrelitzias
areoverwinteredintheglasshouse.‘Thegardenis alwaysevolving,
andtheseborderschangeradicallyeveryyear,’Phillippaadds.
Itis a similarstoryinthewalledpotager,a reinstatementofthe
originalearlyVictoriankitchengarden.‘I experimentwithannuals
andI’malwayslookingfortheperfectbluecontrasttothereds
andorangesofthecannasanddahlias,’shesays.Todate,thebest
shadeshehasfoundisAgeratum‘EverestBlue’,oneofcountless
plantsgrownannuallyfromseedorcuttingsin theAlitexgreenhouse.
‘It’sabsolutelyessential– I likethelookofoverflowingabundance,
andtheonlywaytoachievethatis withmany,manyplants.’
Aftera centuryofdecline,theoriginalwalledgardenhouseda
tropicalbirdparkuntil1996.‘Planningpermissionwasgivento
builda contemporaryhouseonthesite,ontheprovisothatthe
landscapeberestoredwithintwoyears,’Phillippaexplains.‘Initially,
ourgreatestchallengewasdemolishingstructuresandgettingrid
oftherubbish.’Derelictmetalbirdcageshadtobedismantledwhilst
anetworkofdrainsneededclearing.‘Wethencarefullyreinstated
thekitchengarden,completewithperiod-stylegreenhouse,cold
frames,pottingshedandpathsarrangedina decorativepotager
designthatembracesannuals,herbs,fruitsandvegetables.’
FollowingthelineoftheoriginalVictorianpath,a centralbrick
pathis linedwithrepeatedclumpsofevergreenEuphorbia
ceratocarpa,creatinga golden-greenhaze.Accesspathsseparate
theareainto 16 beds,aswellassixraisedbedsbuiltfromlocally
growntimber.Permanentstructureis providedbyoliveandbay
trees which are kept in shape with a light clipping twice a year. At

Thefullyrestored
Victorianwalledkitchen
gardenisplantedwith
a mixofannualflowers,
astersandverbena
bonariensis