NEWSLETTER - Lambeth Horticultural Society

NEWSLETTER
Issue 80
Autumn 2013
Cool Lambethans at Clinton Lodge Garden - well, it was the hottest day of the year!
In this issue
Editorial
2
Wisteria success
2
The David Shaw Cup
3
Invasion of the garden
snatchers?
3
Coach outing: Groombridge
Place
4
Ragwort & the Cinnabar moth
5
LHS Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Talk: Dig for Victory
6–7
Bees get prime-time TV
7
Coach outing: Anglesey Abbey
8-9
Borough Market’s new garden
9
Talk: The Spirit of Chartwell
10-11
A visit to Harlow Car Gardens
11
Coach outing: Borde Hill
Garden & Clinton Lodge Garden
12-13
Something’s brewing in south
London
13
Out and about in London this
autumn
14
Dates for 2013
15
Talk: I’m a tulip, what are you?
15
The Hut – hours and events
16
LHS Officers
16
Page 1
EDITORIAL
I have just come in from looking at the tadpoles – now that the rain has topped the up pond and all the
blanket weed has gone, I can actually see them properly; lots have legs – and some have arms as well! Yes,
the frogs did get together after all, and laid invisible frogspawn, presumably under a floating plant.
If blanket weed and sow thistles were either useful or beautiful, I would be a happy gardener, as these have
grown very successfully.
The soft fruit has been very good, especially red and black currants, so I hope there will be plenty of fruit
entries in the Summer Show to compete for our new David Shaw Cup (see opposite).
The Summer Show will be at St Luke’s Church on 7th September – why not enter something? Have a look
through the enclosed Show Schedule (online for electronic members) – the weather has been so odd this year
that entries in any class will be unpredictable – you may well win!
We have had all the weather that could be thrown at us on the coach outings this year, but all have been
memorable and enjoyable in their own way. There are still a few spaces on the Hatfield trip on 15 th
September. If you’d like to go, please contact Brendan – details on p16.
Remember that all current members (apart form those who joined at the Lambeth Country Show) have one
more issue of the Newsletter due on their subscriptions – Spring 2014. That issue will contain the subscription
reminder and renewal form, as well as the Spring Show schedule and Outings leaflet.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the Newsletter this year, especially my regular writers,
Antony Glaser and Jean Gray. I wish everyone a very happy late summer, autumn and winter – and for
Christmas, don’t forget that The Hut is open until Sunday 8th December.
Copy date for the Spring 2014 issue is 12th January – until then, Happy Gardening!
Val Hunn
************************
STOP PRESS! If anyone has a working refrigerator which they wish to recycle,
under-counter top size, the Society would like to replace one of its ancient ones.
Please contact Rhiannon Harlow Smith, details on p16.
***********************
WISTERIA SUCCESS AT LAST AT WICKHAM PLACE FARM GARDEN
Those of you who have had the pleasure of
visiting Wickham Place Farm, near Witham, Essex,
on our Coach Outings – we were there in
September 2009 and May 2010 – will remember
many beautiful things, from the lovely planting at
all seasons, the woodland with bluebells, the
excellent plants offered for sale, to Judith Wilson’s
delicious cakes; but the one thing which has been
notoriously unreliable over the last six years has
been the 252 feet (77 m) long wisteria, which
grows over a glowing red brick wall.
Judith has been training this giant for twenty
years, but recently early blooming has been struck
Judith’s wisteria in May 2010
down by frosts. This year, however, the late spring
has brought it out in all its glory. Judith says that the three-week delay in flowering has enabled it to bloom all
over its whole length for the first time. What a sight that must have been!
(Source: Metro, Wednesday May 29, 2013. Thanks to Brenda Wheeler for spotting the report)
LHS Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Page 2
THE DAVID SHAW CUP
As you read our latest newsletter you will also find the schedule for our Summer Show. On the list of cups and
awards to be won is a new cup, the David Shaw Cup for Most Points in the Fruit Section.
When David died in 2010, Ann his wife kindly gave the
Society a donation which was very gratefully received.
The Committee, after a lot of thought and consideration,
decided that part of the money should be spent on a new
award and in no time at all the David Shaw Cup for Most
Points in the Fruit Section was created.
Those of you who knew David would know why it didn't
take long for us to decide what to call the cup. David was
one of the greatest advocates for soft fruit I have known.
He was dedicated to growing all sorts of soft fruit whether
it be blackberries, tayberries or even boysenberries (a
cross between a raspberry, blackberry, and a loganberry!)
David shows off his fruit garden in 2008
David grew a whole array of varieties and a visit to his
garden would always involve a tasting session. He also
regularly showed his produce at the LHS flower shows as
well as the Lambeth Country Show and was invariably
awarded first prize.
Not only would he enter his produce in order to inspire people to grow soft fruit but would also volunteer to
steward at the Country Show so that he could stand by the soft fruit classes and talk, enthuse, encourage and
promote the growing of soft fruit. Another way of promoting his passion was to give away cuttings to people
who showed an interest in wanting to grow soft fruit.
So I hope you will agree with me and the Committee that the creation of this new cup is a worthy memorial
to David Shaw and his passion for growing soft fruit.
Tony Pizzoferro
INVASION OF THE GARDEN SNATCHERS?
We are well used now to regarding certain plants, imported as desirable exotics by our gardening
predecessors, as INVASIVE and definitely a bad thing. Amongst the common culprits are Himalayan Balsam,
Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed, Rhododendron ponticum and a number of aquatics such as water fern,
Australian swamp stonecrop, floating pennywort, Canadian pond weed and parrot’s feather. Often TV
gardeners are seen trying valiantly to eradicate these beasts with difficulty and a good deal of expense.
Now, It seems, climate change is beginning to encourage some of our common and well-loved garden plants
to join this undesirable crew. A recent survey by Natural England has identified 599 non-native plants which
could potentially be invasive, of which 33 aquatic and 59 terrestrial species were thought critical. In the list
are many Cotoneaster species, Buddleja, three-cornered garlic (Allium triquetrum), several tree species, exotic
honeysuckles and some broad-leaved bamboos.
To guard against the unwanted spread of invasive plants, nobody should plant garden plants in any
uncultivated land. People, especially those living in the country, should all be aware of potential escapees.
For further information see: www.rhs.org.uk/advice; www.environment-agency.gov.uk; ww.plantlife.org.uk
(Source: Grass Roots, RHS Community Update, Issue 14, Summer 2013)
LHS Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Page 3
COACH OUTING: GROOMBRIDGE PLACE and COTTAGE FARM
Saturday 11th May 2013
This was a day of sunshine and showers, but we were fortunate enough to have no rain while at Groombridge
Place. Before this visit I had only heard of Groombridge’s Enchanted Forest, and was a little worried that it
might be just a theme park – I should have had more faith in Brendan! What we found was a tranquil formal
garden with a strong mediaeval atmosphere, set to one side of a moated 17 thcentury manor house. It was
strongly reminiscent of Ightham Mote before the National Trust cleaned it up – that lovely combination of grey
stone, lichen, grass and planting which grips the heart.
The house is not open to the public, but we could walk down
through the gardens to the moat. Manor houses have been on this
site since at least 1239, when William Russell and his wife
Haweis built a small moated castle, and later, a chantry which is
still there, protruding into the moat. The defensive nature of this
building explains the huge buttressed walls surrounding the
garden.
Later occupants were Henry de Cobham; Sir John de Clinton;
Thomas Waller, whose descendant Sir Richard Waller held
Charles, Duke of Orleans here as a prisoner after the battle of
Agincourt; Sir Thomas Sackville; and John Packer, whose
descendant Phillip Packer built the present house in 1662 with
the help of his friend Christopher Wren. Alas, Packer died
young, and Groombridge lay empty for 20 years, during which
the notorious Groombridge Gang used it for smuggling
activities. The house was restored and modernised in the 20th
The White Garden with statue of Flora
century, but is still largely in its 350-year-old form.
It is, therefore, no wonder that the gardens, planned by Phillip Packer with the help of John Evelyn, the diarist,
hold such a sense of atmosphere. There are a series of rooms, divided by hedges, and surrounded by mature
trees, some of them ancient. A yew is reputed to have been planted by Sir Richard Waller, to celebrate the
victory at Agincourt in 1415. The four Wellingtonias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in front of the house were
some of the first imported to Britain from America in the
1850s.
Each garden room has a small plaque describing it and giving
its history.
The gate to the Secret Garden leads to a hidden corner where a
tiny stream tumbles into the moat. It was here that Phillip
Packer was sitting reading a book in the sunshine when he
died. Nearby a mediaeval window frame from the 13th century
castle is set into a brick wall.
A 17th century bowling alley runs between a hedge and a low
wall. The large lawn has been named The Draughtsman’s
Lawn, immortalised in the 1983 film The Draughtsman’s
Contract, a story of Restoration intrigue and so contemporary
with the this house and garden.
The mediaeval buttressed walls
There are also a Knot Garden, Giant Chessboard, Oriental Garden, Paradise Walk , White Garden and several
other small but fascinating little corners.
I did not go to the Enchanted Forest, and I think it would have spoilt the atmosphere of the gardens to do so –
another time, maybe!
Our arrival at Cottage Farm, Cudham, unfortunately coincided with a torrential downpour. As access was
down a narrow lane which our coach could not negotiate, only the brave ventured out with raised umbrellas to
the farm. Here we found a number of greenhouses, and some intriguing wild ponds and wildlife areas.
However, it seemed that their plant-raising business had taken a hard knock from the terrible spring weather,
and we hope they have been able to recover. We did enjoy our tea there, though!
LHS Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Page 4
RAGWORT AND THE CINNABAR MOTH
If, like me, you were left behind by the burst of weeds which
sprang up at the allotment a few weeks ago, you may find that you
have a nice crop of ragwort. I certainly have, in my soft fruit bed.
Ragwort (Senecio jacobaeae, or Jacobeaea vulgaris) has rather
handsome bright yellow daisy-like flowers, on a stem about a
metre high, with rather thick green leaves. The leaves appear in a
rosette formation in spring, and are difficult to pull out.
A few days ago I was picking gooseberries and realised that a tall,
scraggy weed right next to the bush was crawling with black and
yellow-striped caterpillars. Worried that the gooseberry bushes
may be next on the menu, I consulted Google on my smartphone
(just showing off) and found that they are the caterpillars of the
Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae). They eat only ragwort; or, if
desperate, groundsel; and in extremis, each other. Reassured, I left
them to chomp. They seemed to be eating the flower buds by
preference, and to my shame, there were a lot of ragwort plants
growing.
Cinnabar caterpillars on ragwort
I had seen a handsome red and black moth a few days before. It is called “Cinnabar” after the red mineral of
the same name, once used by artists as a red pigment for painting. It is a common species, distributed
throughout the UK, but listed by the UK BAP (Biodiversity action plan) as rapidly declining. It has a wingspan of
32-42mm (1.3-1.7 ins)
The relationship between the moth and the plant is interesting. Ragwort is virtually the only food source for
the Cinnabar moth caterpillars, and also hosts nine or ten other rare species of insect. However, ragwort is
highly poisonous, containing alkaloids. These make the caterpillar and the moth distasteful to predators, who
tend to leave them alone. Ragwort will grow in waste ground, pastures and anywhere else it can get a
foothold. Horses and cattle avoid eating it, and it is often seen sticking up in clumps in fields where animals
are grazing. However, if it is cut in with grass which is then dried for hay, it becomes extremely toxic, and can
kill horses and cattle if they ingest it. Farmers and local councils are supposed to remove ragwort, but in
recent years this seems to have been neglected.
So the Cinnabar moth is very useful at controlling ragwort, which in
turn is essential for supporting a specialised moth species.
However, the caterpillars can eat so much that they run out of food,
which puts the moth in jeopardy!
The Cinnabar moth has been used to control ragwort in the western
USA, New Zealand, Australia and North America, as, so far, it has
not turned to eating any other plant. So if you find it in your
allotment or garden, leave the caterpillars to do their job. They will
feed from July to early September, then pupate and spend the
winter in a cocoon under the ground. The lovely red and black
moths will hatch in May and fly around until early August, mating
and laying eggs on ragwort - and so the cycle continues. If your
ragwort on your allotment has no caterpillars, just ensure that it
doesn’t go to seed and spread.
The Cinnabar moth
(Sources: Buglife.org.uk; Wikipedia; photos, Wikipedia)
LHS Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Page 5
Talk: DIG FOR VICTORY
by Chris Smith, 22nd May 2013
Chris came to us
full of delight, as
his Pennard Plants
“Dig for Victory”
garden had just
won a gold medal
at the Chelsea
Flower Show.
This year is the
100th anniversary
of the 1913 “Great
Spring Show” at
the
Chelsea
Hospital,
and
Chris, with his codesigner
Mike
Milligan, had set out to show the differences
between vegetable gardens in 1913 and 2013.
The show plot was divided in two by a brick
wall; on one side Pennard Plants have
constructed a 1913 garden, with vegetables
growing in neat rows, not a weed in sight. Over
the gaffiti’d and fly-posted wall is a 2013 urban
inner-city garden tended by Roots and Shoots
students, under the auspices of director Linda
Phillips. Plants are growing in various containers
such as cooking oil tins, and everything except
the seeds (provided by Pennard Plants) has been
begged or borrowed.
What Chris didn’t tell us is that the 1913 garden
is based on the garden at Reston House in Kew
Village, whose head gardener, Charles Russell,
was Linda Phillips’ grandfather!
Chris went on to outline what gardening was like
just before the First World War, when people
had to grow their own food – not too difficult at
first, as there were lots of private and estate
gardens, with knowledgeable gardeners. The
rural economy was strong. As the war
progressed, many gardeners went off to fight,
and many did not return. For the survivors, the
lure of better wages in the city drew them away
from the land. Plant knowledge waned.
By 1939, the Government realised that an
increase in food growing in the United Kingdom
LHS Autumn 2013 Newsletter
would be essential for survival. Much food was
imported, and the country was only selfsufficient in meat and potatoes. Leaflets were
produced on how to grow vegetables by the
Royal Horticultural Society and the Ministry of
Food and Fisheries – these were full of mistakes
and withdrawn. The severe winter of 1940 killed
a lot of plants. In 1941 the situation was serious,
and the Government devised the Dig for Victory
campaign, using the famous poster (see left) on
all its advice leaflets.
As cereals, mostly imported from Canada, were
in short supply, potatoes were promoted heavily.
Market gardeners were told to grow the more
nutritious tomatoes rather than cucumbers, under
glass. Meat became short, so flavour was
needed, but onions were scarce as nearly all
were imported. No seed was available until
1944/5, so people were asked to save and
exchange seed. Cabbages and carrots were
heavily promoted as they were high in vitamins.
Foraging was encouraged by a book “You can’t
ration these”, endorsed by Lloyd George. People
ate wild sorrel, wild garlic, squirrel pie and rook
pie, nettles and dandelions. “Coffee” was made
from asparagus seed.
For publicity, about 80 different leaflets and 200
posters were produced. Instructions were given
for growing and using salad crops, chicory,
endives, lettuce, dandelions, gooseberries. Lord
Woolton of the Ministry for Food promoted his
famous vegetable pie. Mock bananas were made
from parsnips.
Winter growing was encouraged, with a fourcolour leaflet (expensive!) showing a chart of
how and when to sow and transplant vegetables
such as brassicas, beetroot, and carrots. This type
of rotation is still relevant today.
People were unaware that they needed to return
goodness to the soil. The gardeners of old had
used “straight” N, P or K fertilisers , or mixed
their own from dried blood, fish meal and bone
meal. This knowledge had just about been lost.
In 1941 the government invented “National
Growmore”, an inorganic fertiliser, N:P:K ratio
7:7:7. This was not ideal for everything, and
being very soluble was leached out in the
Page 6
autumn rains. Used at planting and as a boost to
growth, it did a good job during the war.
Advice was issued on dealing with pests and
diseases, but “not killing the good guys”, as 80%
of the bugs in gardens are beneficial. Companion
planting, using marigolds and other plants, was
encouraged.
Seed was very scarce. People were encouraged
to save and swap seed, something we could do
more of today, keeping the best for growing.
Very little seed breeding went on. Older varieties
were used, many not very reliable. Attempts
were made to breed a more blight-resistant
potato, hence the early variety “Home Guard”.
Recipe books were written to help people use the
vegetables properly. The nation was a lot
healthier than today – meat was scarce, and more
vegetables were eaten. However, people did go
hungry due to shortages.
Marrows were often grown over the Anderson
shelters, and could be used to make marrow
whisky or rum. Wine was made from hedgerow
berries. Medicinal herbs were useful – valerian
made a soothing tea, as did chamomile and
lavender. The Ministry of Food produced
another thick booklet!
After the war, food imports began again, and we
became lazy and started to rely on them. Times
are not as desperate as in the 40’s and 50’s, but
growing one’s own vegetables helps to stretch
the budget.
Chris finished after the refreshment break with a
question and answer session.
Photo:homesweethomefront.co.uk, where many
more posters, leaflets and recipes can be seen
BEES GET PRIME-TIME TV
Bill Turnbull, BBC newsreader, has been keeping honey bees for twelve years, and like many
beekeepers, has suffered losses. He took part in a Horizon programme on Friday 2nd August, called
“What’s killing our bees?”, which I hope many of you were able to watch.
Judging from the article in Radio Times, it is covering ground with which we are already familiar –
Colony Collapse Disorder, the varroa mite, viruses, neonicotinoid pesticides, the effect of cold wet
winters and habitat loss. However, it is hoped that a major TV programme will bring these problems
to the attention of a wider audience, meaning that more people will be willing to help bees out by
providing habitat and plants which suit them.
Particularly interesting are the experiments being done in Germany and Britain to track honey bees
using tiny transponders stuck on their backs. This has already shown that neonicotinoids do have an
effect on the bees’ ability to navigate.
Monty Don, in a letter (July 2013) as President of the Soil Association, says that the Keep Britain
Buzzing campaign is having a real effect. Its main thrust is against pesticide use, and 7,300 organic
farmers working 718,000 hectares of land are living proof that there is another way.
A big article in What Doctors Don’t Tell You (August 2013, pp24-28) points out that the use of
pesticides in agriculture is having a deleterious effect not only on bees, but on humans – from the
farmers themselves to people living near to sprayed fields or eating sprayed food. Even glyphosate is
a problem when used in industrial amounts, possibly causing birth defects. Other illnesses thought to
be caused by pesticide exposure include cancers, Parkinson’s disease, peripheral arterial disease,
asthma and poor mental development.
LHS Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Page 7
COACH OUTING: ANGLESEY ABBEY Saturday 8th June 2013
The weather was chilly and overcast, with the occasional sunny interval, so we decided to concentrate on the
Mill and House on this visit. The route to the mill took us through the Winter Garden, obviously not at its best
in June, but the grove of silver birches was wonderful, and the ancient, enormous wisterias climbing through
the trees were spectacular.
A watermill on the site of the Lode Mill was recorded in Domesday Book in
1086. In 1793 the mill had a house and numerous outbuildings attached, and
ground corn into flour until 1900. It was then converted to grind cement, but this
petered out and by 1920 the mill was derelict. The 1st Lord Fairhaven, who
bought the estate with his brother in 1926, bought the mill in 1934. He removed
all the outbuildings and restored the exterior of the mill, using it for storage. It
was not until 1977 the Cambridgeshire Wind and Watermill Society began to
restore the structure, dating from the 18th century, to working order. The cast iron
waterwheel replaced an earlier wooden wheel in 1868. By 1982 it was back in
production, and today you can buy flour ground on the premises. (Of course we
did!). We were given a very interesting talk by the miller, and the nimble
amongst us were allowed to climb up the ladders to the upper floors. When the
miller linked the gears to the water supply for a brief demonstration, the whole
building shook and the roar of the water was impressive. The water supply
comes from the Quy Water, which is led to the mill, and once it has passed through it becomes the Bottisham
Lode which drains to the River Cam. Wonderful green energy!
The present house is based on the parts of an
Augustinian priory, Anglesey Abbey, left by Henry
VIII’s dissolution in 1536. These form the core of the
early 17th century house, which has not had much
alteration. Huttleston Broughton, who became the 1st
Lord Fairhaven, bought the house with his brother in
1926. When the brother married, he moved out, leaving
Huttleston to live a bachelor life at the house. This has
imparted a rather sparse, masculine style to the décor
and domestic furnishings, and he was clearly keen on
field sports; but he really used the house to show off
his collections of paintings, silver, clocks, tapestries,
Anglesey Abbey
©National Trust
sculpture and furniture.
As the grandson, via his mother, of Henry Huttleston Rogers, an American oil pioneer and philanthropist who
sold out to Standard Oil in 1874, he had no financial problems, and was a generous benefactor to the local
community and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. His father, Urban Hanlon Broughton, was an MP and
civil engineer, and also a great philanthropist, buying the site at Runnymede where the Magna Carta was
signed, when it was threatened with development. Lord Fairhaven gave Runnymede to the National Trust in
1931 in his father’s memory, and bequeathed Anglesey Abbey to the Trust in 1966.
Val Hunn
The 20th century garden was stunning despite the delay in flowering due to the
cold weather. There was much to see and appreciate, as the garden had an appeal
for all ages and could hold a seasonal interest. The garden and parklands were
on 114 acres.
The herbaceous borders were packed with irises, geraniums, lupins and a
sparkling of delphiniums and many more I cannot name. In two sites there were
prominent wisterias, firstly in the courtyard, and close to Lode Mill. There was a
strongly scented lilac past the Wisteria Wall, which attracted a lot of attention. A
collection of Himalayan silver birches were designed for vibrant colours in the
Winter Garden.
LHS Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Page 8
Trees played an important role for the rest of the gardens! Regretfully the Rose Garden had not yet bloomed
because of the inclement weather. The dahlias had not yet been planted when we visited, but I was
reliably informed that they would be in full bloom later in the season.
It is interesting to note that Lord Fairhaven had amassed a collection
of 100 statues sourced from other stately homes. There was a clear
liking for biblical and mythological statues. The collection was built
up from the 1920’s. I particularly liked the way the statues were used
as features in the gardens’ layout as they linked the shaded pathways
to the other gardens. The design of the garden is based on the 18th and
19th century English country garden. In the 1960’s Lord Fairhaven left
the house and grounds to the National Trust. He made it clear that the
gardens should be maintained in keeping with a way of life that was
quickly passing.
From an ecological angle, the lawns of the south park were mown
less frequently, and 50 varieties of wild flower have been counted.
Furthermore Anglesey Abbey is noted for its abundant snowdrop
displays in February. Altogether, another worthy visit.
Antony Glaser
Is this another “Shard”? Well, Yes and No! It is the remains of a
Sequoiadendron, Giant Redwood, struck by lightning for the second
time in 12 years on 5th July 1999, in the Abbey gardens.
BOROUGH MARKET’S NEW INDOOR GARDEN
Borough Market, near London Bridge Station, has taken advantage of Network Rail’s recent construction
project to create a new structure. The glass Market Hall, at the corner of Borough Market and Bedale Street,
is now open, providing a space for shoppers to sit, eat, relax and chat, while discovering more about the
market itself.
As well as being used as a classroom, kitchen, information hub and dining hall, the space gives scope for
growing. It has been designed with horticulture in mind, with light flooding through the glass, vertical planters
running up the pillars, and benches with
planting spaces at the ends. The project has
been supported, in part, by funding from
Natural England.
If you pay a visit to the Market Hall, you may
find hops, fruit, flowers, herbs, olives and
salad leaves growing, depending on the
season. The result should be good to look at
and also to smell!
The plants will be watered by a rainwater
irrigation system, and the produce used for
cooking demonstrations, tastings, and
workshops. The hops will hopefully be used
for a Borough Market beer – south London
certainly has got the brewing bug!
The new Market Hall
Photo ©London SE1
For more information see: www.london-se1.co.uk/news
(Thanks to Cathy Preece for flagging this up).
LHS Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Page 9
Talk: THE SPIRIT OF CHARTWELL: SCULPTING THE PROW OF THE JUBILEE BARGE
by Lucy Haugh, 26th June 2013
Lucy Haugh is a young, award winning stonemason. She was commissioned as part of the team who
created the Royal Barge decorations for the Diamond Jubilee flotilla. She teaches part time at the
Building Crafts College in the stone department; when not teaching, she works freelance as a mason,
specialising in letter cutting.
From her small studio in Burgess Park she works alone, making things for individuals such as
headstones, house signs, and sundials, but has also worked on Westminster Abbey and the Albert
Memorial.
The Spirit of Chartwell was the boat designated to carry the Royal Family down the Thames during
the Queen’s Golden Jubilee River Pageant in 2012. It’s conversion to a highly-decorated Royal Barge
was in the hands of Nina Bilbey, an expert stone carver and senior tutor at the City and Guilds Art
School. Needing a base for the work, she asked Lucy if they could use her workshop and she became
part of the team, along with Alan Lamb, head of Historic Carving, and his students. We then saw
pictures of how her small domain became what looked like an impossible shambles of very grubby
artists, wood, polystyrene, clay and plaster – and which miraculously, and on time, produced the
beautiful golden sculptures which adorned the Spirit of Chartwell.
A life-size replica of the prow of the vessel was created in the studio in wood, so that attachment of
the sculptures could be tried under authentic conditions. Then maquettes – dummy sculptures – were
made in polystyrene. This began in January – they had to be finished by May!
Alan Lamb was in charge of design, his inspiration being George III’s barge, designed by William
Kent, and now in the Maritime Museum at Greenwich. This was influenced by baroque sculpture, and
involved royal symbolism.
A team of seven sculptors did the work: wood and stone carvers,
a lettering specialist (our speaker) and a metal worker. The
figures included Britannia, a dolphin, cornucopia, shield
(cartouche), Old Father Thames, and the horses (hippocampi) on
which Britannia rides. Commonwealth symbols included the
leek (for Wales, Baroque , influenced by Bernini), and the rose
(England), thistle (Scotland) and shamrock (Ireland). Lucy
incised the ‘E II R’ below the crown on the shield – this was
checked by the Jubilee Pageant Committee as it is a Royal
Cipher – the crown has to have the correct number of jewels.
Shield Photo:David West/Nina Bilbey
The sculptors started each piece with an armature, a frame in
aluminium, padded out with blocks of polystyrene and
expanding foam. These were shaved down with a hot wire to the
required shape. Then a clay skin went over all of it – 2 tons of
clay were used in total – and the details of the piece were
modelled. Next a cast of the clay models was made by coating
the clay in rubber, scrim and Plaster of Paris, like a jelly mould.
From this resin shells were cast, which were hollow and very
light, with a steel supporting structure to attach them to each
other where necessary, and then onto the boat. They were then
covered with gold leaf and colours. (The clay sculptures were
smashed up and the £2,000 worth of clay re-used!
Britannia
Photo:David West/Nina Bilbey
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The Spirit of Chartwell was moored in a warehouse in Canning Town. The sculptures were winched
onto it by crane, a heart-in-mouth event, but all went well and the boat looked fantastic. Lucy showed
us a short, professionally-shot film of
the sculpting process day-by-day,
speeded up, and of the regatta. What an
occasion, despite the rain!
After the refreshment break, Lucy held
a question and answer session. It is
useful to learn that some of the pieces
are going to the Museum of London.
She also gave a demonstration of
gilding, using gold size and gold leaf,
and invited members of the audience to
have a go.
Spirit of Chartwell in full fig
Photo: Daily Telegraph
Lucy is an engaging speaker, and although the horticultural connection was tenuous (rose, leek, thistle
and shamrock….) this was one of the most interesting and enjoyable talks we have had.
A VISIT TO RHS HARLOW CARR
In Yorkshire for Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the end
of May a friend and I visited RHS Harlow Carr Gardens
(right) near Harrogate.
This is a beautiful tranquil garden dedicated in part to
Geoffrey Smith, who used to be a superintendent there.
Although smaller than Wisley, there is still plenty to see,
including an alpine house brimming with colour, a
scented garden and a kitchen garden which shows very
effectively the advantages of using raised beds. The
extensive woodland area was full of rhododendrons in
glorious bloom; the camellias and bluebells were also
still out.
The Gardens Through Time section gave some interesting
insights on the history of gardening.
Harlow Carr is one of the RHS gardens trialling the big blue
poppy Meconopsis (left). It was great to see this in bloom during
our visit.
(Article and photos by Jean Gray)
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COACH OUTING: BORDE HILL GARDEN and CLINTON LODGE GARDEN
Saturday 13th July 2013
It was promising to be the hottest day of the year so far, as we set off from London for Sussex, so we
were grateful for not too long a drive, through countryside in full summer growth.
We have been to Borde Hill Garden before, in 2004, and changes have been made – a magnificent
new entrance building has appeared, so that the stable block is now outside the gardens, and has been
taken over as a restaurant and café.
The garden was created by Colonel Stephenson R Clarke, the
current owner’s great-grandfather, who bought the estate in
1892. He was a major sponsor of plant-hunting expeditions.
There are over 200 acres with wonderful views across the
Sussex Weald and Ouse valley. The formal gardens cover 17
acres and are laid out as garden rooms, surrounding the
Elizabethan mansion (alas not open) dating from 1598.
In the heat, we stuck to the more enclosed spaces, and made
our way to the Rose Garden whose beds, around a central
pond with a delicate fountain, were edged with lavender, blue
salvias and box. The roses were excellent, perhaps due to a
huge depth of horse manure mulch. The Victorian
greenhouses , some derelict, were a poignant reminder of past
times when labour was cheap. The White Garden was past its
best, but magnificent white rambler roses (‘Kiftsgate’?) were
clambering up the trees.
Looking into the Rose Garden
The Midsummer Borders were an appropriate riot of colour.
The Round Dell’s pool was rather low but still visible,
surrounded by exotic palms, bananas, and gunnera. The Long
Dell, an old quarry, were reminiscent of a Cornish valley, with
trachycarpus, tree ferns, magnolias, and a handkerchief tree.
The Italian Garden’s large rectangular pool, filled by a
cascading rill, was a haven for dragonflies, chasers and darters
whizzing around the fountain catching insects.
There were so many twisting footpaths, one could wander
around all day, still seeing something different at every turn,
including several kinetic sculptures by David Watkinson.
The Café Elvira was excellent, with a good menu, very
efficient and attentive staff, and a lovely shady garden – what
more could one ask?
A kinetic sycamore sculpture
Clinton Lodge is a modest, brick-built early 17th century house in the small village of Fletching. It
was a great surprise to find that the garden, only visible from behind the house, was huge; and also
that the rear elevation was built in stone, apparently as a wedding present in the late 1700’s.
A magnificent lawn stretched from the back of the house to a ha-ha, and beyond that a path ran across
the Deer Park to a column on a distant hill. It was too hot for most of us to venture that far, and we
gratefully partook of tea and cake, served by a very informative gardener and guide, on the terrace or
on the lawn in the shade of the box-shaped hornbeams.
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Tea on the terrace
Refreshed, we could wander through the Yew Walk to
a series of formal enclosed gardens to the right of the
lawn. A strange roaring noise led us first to the Pye
Garden where, through a dramatic arbour
covered in white roses, we found a modern water
feature designed by William Pye, surrounded by 18th
and 19th century perfumed roses.
Huge immaculately-clipped yew hedges separate the
gardens. From the Cloister Walk over-arched by
rambling roses, one can reach the Wild Garden, now
filled with wild flowers. The herb garden is divided
into four squares with a fountain at the centre, and
fragrant paths of chamomile.
The potager, as in a mediaeval garden, follows the plan of
a church, with beds edged in box. Cordon apples form
arches and flowers for cutting include campanula, stocks,
larkspur and antirrhinum.
Through the Mulberry Garden one reaches the Cistern
Garden, where fountains lead through yew hedges to a
17th century marble cistern. The 20th century Pool Garden
was a welcome respite from the heat! A shimmering
swimming pool was surrounded by an arcade of apples.
Seats in the shade of a pavilion were well-used, and some
intrepid Lambethans soon had their feet in the water!
(see front page).
Driving back through the resplendent countryside, we
could only thank Brendan for finding these two lovely
shady gardens for a very hot day!
The William Pye water feature
SOMETHING BIG’S BREWING IN SOUTH LONDON!
More than 80 people in and around Crystal Palace have planted hops, which will be gathered together later in
the year to make the Palace Pint!
This community project is being run by Crystal Palace Transition Town (CPTT), who were inspired by the
Brixton Beer brewing project.
Rachel De Thample of the CPTT expects a small harvest this year, but even so about 2,500 pints should be
produced, and be available before Christmas. The brewers will be Late Knights of Penge, who will hold
workshops to show how the process works, and to share knowledge and skills. It is hoped that people will
tend their hop plants so that they will mature and be a source of hops for many years to come.
More power to their elbows!
(Source: NewsShopper, April 10th 2013)
Crystal Palace and Brixton seem to be part of a much bigger brewing plot – a London craft brewer, Meantime
Brewing, has planted hundreds of hop plants across London to create Meantime True Brew of London.
They hope to engage people with the brewing art, and have distributed hop plants around St James’ Park,
Regent’s Park, The Natural History Museum and Battersea Power Station, as well as residents’ own gardens.
There are now around 40 breweries of various sizes in London, compared to only three survivors five years
ago. Where can we sample and compare the results? We need a London Beer Festival!
(Source: Grass Roots, the RHS Community Update, Issue 14, Summer 2013)
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OUT AND ABOUT IN LONDON THIS AUTUMN
TALKS AT RHS LINDLEY LIBRARY, 80 VINCENT SQUARE, LONDON SW1P 2PE
Gaynor Messenger, the Library Manager, has sent us information about forthcoming talks:
17th September Photographing trees Edward Parker
22nd October Our Plot Cleve West
19th November Seven flowers that shaped our world Jennifer Potter
Talks start at 6.30pm. Tickets £7 RHS members, £10 non-members. 0845 612 1253 (Mon-Fri).
GARDEN WALKS IN THE CITY OF LONDON, 1ST APRIL- 31ST OCTOBER
City Garden Walks runs several different walks, no booking required, just turn up and go, £7 per person.
All guides are qualified City of London Guide Lecturers, and are very informative. Walks last approximately 2
hours.
City Gardens Central – Saturday and Public Holidays, 1.30pm
City Gardens East – Sundays 1.30pm
Bunhill Fields Burial Ground – Wednesdays 12.30pm
Gardens, Inns and Alleyways – Fridays 12 noon
For departure details and more walks and information, see: www.citygardenwalks.com
STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE AND GARDENS, TWICKENHAM, now fully restored
Horace Walpole – art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, Whig politician and son of Sir Robert Walpole,
Prime Minister – bought Strawberry Hill in 1748. Inspired by King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, the house is a
prime example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture.
In 2010 it reopened to the public after comprehensive restoration, and since then the grounds have also been
recreated in accordance with Walpole’s own meticulous notes and plans.
Walpole wanted a place in which to entertain, less formal than the then-fashionable Versailles style. Pathways
meander amongst trees and shrubs, there is a tiny chapel, and a recreated version of his famous shell bench.
The Theatrical Shrubbery is the garden’s highlight. Eight feet deep, it is designed as a theatre set, with a
hornbeam backdrop, and evergreens and annuals arranged as the actors.
Open Saturday to Wednesday, 2pm (12 noon at weekends) to 4.30pm. 020 8744 1241
or see: www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk
(Source: Telegraph Gardening, Saturday July 13th 2013)
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Dates for 2013
August 28th
Talk: “Rural China: ancient and modern” Margaret Davis has travelled extensively in China,
and has seen the results of the migration of millions of people from rural villages to large
urban areas, with resulting repercussions in cities and the countryside. This talk will explore,
through slides, some of the rural scenes, ancient and modern, especially in the southern
regions of Guilin and LLonghi.
September 7th LHS Summer Show (Saturday –open to the public at 2pm)
September 25th Floral Art demonstration LHS member, floral art demonstrator and judge Mig Kimpton will
be giving us the benefit of his practical expertise.
October 23rd
LHS Prize-giving and Social
November 27th
Talk: “The flowers that bloom in the spring” Colin Jones will take us on a tour of spring
gardens and flowers. He will start with snowdrops in January, and finish at the RHS Spring
Flower Show at Chelsea in May – via Nice, the Scilly Isles, and Holland!
Talks take place on the fourth Wednesday of every month from April to November inclusive.
All talks start at 8.00pm (doors open 7.30pm) and finish at 10pm.
Entry is free and non-members are welcome!
We shall continue to meet at St Luke's Church, Knights Hill, West Norwood,
for the foreseeable future.
Talk: I’M A TULIP – WHAT ARE YOU? by Jacqueline Aviolet, 24th July 2013
Jackie spoke to us last year on hardy geraniums, so we were ready for her quirky and humorous
delivery – but we did not realise that we would take part in her talk ourselves!
She began with the background of her nursery, Rosie’s Garden Plants, now in its 24th year. Anecdotes
flowed with her usual wit and humour. Seven or eight years ago she decided to expand her repertoire
of asters, buddleias and hardy geraniums, to include plants with people’s names, cheeky words and
terms of endearment.
We heard that she has a dream to open a garden where all the plants have people’s names. The plants
will be grown in blocks by name, and any red plants will form a red carpet. Plants named “John” will
be grown tactfully near the toilets.
She then went through the audience asking their names, and revealing which plants were named for
them. Examples were: Dahlia ‘Trelyn Rhiannon’, Rosa ‘Climbing Christine’, Primula ‘Princess
Margaret’, Periwinkle ‘Brenda’s Choice’, Dahlia ‘Jackie’s Desire’, Rosa ‘Alison’, Narcissus ‘Aunt
Betty’, Fuchsia ‘Lady Dorothy’, Sweet pea ‘Dot Com’.
There were some hilarious moments. Two people, including myself, had plants with both first and
second names attached. I was particularly tickled to have a saxifrage, Saxifraga ‘Greenslacks Valerie’,
as I was wearing green trousers at the time!
By a miracle she managed to cover everyone in the audience, just in time for the raffle and the end of
an evening full of chuckles.
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TRADING HUT
The TRADING HUT is well stocked for the autumn – prices are competitive and the advice is free!
Cedar Tree Close, Cedar Tree Grove (off Lakeview Road, Knights Hill, London SE27)
Opening times:
Saturday: 2.00pm – 4.30 pm (last customer 4.15)
Sunday: 10.00am – 12.30pm (last customer 12.15)
Closed Saturday 7th September – Summer Show (St Luke’s Church,
2pm)
Last day open before Christmas – Sunday 8th December 2013
Spring reopening – Saturday 8th February 2014
The volunteers wish everyone a Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year – and look forward to helping you
with your Christmas shopping!
AUTUMN BULBS
The Hut has a wide selection of bulbs to plant this autumn, with compost appropriate for
tubs and containers. Come early to get the best selection!
Stuck for ideas for Christmas presents? Try our pre-planted bulb baskets, or some of the
other gardening extras which we keep in stock, such as tools or gloves.
LAMBETH HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OFFICERS
LHS Website address: www.lambethhorticulturalsociety.org.uk
Chair
Show Organiser
Tony Pizzoferro
Bob Tydeman
Flat 2, I Chatsworth Way
58 Gipsy Hill
London SE27 9HR
London SE19 1PD
Phone: 020 8761 5543
Phone: 020 8766 6438
Secretary and Membership Secretary
Outings Organiser
Rhiannon Harlow Smith
Brendan Byrne
32 Chatsworth Way
10A The Pavement
London SE27 9HN
Chapel Road, London SE27 0UN
Phone: 020 8244 9317
Phone: 020 8761 5651
Email:
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor/Open Gardens organiser
Trading Secretary
Val Hunn
Eveline Cragg
33 Boughton Avenue, Hayes, Bromley, BR2 7PL 8A The Woodlands, Beulah Hill, SE19 3EG
Phone: 020 8402 0433
Phone: 020 8771 9212
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
(Articles and photos in this issue are by the Editor unless otherwise stated)
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