Garden visit: Gravetye

Today I had the good fortune to visit Gravetye manor.

“Gravetye manor became the home of the creative, innovative and revolutionary gardener, William Robinson in 1884. Robinson spent his 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.”

“Robinson's ideas about naturalised plantings, allowing nature to flow into the garden were ground breaking. Previous to Robinsons books gardens were places where nature was controlled and suppressed, meticulously managed, with carpet bedding and topiary. Robinson travelled the world studying plants in their natural habitat and spent years discussing how the beauty of these habitats might be replicated in the garden. This paved the way for much that we take for granted today in modern garden design. After years of studying, gardening and writing Robinson came to Gravetye and it was here he put his ideas into practice.”

Front entrance to the property

The newly instated long border, animated with late colour

The famous wildflower meadow leading down to the lake

The large circular walled kitchen garden, designed to drain frosts. Now supplies fresh produce to the hotels kitchen.

It is certain that the writings of William Robinson have influenced the development of the gardens at Great Dixter. When Daisy Lloyd managed the grassland as a wildlife retreat, Robinson’s books were the resource to aspire to.
In 2010, Tom Coward, former assistant gardener to Fergus at Dixter, was appointed Head gardener at Gravetye. One of the biggest challenges has been gaining control back over invasive perennial weeds that were steadily choking the borders. Tom and his team have been tackling the problem by holding back on planting perennials, instead mass planting beds with annuals and really working the ground between each planting to fork out and destroy the weeds from the root up. Perennials are planted out in the borders when the section of the ground is clean.
I should like to return in the spring to see the meadow when the Narcissus pseudonarcissus are in flower through a sea of sky blue Scilla seberica, it must be a beautiful event.