Cuttings of Ideas was published in Garden Ideas magazine in August 2000.
Inspirational gardening ideas are everywhere, which can be very daunting if you don’t know where to start. And with the housing market in buoyant mood the number of gardens with new owners is on the increase, as is the number of new houses with a square piece of lawn out the front and a matching square piece out the back. With a such a blank canvas, where do you start?
The answer is to make yourself a cuttings book. Not a book with a variety of plant’s sandwiched between the pages, but a scrap book with ideas that you would like to consider for your plot. Gardens need time to grow and mature, so a cuttings book shouldn’t just include ideas for your garden now, but for the future as well. Perhaps a water feature is one of your dreams, but young children prevent you from fulfilling this dream at the moment. It doesn’t matter, keeping collecting water feature ideas for when the time is right.
So now you’ve bought your book (a scrap book from any good stationers will be more than adequate), you may find it beneficial just to divide it up into subjects, such as plant ideas, water features, garden ornaments, pathways, pergolas, raised beds, equipment and so on. Now it’s time to go and collect your ideas. And remember, idea collecting operates 12 months of the year so it doesn’t matter when you begin.
VISITS
One of the best ways to collect ideas is to go and visit as many gardens as possible. Always, always take a camera, and a notebook to jot down the names of plants and the environment that they successfully grow in. All this information can then be stuck into your cuttings book for future reference at a later date. Try and broaden the style of gardens that you go and visit to vary the ideas, and if possible try and take the time to revisit a garden at different times of the year, so that you can visualise that changes that take place during the seasons.
How do you find out about gardens and which ones do you visit? Much of it will depend upon where you live but a good place to start are some of the National Trust and English Heritage properties. If you are a member of either of these organisations, you’ll be entitled to free entry, so use it and get your money’s worth! Don’t be concerned that the gardens you are visiting stretch to several acres compared to your patch at home which is a few feet square. What you are looking for are basic ideas. These large gardens often have several smaller gardens incorporated into the estate, such as a formal garden, kitchen gardens or a fruit garden. Take the time to examine the plants they are growing and the location of those plants compared to others, what is the overall effect. Is there a pergola frame with an interesting style that you may be able to copy on a smaller scale? If so, what climbers have they used? Ignore the size of the garden you are visiting, but capture it’s style opportunity.
BE A TOURIST
For details of other gardens to visit, pop into your nearest Tourist Information Centre. Believe it or not, you don’t have to be a tourist to visit one, and you may be surprised at the number of gardens on your doorstep. Attractions are usually grouped together so details of all gardens open to the public will generally be close to one another. Whilst you are there, take the time to ask the staff about the gardens. They may be able to advise you as which is the best time of year to visit.
Another option to examine is to treat yourself to a long weekend away somewhere. Accommodation providers and Gardens are getting together. In Shropshire and Herefordshire for example, there are leaflets detailing garden breaks where you can get discounts at local hotels or B&B’s and then discounts on entry fees to some of the gardens. One leaflet provides all the information. A carefully planned weekend could enable you to visit three or four different gardens.
NATIONAL GARDENS SCHEME
Going to such large Estate gardens means that many of the ideas date back several hundred years. To get a view on more of today’s ideas, consider visiting gardens which open under the National Gardens Scheme. These gardens may only open once or twice a year and the money raised from entry fees are donated to charity. The gardens thought belong to ordinary people with a passion for gardening and who are happy to share ideas and advice. You stand a greater chance of being able to speak to the owners and ask questions, find out what the pitfalls were, and how they overcame them. All these titbits of information should be entered into your cuttings book. Across England and Wales there are 3,500 gardens that operate under the National Gardens Scheme, so there should several that are near you. And in 1998, the opening of these gardens raised over £1.4 million for charity.
WEB GARDENS
If the weather deteriorates it needn’t stop the garden visits. It just stops you going out. Why not visit a garden on the Internet. Those hooked up at home can access several sites, which seem to be spreading faster than a clump of ground elder. Some sites contain information about products, whilst others provide garden plans, and plenty of pictures of the gardens itself. Hitting the Print button preserves all of this information for your cuttings book.
Once you get into the habit of collecting ideas, you may find that your cuttings book has developed into several volumes. It doesn’t matter. Remember that you don’t have to implement all your ideas in one go. Use it to dip into from time to time, as your garden takes shape, then perhaps one day, when you open your garden under the National Gardens Scheme, someone will take an idea from you garden, for their cuttings book.
FURTHER INFORMATION
National Gardens Scheme Known as the Yellow Book, this guide is produced annually providing detailed information about each of the 3,500 gardens open to the public. The 1999 issue is priced £4.50 and can be found in all good bookshops. More information can be found from The National Gardens Scheme Charitable Trust, Hatchlands Park, East Clandon, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7RT.
The National Trust To find out the address of your National Trust Regional Office contact 0171 222 9251. Regional Offices will be able to send you information about the properties in your area if you write to them and enclose a SAE. Otherwise contact your local Tourist information Centre. Some National Trust properties take part in the National Gardens Scheme. If you are not a member, why not try them out on their Free Entry Day – details available from the number above.
English Heritage Ring Customer Services on 0171 973 3434 for further information.
INTERNET SITES
www.nationaltrust.org.uk – The National Trust
www.english-heritage.org.uk – English Heritage
www.ngs.org.uk – National Gardens Scheme
www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk – Geoff Hamilton’s gardens in Rutland.
www.igarden.co.uk – Gardens to visit.
www.rbgkew.org.uk – Royal Botanical Gardens Kew
www.countrygardens.co.uk – Site for the Garden Centre group – Country Gardens
The answer is to make yourself a cuttings book. Not a book with a variety of plant’s sandwiched between the pages, but a scrap book with ideas that you would like to consider for your plot. Gardens need time to grow and mature, so a cuttings book shouldn’t just include ideas for your garden now, but for the future as well. Perhaps a water feature is one of your dreams, but young children prevent you from fulfilling this dream at the moment. It doesn’t matter, keeping collecting water feature ideas for when the time is right.
So now you’ve bought your book (a scrap book from any good stationers will be more than adequate), you may find it beneficial just to divide it up into subjects, such as plant ideas, water features, garden ornaments, pathways, pergolas, raised beds, equipment and so on. Now it’s time to go and collect your ideas. And remember, idea collecting operates 12 months of the year so it doesn’t matter when you begin.
VISITS
One of the best ways to collect ideas is to go and visit as many gardens as possible. Always, always take a camera, and a notebook to jot down the names of plants and the environment that they successfully grow in. All this information can then be stuck into your cuttings book for future reference at a later date. Try and broaden the style of gardens that you go and visit to vary the ideas, and if possible try and take the time to revisit a garden at different times of the year, so that you can visualise that changes that take place during the seasons.
How do you find out about gardens and which ones do you visit? Much of it will depend upon where you live but a good place to start are some of the National Trust and English Heritage properties. If you are a member of either of these organisations, you’ll be entitled to free entry, so use it and get your money’s worth! Don’t be concerned that the gardens you are visiting stretch to several acres compared to your patch at home which is a few feet square. What you are looking for are basic ideas. These large gardens often have several smaller gardens incorporated into the estate, such as a formal garden, kitchen gardens or a fruit garden. Take the time to examine the plants they are growing and the location of those plants compared to others, what is the overall effect. Is there a pergola frame with an interesting style that you may be able to copy on a smaller scale? If so, what climbers have they used? Ignore the size of the garden you are visiting, but capture it’s style opportunity.
BE A TOURIST
For details of other gardens to visit, pop into your nearest Tourist Information Centre. Believe it or not, you don’t have to be a tourist to visit one, and you may be surprised at the number of gardens on your doorstep. Attractions are usually grouped together so details of all gardens open to the public will generally be close to one another. Whilst you are there, take the time to ask the staff about the gardens. They may be able to advise you as which is the best time of year to visit.
Another option to examine is to treat yourself to a long weekend away somewhere. Accommodation providers and Gardens are getting together. In Shropshire and Herefordshire for example, there are leaflets detailing garden breaks where you can get discounts at local hotels or B&B’s and then discounts on entry fees to some of the gardens. One leaflet provides all the information. A carefully planned weekend could enable you to visit three or four different gardens.
NATIONAL GARDENS SCHEME
Going to such large Estate gardens means that many of the ideas date back several hundred years. To get a view on more of today’s ideas, consider visiting gardens which open under the National Gardens Scheme. These gardens may only open once or twice a year and the money raised from entry fees are donated to charity. The gardens thought belong to ordinary people with a passion for gardening and who are happy to share ideas and advice. You stand a greater chance of being able to speak to the owners and ask questions, find out what the pitfalls were, and how they overcame them. All these titbits of information should be entered into your cuttings book. Across England and Wales there are 3,500 gardens that operate under the National Gardens Scheme, so there should several that are near you. And in 1998, the opening of these gardens raised over £1.4 million for charity.
WEB GARDENS
If the weather deteriorates it needn’t stop the garden visits. It just stops you going out. Why not visit a garden on the Internet. Those hooked up at home can access several sites, which seem to be spreading faster than a clump of ground elder. Some sites contain information about products, whilst others provide garden plans, and plenty of pictures of the gardens itself. Hitting the Print button preserves all of this information for your cuttings book.
Once you get into the habit of collecting ideas, you may find that your cuttings book has developed into several volumes. It doesn’t matter. Remember that you don’t have to implement all your ideas in one go. Use it to dip into from time to time, as your garden takes shape, then perhaps one day, when you open your garden under the National Gardens Scheme, someone will take an idea from you garden, for their cuttings book.
FURTHER INFORMATION
National Gardens Scheme Known as the Yellow Book, this guide is produced annually providing detailed information about each of the 3,500 gardens open to the public. The 1999 issue is priced £4.50 and can be found in all good bookshops. More information can be found from The National Gardens Scheme Charitable Trust, Hatchlands Park, East Clandon, Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7RT.
The National Trust To find out the address of your National Trust Regional Office contact 0171 222 9251. Regional Offices will be able to send you information about the properties in your area if you write to them and enclose a SAE. Otherwise contact your local Tourist information Centre. Some National Trust properties take part in the National Gardens Scheme. If you are not a member, why not try them out on their Free Entry Day – details available from the number above.
English Heritage Ring Customer Services on 0171 973 3434 for further information.
INTERNET SITES
www.nationaltrust.org.uk – The National Trust
www.english-heritage.org.uk – English Heritage
www.ngs.org.uk – National Gardens Scheme
www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk – Geoff Hamilton’s gardens in Rutland.
www.igarden.co.uk – Gardens to visit.
www.rbgkew.org.uk – Royal Botanical Gardens Kew
www.countrygardens.co.uk – Site for the Garden Centre group – Country Gardens