The Garden
With the help of Arne Maynard, we have slowly been developing the ornamental gardens around Blacklands. Our former head gardener Hannah Gardner has contributed her expertise to create other, less formal areas around the River Marden, which runs through the garden. This accounts for the wonderfully dark, rich soil from which the property derives its name, while easing irrigation (from a bore hole) and making a pleasant home for bees as well as a fantastic place to grow flowers.
Walled
Garden
Irregular topiaries balance straight lines of productive beds and cold frames in the Walled Garden, with a traditional Foster & Pearson glasshouse running down the side. Our former head gardener Hannah Gardner describes the borders: ‘Peaking in late summer and autumn, the plant palette is robust, with richly toned perennials and textural grasses. Goblet-trained pear trees provide structure for the species tulips that bloom in spring.’
Pool
Garden
Another enclosed space, the Pool Garden is divided into a parterre, with tulips and roses, underplanted with herbs. Hannah Gardner says of the surrounding borders, with their topiaries and thatched house of twigs: ‘Romantic perennials such as peonies, Benton iris and elegant valerian blend warm pink-apricot tones with cool shades of lavender. The Pool Garden is backed by a characterful high brick wall, festooned with old-fashioned roses.’
Woodland
Garden
This area is multi-layered, with a carpet of unusual spring-flowering bulbs and shade-loving perennials in a series of curved island borders. ‘Species hellebores nestle beneath winter-flowering shrubs and trees, such as witch hazel, daphne and Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’. Autumn brings the vibrant foliage of euonymus and a host of delicate, late-flowering woodlanders.’
Pig
Wood
Named after the pigs that cleared the underbrush, Pig Wood is a riverside walk, connecting the garden with a young cherry orchard. ‘The planting here awakens in late spring when fern fronds push through the thick leaf litter, with candelabra primula and trollius creating a colourful trail. Foliage plants such as rodgersia, shuttlecock fern and evergreen sedge make a textural carpet.’
Bridge
Walk
A winding path that leads away from the garden and through the surrounding fields, Bridge Walk follows the banks of the River Marden. ‘Box mounds create structure and a sense of progression as you pass through areas of subtle woodland and marginal planting. The plant palette is unfussy, and avoids any overt sense of ornamental gardening.’
The garden is occasionally open for charity or garden groups. Please visit our Garden Days page.