BORE PLACE GARDENS

 

Organic vegetable plot Meandering through the Forest Garden mounds to your left, you pass across the stream to our latest collaborative project: the organic vegetable plot. This garden provides training and work experience to local adults with learning disabilities, and is run by Phil  Senior of Kent Social Services. Phil’s students work part time in the garden and their organic produce supplies the Commonwork study    centre kitchen. The garden is only in its first year of operation, and in time, we hope to be able to distribute any surplus locally. The polytunnel allows more tender crops to be raised, presenting a wider choice to the kitchen. Passing back across the bridge, take a moment to admire its sturdy construction, mostly from our own oak. Another collaborative activity, the bridge was built recently by the Horizon project of Tonbridge, involving 16-18 year olds who are learning carpentry through the Entry to Employment and Alternative Curriculum projects. Moving out to the left of the large wildlife pond you can either take the mown path through the meadow (passing to the right of the beehives and old fruit trees) or through the gap in the yew hedge into the new orchard. The meadow grass is cut in August - after most breeding and dispersal seasons are over, and after seeds have set. Clippings are Removed, no fertilisers or pesticides are added, and the resulting diverse sward carries up to 30 plants per M2. The meadow is yellow with daffodils and buttercups in spring, wispy with grasses in early summer and purple with knapweed and orchids in late summer.

Bird area The birds have always come here to feed on scraps from the kitchen.  So, we have designed the area to benefit them further, whilst bringing distinct shape and form to a difficult spot -enclosed as it is on three sides and only open to the east.  A gently rounded grass dome, topped by a birdbath in the form of an oak root, is surrounded by plants that provide shelter or food to birds and insects.  It will be interesting to see if the birds themselves confound us by dropping more seed than we can weed!

New Orchard The orchard has been planted over the last four years with a variety of old and local strains of cherries, pears and apples.  By using different root stocks and selective pruning it is hoped to provide, in time, both romantic structure and practical fruit production. The areas of long grass here are also mown annually.

 

Steam Lawn Approaching the lawn from the orchard you get a good view of the back of Bore Place House with its interesting roofscape,  indicating the changes made to the building over the years. Looking toward the stream edge your eye will be drawn to the lovely stone sculpture, given by Jenifer Wates and her family to Commonwork.  This memorial celebrates Neil Wates, who co-founded Commonwork with Jenifer.  The relationship of this piece of art to its location has always been remarkable, completely serene in the dappled shade of the old oak tree. In summer, the lawn margins are left to grow, with mown pathways allowing access to other areas of the gardens. Here, again, the long grass is mown once a year in August, when most seeds have set. On the lawn are a scattering of stones. These indicate the site of the old pump over the underground water reservoir, built by Victorians to channel the run off from the gutters of the house.  We are currently looking at reinstating this resource.  The regal walnut at the south-west point of the lawn creates a mantle of silver light at the entrance to the terrace.

 

The Habitat Area This wildlife area by the hide (formerly a game larder) and pond is managed with education in mind.  The grassy areas are left to provide cover for the small mammals, amphibians and invertebrates that abound here, and differing habitats are installed to allow for mini beast  safaris. Historically, the pond stocked fish for the kitchen.  Now wild, it has been left to evolve into carr. At this stage in its development it is still a good habitat for wildfowl, newts and dragonflies.

 

Green man glade The Green Man symbolises our connection with nature and is an ancient symbol found in many cultures world-wide. Our Green Man looks down from the oak tree over an area used as an outdoor classroom. Offering a variety of animal habitats for study, it is also a place for natural arts and play. There is a secret path through the shrubbery and nearby is a Spiralled Chime, or ‘Log-a-rhythm’, built with the help of children from London primary schools.

 

Reflecting Pool Garden The present perception of a traditional English garden grew up during the Victorian era. Increased wealth (as a result of the industrial revolution) matched the excitement and enthusiasm of the botanists who were able to bring back a huge variety of plants from around the world.  There followed an explosion of creativity, and commercial interest, creating bigger, more colourful and stronger varieties.  This has developed into the vast horticultural industry we know today.  However, we are now able to appreciate that many of these plants, although interesting and a splash of colour, are of little use to our native wildlife.  As the pressures of our culture further erode our natural habitats we realise that, as citizens and gardeners, we need to support our wildlife, so that it remains diverse enough to maintain a healthy environment. With this knowledge in mind, our aim has been, given time, to make a garden using mostly   native and naturalized plants, but one that still contains all the features we enjoy.

 

Secret 'Wild and Native' Garden This ‘secret’ garden is designed as a retreat for both humans & wildlife.  The pond at the north end has been constructed by students and adults with disabilities.  It will be planted with, or colonized by, wild and native species. A second pond is scheduled for the south end of the garden and this will be accessible for the closer study of nature by primary school groups. We have used several visual techniques to give extra dimension to a long narrow area.  Curved paths; grassy knolls & sculpted native hedging all serve to increase the interest here. Leaving the garden at the south end, turn right and out onto the driveway.

House terrace The old oak door has opened to the terrace for generations and the area has a soft, romantic feel (apart from the prickles of the sea holly (eryngium planum) that grows here in profusion!)  The loose borders are developing a residual structure for annual plant surprises with the old millstone forming the centrepiece. The terrace becomes very hot in summer so a welcome recent addition is the pergola which, supporting a rampant kiwi & rose, is starting to provide good shade. The native crab apple trees ‘John Downie’ will, in time, do likewise.

Moat border In the floods of 2000, we had reason to see why this is called the Moat Border!  A knee-high torrent of water ran through the site and took a natural course down the drive from north to south.  It leads us to believe that the moat was designed as a diversion for heavy rainfall and not as a defence.  The border has been encouraged to reflect this history and, in early summer, appears as flowing, foaming water. The dominant ground cover here is winter heliotrope (Petasites fragrans), sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), both delightful in the spring, and various geraniums for early summer colour.

Front of House This is a high traffic area, with a lot of comings & goings. Therefore, we keep it simple to maintain, employing shrub foliage to lend form & colour. Hellebores peep out from beneath the skimmia around the catalpa tree, but daren’t get too close to the bed’s edge for fear of being run down! At the north end, a newly planted bed of drought-tolerant sedums and sempervivums illustrates a problem of the immediate future.  This bed, previously planted annually with what we thought was the toughest bedding, just couldn’t cope with this summer’s heat and we had to think again.