This June, it is 6 years since the garden spaces grew outside of the walled garden, to what is now the Braybrooke garden and studio spaces.
I have rented the ‘property locked’ walled garden since late 2016 and when ownership changed in 2018, I didn’t know what to expect. I was completely surprised and thrilled extend into the field I walked through to access the walled garden and the old mower shed which is now the studio.
It was a huge amount of space to take on, especially as at the same time, I was pregnant, had a huge early morning 2x weekly contract to deliver and had gone into partnership with a beautiful farm, Flourish to grow annuals for me too. The business felt like it was expanding in every direction. Everything came at once and it felt fortunate and very sunny.
Two brilliant women seemingly turned up (one literally on my doorstep!) and until covid hit, we had a 3 employees to help sow, grow, cut and arrange. I look back at that time quite bewildered at how far I reached. I have learnt a lot, and through circumstance, the business is very different, but still here.
In my experience, gardens take 5 years or so to mature and grow into themselves. Six years later, the Braybrooke Garden is very different but I don’t think it is yet 'matured’. It is a teen perhaps. The shape is there, I have found a groove and understand the micro climates of the space but I didn’t have the foresight to put in much structure back then; only now planting trees.
The garden looked like this when we first took on the space. We had a huge amount on and I’m not sure how we managed to do everything we did.
Running through the centre of the space was a 4’ deep ditch where Lord Braybrooke ran his original miniature steam railway. It was filled in just before we took on the space. I’m not sure with what but in places the soil is only 6” deep in the middle of the beds. So we built raised beds with wooden planks, lined them with cardboard and filled with compost. Subsequently, the soil is even more free draining than the original sandy loam, hot and dry. I keep adding compost every year and planting green manures for bulk. It is improving.
We decided on lucky 13 beds across the plot and a long triangular border.
I wanted to capitalise on the strong sightline from the gate down the space to the door of the studio. Furthermore, one of my main aims is to inspire anyone with any space outside their home to grow and cut flowers, reducing the amount bought from supermarkets each week. So having beds that do not read as a farming space or kitchen garden helps visitors see that cut flowers can be harvested from mixed beds in your garden. They do not need a dedicated space. In fact, they are often grown better in my experience when grown in community.
We laid slabs, bought from a guy replacing his patio on ebay, straight onto the soil so there is no concrete. I wanted to create a space where one felt nestled within the planting. To remind myself it isn’t all about work but to rest, sit and look at the gardens. It’s a lovely place to have meals.
Then there is a hazel bed as I call it. Where hazel poles line the plot boundary preventing deer jumping in (they still do) and providing some framework for climbers. I haven’t yet fully found a good planting combination for this space. I am filling it with robust perennials and moving mint, oregano, rosemary and other herbs here. The couch grass is robustly content here and so are the slugs.
This winter the muntjac broke the gate by using it to jump on to and kick off from. We removed the fence, installed to prevent them when I only gardened the walled garden. This has opened up the space between the gardens. I haven’t yet planted it up. It’s more for aesthetics than cropping, so an indulgence I feel. But I need to get a wiggle on and plants out as soon as I can.
Originally, the polytunnel was in our home garden. When we knew we had outgrown our home, we made plans to move it into the Braybrooke Garden, thereby loosing 4 beds and reducing the raised beds to 9.
And finally, when we knew we’d been gift slightly more than we could chew, we laid membrane over all the paths in the garden. It was horrible but we couldn’t do anything else at the time.
Last year I walked past tree surgeons shredding the trunks of huge fallen trees. They were thrilled to deliver the bark to me, just around the corner, rather than take 3 loads on 1.5hr round trips to their yard. Classic win win. This spring we ripped up all the membrane and replaced it with the bark. It was a huge family job to move it. Alas weeds are growing all over it already and I’m pained by it. But I am so pleased to have got ride of the plastic. It had worn thin and weeds grew through it. The soil baked beneath it so there were few worms, the membrane was an enormous radiator reflecting back heat whenever the sun was out. I believe the garden is much much better for this change.
That’s the Braybrooke Garden. It’t a hot exposed space. Despite the least good soil conditions of all of them, I think it’s my favourite. I love the combination of beds to planting and the view to and from the studio. If I only was allowed one garden, I’d choose this one. It’s the closest to a domestic space and the most cohesive; balancing design with productive growing.
Please ❤️ this post. It helps more people see it. Thank you for reading!
Your garden holds a powerful magic that has been created by your true love for everything that grows in it. Really looking forward to being back in the beautiful garden in July...
Brava👏 It is so great to see what you have accomplished in the “plots” . Beautiful! One day, when I’m closer, I’m coming to take a class! You are a great inspiration. ☺️