Map of the Sherwood Open Gardens 2019
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15 COMPTON ROAD
A recently revamped small sunny Mediterranean style garden which shows how mixing traditional plants, landscaping and trees can bring a little of the Med to Sherwood! A calm oasis to counter the hustle and bustle of the city
87 VICTORIA ROAD
This garden consists of two quite different areas. We moved into the house 27 years ago and the garden closest to the house was the original garden and has been developed over the years. The only original plants are the two lilacs (a white one over the pond and the other is lilac), a peony, some yellow loosestrife and goldenrod. Creating the pond was one of the first things I did in the garden, and many plants have come and gone while I’ve got used to the conditions (which are as dry as dust for much of the year with some shade). There was a lovely laburnum for many years, which looked beautiful with the two lilacs in April and May but has sadly died. The main plant which people tend to ask about in this garden is the large hydrangea with furry leaves next to the table in the corner. It’s a H. Sargentiana, bought from Kiftsgate Court Gardens in Gloucestershire some years ago, and which we believe has thrived from being planted over our first dog! It has many huge flowers in August.
Through the gate is the ‘new’ garden, which was acquired six years ago, after many years of wanting! My list of needs were a kitchen garden, courtyard garden, secret garden and art garden. All of these were to be combined in this new space, which is slightly sloping to the South and perfect for vegetables and some flowering shrubs and perennials I hadn’t been able to grow in the main garden because it was too shady. I decided on a ‘square foot garden’ after coming across a book by Mel Bartholomew in a bookshop in Portland, Oregon. It’s an adaptation of raised bed gardening, using plants grown closer together than they would be in an open veg plot, because the soil is enriched and well-drained. It works pretty well but isn’t suitable for all veg plants. My husband (who built the garden for me) made me the chicken wire cages to protect the beds from cats, dogs, pigeons and foxes. The fan-trained peach tree has very sweet fruits.
A later addition, 3 years ago, was the hen house with my little bantams Jenny, Penny and Bridget, who provide eggs (sometimes) and chicken manure for the compost heap. They also help keep the garden free from bugs.
4 HARDWICK ROAD
This is an enclosed, walled garden accessed via 2 steps. It is partly set to lawn with a variety of plants, shrubs, small trees and herb garden, a small pond and a WW2 air raid shelter.
4 HARDWICK ROAD
This is an enclosed, walled garden accessed via 2 steps. It is partly set to lawn with a variety of plants, shrubs, small trees and herb garden, a small pond and a WW2 air raid shelter.
12 RUFFORD ROAD
I took over this south facing double plot garden dating from 1922 in 1995. It was a much loved classic 1950's garden. Imagine a large square lawn with a big old rose bed, lots of beautiful old climbing roses, a wisteria that clambered all over the house, dilapidated vegetable patch, a tumbling down greenhouse plus a huge diseased sycamore tree and an enormous bay tree. I wanted to create a romantic wild feeling and keep some of the beautiful mature plants that were still growing although in need of TLC. I set about changing the shape of the garden and trees, bringing water and gentle shade into its very hot dry space. Never having had a big garden before, much stock came from friends with gardens and the local WI. I grew shrubs and plants from small rooted cuttings. Bargain buys of small specimens from small local nurseries / green grocers provided the beginnings of structure. Many of the plants in full maturity now, especially my collection of acers, were grown from very small specimens indeed. The very large passiflora that grew for years over the pergola arrived from a tiny seed dropped by a bird that fell into sandy soil near the house. Sadly the severe winter in 2010 killed it off but a couple of years ago the same thing happened again and a new passiflora is clamberingits way over the pergola once more with the huge 'Black Hamburg' grape vine. I learned about acid soil and used organic principles as I went along. My friend's horse provided much well-rotted manure and I had 5 composters on the go at one time as the soil was very poor and worn out.
My son and I dug the pond as soon as possible and used old tiles from the kitchen to line the edges. I didn't want a hard feel to anything and wanted to create a quirky atmosphere using a variety of stuff left over from the house being done up and old junk from skips. A neighbour gave us our first frog and now, 24 years later, we have a teaming hoard! I dug out new large flower beds in the lawn and reduced the area of grass to a small 'waggle'. The old rose bed had to go so I gave away all the floribunda roses. I then incorporated lots of different roses into the mixed cottagey flower beds primarily for their scent, having enriched everything with compost and well-rotted manure, in fact, anything organic I could lay my hands on. These include ramblers: Madame Gregoire Staechelin, Dorothy Perkins, Albertine; climbers: Compassion, Gertrude Jekyll, William Morris, Warm Welcome and Penny Lane; old roses: Tradescant, Madame Pereire, Evelyn, Pat Austin and lastly, one of my favourites, Hot Chocolate. Many clematis clamber through the shrubs and roses I planted. They include Julia Correvon, Dark Eyes, Plena Elegans, President, Princess Diana and Rouge Cardinal. Mediterranean plants found it easy to grow in the hot, dry, sandy soil. Many self-seeding plants arrive annually. A favourite acid loving shrub is a Crinoleum, planted as a tiny potted up cutting from visiting newly opened Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. It flowers with exquisite red lantern shaped flowers through the spring and last year, due to the heat, gave a late summer flowering as well. Plants in my garden remind me of all the gardens I've visited and collected from over the years; National Trust Estates and unusual private gardens. There are also various architectural plants such as the fluffy pink plumage of the Macleaya poppies. All of these were given to me by various gardening friends from divisions from their plants.
The diseased sycamore was replaced by a rowan (native to the British Isles) and several fruit trees. The new light coming into the space from the absence of a large and greedy old tree that wasn't beautiful made everything take off. There was an ancient pear, which with a lot of care I have kept going and it rewards me with a lovely little crop each year. The oldest apple tree finally gave out a couple of years ago but I have 2 Minarette apple trees that crop well. As I've aged so has the garden, I now can't manage the work I used to do, so have had to adapt some aspects to match my present physical abilities; it is less rambling in nature now, although it still has a romantic feel. Visitors to the garden have included hedgehogs (very welcome to all organic gardeners) and foxes with their cubs; these were great fun but demons on my vegetable patch. In 2010 my oldest Aunty died and I put up a little summer house over the old stump of the sycamore tree to commemorate her. The garden has lots of cottagey plants and herbs; some rarer than others. Comfrey, grown in several clumps, feeds everything and in recent years I have converted to a hotbin composter. Chickens provided entertainment and great manure to nourish everything but I am currently having a break from my feathered friends. There are lots of different places with seating to sit and cogitate, meditate or simply absorb the peace of it all. The garden follows twists and turns, like life! You can't see it all in one go and there are little surprises around each corner. Visitors are often surprised by its lushness (although this was severely affected by the drought last summer when it looked a bit sorry for itself.) I will be downsizing to next door and creating a new garden there in 2021, so this will be my last year or so of being the guardian of my beloved garden in its’ current form.
My garden opens as a non-religious 'Quiet Garden'. For more information about 'quiet' gardens see: www.quietgarden.org. It is for anyone who wants to just enjoy a peaceful space with natural sounds for reflection, contemplation, meditation or simply to experience being quiet. Artists are welcome who wish to paint or draw on the day by prior arrangement. Children who can be quiet are welcome, but perhaps it is not suitable for little ones who are usually rumbustious but they are very welcome to stop by the ice-cream stall out front on the day.
12 RUFFORD ROAD
I took over this south facing double plot garden dating from 1922 in 1995. It was a much loved classic 1950's garden. Imagine a large square lawn with a big old rose bed, lots of beautiful old climbing roses, a wisteria that clambered all over the house, dilapidated vegetable patch, a tumbling down greenhouse plus a huge diseased sycamore tree and an enormous bay tree. I wanted to create a romantic wild feeling and keep some of the beautiful mature plants that were still growing although in need of TLC. I set about changing the shape of the garden and trees, bringing water and gentle shade into its very hot dry space. Never having had a big garden before, much stock came from friends with gardens and the local WI. I grew shrubs and plants from small rooted cuttings. Bargain buys of small specimens from small local nurseries / green grocers provided the beginnings of structure. Many of the plants in full maturity now, especially my collection of acers, were grown from very small specimens indeed. The very large passiflora that grew for years over the pergola arrived from a tiny seed dropped by a bird that fell into sandy soil near the house. Sadly the severe winter in 2010 killed it off but a couple of years ago the same thing happened again and a new passiflora is clamberingits way over the pergola once more with the huge 'Black Hamburg' grape vine. I learned about acid soil and used organic principles as I went along. My friend's horse provided much well-rotted manure and I had 5 composters on the go at one time as the soil was very poor and worn out.
My son and I dug the pond as soon as possible and used old tiles from the kitchen to line the edges. I didn't want a hard feel to anything and wanted to create a quirky atmosphere using a variety of stuff left over from the house being done up and old junk from skips. A neighbour gave us our first frog and now, 24 years later, we have a teaming hoard! I dug out new large flower beds in the lawn and reduced the area of grass to a small 'waggle'. The old rose bed had to go so I gave away all the floribunda roses. I then incorporated lots of different roses into the mixed cottagey flower beds primarily for their scent, having enriched everything with compost and well-rotted manure, in fact, anything organic I could lay my hands on. These include ramblers: Madame Gregoire Staechelin, Dorothy Perkins, Albertine; climbers: Compassion, Gertrude Jekyll, William Morris, Warm Welcome and Penny Lane; old roses: Tradescant, Madame Pereire, Evelyn, Pat Austin and lastly, one of my favourites, Hot Chocolate. Many clematis clamber through the shrubs and roses I planted. They include Julia Correvon, Dark Eyes, Plena Elegans, President, Princess Diana and Rouge Cardinal. Mediterranean plants found it easy to grow in the hot, dry, sandy soil. Many self-seeding plants arrive annually. A favourite acid loving shrub is a Crinoleum, planted as a tiny potted up cutting from visiting newly opened Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. It flowers with exquisite red lantern shaped flowers through the spring and last year, due to the heat, gave a late summer flowering as well. Plants in my garden remind me of all the gardens I've visited and collected from over the years; National Trust Estates and unusual private gardens. There are also various architectural plants such as the fluffy pink plumage of the Macleaya poppies. All of these were given to me by various gardening friends from divisions from their plants.
The diseased sycamore was replaced by a rowan (native to the British Isles) and several fruit trees. The new light coming into the space from the absence of a large and greedy old tree that wasn't beautiful made everything take off. There was an ancient pear, which with a lot of care I have kept going and it rewards me with a lovely little crop each year. The oldest apple tree finally gave out a couple of years ago but I have 2 Minarette apple trees that crop well. As I've aged so has the garden, I now can't manage the work I used to do, so have had to adapt some aspects to match my present physical abilities; it is less rambling in nature now, although it still has a romantic feel. Visitors to the garden have included hedgehogs (very welcome to all organic gardeners) and foxes with their cubs; these were great fun but demons on my vegetable patch. In 2010 my oldest Aunty died and I put up a little summer house over the old stump of the sycamore tree to commemorate her. The garden has lots of cottagey plants and herbs; some rarer than others. Comfrey, grown in several clumps, feeds everything and in recent years I have converted to a hotbin composter. Chickens provided entertainment and great manure to nourish everything but I am currently having a break from my feathered friends. There are lots of different places with seating to sit and cogitate, meditate or simply absorb the peace of it all. The garden follows twists and turns, like life! You can't see it all in one go and there are little surprises around each corner. Visitors are often surprised by its lushness (although this was severely affected by the drought last summer when it looked a bit sorry for itself.) I will be downsizing to next door and creating a new garden there in 2021, so this will be my last year or so of being the guardian of my beloved garden in its’ current form.
My garden opens as a non-religious 'Quiet Garden'. For more information about 'quiet' gardens see: www.quietgarden.org. It is for anyone who wants to just enjoy a peaceful space with natural sounds for reflection, contemplation, meditation or simply to experience being quiet. Artists are welcome who wish to paint or draw on the day by prior arrangement. Children who can be quiet are welcome, but perhaps it is not suitable for little ones who are usually rumbustious but they are very welcome to stop by the ice-cream stall out front on the day.
13 CANNON STREET
The front garden has a custom-built green-roofed shed with planters, pots and hanging baskets. The back garden is a small west-facing courtyard walled garden containing a pond planted with lilies and irises, an arbour with wisteria, clematis and jasmine, acers and a greenhouse. The Sherwood knitting circle (Sherwood Art Week yarn bombers) will be in the garden. Refreshments and home made cakes.
The front garden has a custom-built green-roofed shed with planters, pots and hanging baskets. The back garden is a small west-facing courtyard walled garden containing a pond planted with lilies and irises, an arbour with wisteria, clematis and jasmine, acers and a greenhouse. The Sherwood knitting circle (Sherwood Art Week yarn bombers) will be in the garden. Refreshments and home made cakes.
29 DRAYTON STREET
Our very small courtyard garden has been stitched together with love . It’s a green space to relax in, given we are not far away from the urban bustle of Sherwood.
The garden is an ambitious character longing to blossom into a country cottage garden. In the garden the wood store plays host to an assortment of potted plants while the raised beds secretly plan surprise blooms .Not to be overlooked our Christmas tree compete for hight with the green bamboo. Do come and enjoy the visual delight of the garden and the artwork on show by artist , Jeannie Clark
WIMBLEDON ROAD
No. 34 Sunken garden accessed by three steps, featuring a low maintenance garden featuring poor soil and a north-facing aspect. Featuring a Japanese influenced area. With Sophie Robbins mosaic artist and stalls with recycled jewellery, garden accessories and others.
No. 101 Small, old fashioned south facing cottage style garden with shrubs, roses, flower beds, lots of pots and 6 steps down to the lawn. Garage has been demolished and space used as an extra terrace. Still a work in progress. Artist Geraldine Henegan Barr, sculptor.
No. 103 Medium sized garden, one large border and various raised beds: work in progress, gardened by novice gardeners with parental support!
No. 104 A family friendly garden making as much use of the available space to entertain 3 children who love being outdoors. The two main features are the large outdoor dining area with a vertical garden and the custom-built pirate ship!
No. 106 Mediterranean themed flower garden with one raised border and two other large borders. Pet friendly - 1 dog and 2 cats - so planting not always as planned! Lawn with patio and stones throughout. It's not posh but always has colour.
No. 34 Sunken garden accessed by three steps, featuring a low maintenance garden featuring poor soil and a north-facing aspect. Featuring a Japanese influenced area. With Sophie Robbins mosaic artist and stalls with recycled jewellery, garden accessories and others.
No. 101 Small, old fashioned south facing cottage style garden with shrubs, roses, flower beds, lots of pots and 6 steps down to the lawn. Garage has been demolished and space used as an extra terrace. Still a work in progress. Artist Geraldine Henegan Barr, sculptor.
No. 103 Medium sized garden, one large border and various raised beds: work in progress, gardened by novice gardeners with parental support!
No. 104 A family friendly garden making as much use of the available space to entertain 3 children who love being outdoors. The two main features are the large outdoor dining area with a vertical garden and the custom-built pirate ship!
No. 106 Mediterranean themed flower garden with one raised border and two other large borders. Pet friendly - 1 dog and 2 cats - so planting not always as planned! Lawn with patio and stones throughout. It's not posh but always has colour.
50 WYNNDALE DRIVE
Modern family garden, recently re-designed using some of the existing materials on site. The garden is on several levels - lower level is accessible but upper levels have steps to access. Artist and ice creams.
Modern family garden, recently re-designed using some of the existing materials on site. The garden is on several levels - lower level is accessible but upper levels have steps to access. Artist and ice creams.
63 TEESDALE ROAD
Small organic allotment garden with raised beds. There is an original 1940s underground air raid shelter, also the Alys Power Design Studio, a professional jewellers workshop, will also be open.
Small organic allotment garden with raised beds. There is an original 1940s underground air raid shelter, also the Alys Power Design Studio, a professional jewellers workshop, will also be open.
47 DEVONSHIRE ROAD
A foliage garden with mature trees and shrubs providing year round colour.
Steps lead up to a sandstone patio area with seating surrounded by lush planting, large black bamboos, palms, eucalyptus and a mature fruiting loquat tree. A variety of foliage plants create an evergreen colour palette with Cercis Forest Pansy and Gold Heart providing early purple flowers and colourful leaves and a mature Indian Bean tree with exotic leaves in the summer. Japanese Aralia shrubs and a large tree fern provide further structure in the garden.
A slate path leads up to a gravel garden with architectural plants and trees including an old olive tree, sea hollies, echiums, grasses and a wide variety of perennials. The garden leads onto an allotment area, part of the grade 2 listed Bagthorpe Garden Allotments. A further area is laid out to a micro nursery, a summerhouse and a collection of tender South African plants including perennials, grasses and shrubs.
There are a number of seating areas in the garden, some with great views over the rooftops of Sherwood.
47 DEVONSHIRE ROAD
A foliage garden with mature trees and shrubs providing year round colour.
Steps lead up to a sandstone patio area with seating surrounded by lush planting, large black bamboos, palms, eucalyptus and a mature fruiting loquat tree. A variety of foliage plants create an evergreen colour palette with Cercis Forest Pansy and Gold Heart providing early purple flowers and colourful leaves and a mature Indian Bean tree with exotic leaves in the summer. Japanese Aralia shrubs and a large tree fern provide further structure in the garden.
A slate path leads up to a gravel garden with architectural plants and trees including an old olive tree, sea hollies, echiums, grasses and a wide variety of perennials. The garden leads onto an allotment area, part of the grade 2 listed Bagthorpe Garden Allotments. A further area is laid out to a micro nursery, a summerhouse and a collection of tender South African plants including perennials, grasses and shrubs.
There are a number of seating areas in the garden, some with great views over the rooftops of Sherwood.
49 DEVONSHIRE ROAD
Our garden is a large wildlife friendly garden/allotment designed to have flowers in bloom all year round and has a rich variety of diverse habitats including a large pond and rill, woodpiles, hedgehog and bird boxes. It is planted with a wide range of flowers, shrubs, mature trees as well as vegetables, fruit bushes and trees. It is worked organically and we also have a large chicken run, beehives, compost bins and leaf cages etc. In previous years we have won the Nottingham in Bloom award twice in the category “Making Space for Nature” with a Gold Medal and Best in Show.
The range of wildlife has increased over the years and moth surveys in the garden have demonstrated the wealth of insect life that it is possible to achieve in an urban garden/allotment. We also have seen the return of hedgehogs in the past 2 years and have at least 3 foxes visiting regularly. Toads, frogs, newts abound as do pollinators.
We up-cycle as many materials as possible, from old pallets to shower screen tops for cold frames. More of a cottage garden than a formally planted showcase, it still takes a lot of work to keep the garden balanced and carefully managed to incorporate hedges and mature trees comprising at least 30 species in a relatively limited space. We have tried to achieve a “touch of the country” in the city environment.
21 TREVOSE GARDENS
We have inherited a mature garden and we are starting to revitalise it using permaculture principles and organic techniques. We have various experimental methods of making compost. There's a large lawn with a pergola and seating for entertaining. The wisteria should be in flower in June. We are growing shrubs, flowers, fruit and some veg as well as materials to support basket making. There are handmade willow obelisks and structures as well as some mosaic features around the garden. Access is through a side shed where the door frames are only 5'6" high so some people may need to stoop.
We have inherited a mature garden and we are starting to revitalise it using permaculture principles and organic techniques. We have various experimental methods of making compost. There's a large lawn with a pergola and seating for entertaining. The wisteria should be in flower in June. We are growing shrubs, flowers, fruit and some veg as well as materials to support basket making. There are handmade willow obelisks and structures as well as some mosaic features around the garden. Access is through a side shed where the door frames are only 5'6" high so some people may need to stoop.
31 CAVENDISH VALE
I have lived and gardened here for nearly 20 years, so the garden has seen lots of changes as the children and chickens came and went, dogs arrived, fish found refuge and then grandchild arrived! Fences have blown down, so I built a wall last year and this has changed the whole space. The plants have always been my love and I have tried to create and allow for year-round beauty. The house is four storeys, so I have tried to allow the garden to be enjoyed from each level. There are steps, a balcony, a pond and a fire, so it has become less and less child friendly! But there is a secret path for the small ones to explore and a patio for the bigger ones to sit and relax with a gin ting!
I have lived and gardened here for nearly 20 years, so the garden has seen lots of changes as the children and chickens came and went, dogs arrived, fish found refuge and then grandchild arrived! Fences have blown down, so I built a wall last year and this has changed the whole space. The plants have always been my love and I have tried to create and allow for year-round beauty. The house is four storeys, so I have tried to allow the garden to be enjoyed from each level. There are steps, a balcony, a pond and a fire, so it has become less and less child friendly! But there is a secret path for the small ones to explore and a patio for the bigger ones to sit and relax with a gin ting!
30 ELMSWOOD GARDENS
This is a mature garden incorporating fruit, vegetables and ornamentals intermingled and grown organically. It has a 'live and let live'style, and as a result there are a number of self-seeded gifts from the sky! These will be highlighted for the tour, but to name a few: Hawthorn tree, Bay, Berberis, Elder - all welcome and making a contribution to the overall character of the garden. Additionally, some of the vegetables and ornamentals are allowed to flower and go to seed, so that they pop up in and around for the following year. The past season there has been enough Lamb's Lettuce (Corn Salad) and Wild Rocket to supply Waitrose (I wish - at the price of their packets of salad). There are several 'free' Kale seedlings just about big enough to transplant to their growing bed, likewise Rocket, and the Beetroot will be left where it is, as there was no disease last year, and the soil has been replenished with compost over winter. Since acknowledging my gradually reducing physical limitations and relinquishing my beloved allotment plot I had for 12 years on Bagthorpe Gardens (which have Grade II* status from English Heritage) I am constantly struggling for space to grow all the things I love. Container growing is one solution - but the container needs somewhere suitable to stand, so still a challenge... Wild flowers, some aka weeds, are also valid here and are very important for wildlife, especially bees and other pollinators and insects for bird food. They are also pretty with colour and interesting foliage. Seed heads of most plants are left as long as possible over winter and whilst it may look dishevelled, the reward has been watching birds feasting on them. My first ever sighting of Goldfinch was when six of them were feeding on the Lavender seeds. They also relish Evening Primrose. This year they are nesting in the Bay tree. One harsh winter I counted 14 Waxwings drawn to the hips on the wild, self-seeded dog-rose. This year I heard that Waxwings were around Sherwood but to my disappointment they didn't come here so eventually I had to prune (rein in) that rose. There is a small pond, somewhat neglected, but still providing a base for frogs - and I've seen them doing their duty around the beds ie pest control (not effective against cats and squirrels) This is patently not a 'straight line' garden, but I hope visitors will find it interesting and even inspiring with a few ideas for 'grow your own'.
This is a mature garden incorporating fruit, vegetables and ornamentals intermingled and grown organically. It has a 'live and let live'style, and as a result there are a number of self-seeded gifts from the sky! These will be highlighted for the tour, but to name a few: Hawthorn tree, Bay, Berberis, Elder - all welcome and making a contribution to the overall character of the garden. Additionally, some of the vegetables and ornamentals are allowed to flower and go to seed, so that they pop up in and around for the following year. The past season there has been enough Lamb's Lettuce (Corn Salad) and Wild Rocket to supply Waitrose (I wish - at the price of their packets of salad). There are several 'free' Kale seedlings just about big enough to transplant to their growing bed, likewise Rocket, and the Beetroot will be left where it is, as there was no disease last year, and the soil has been replenished with compost over winter. Since acknowledging my gradually reducing physical limitations and relinquishing my beloved allotment plot I had for 12 years on Bagthorpe Gardens (which have Grade II* status from English Heritage) I am constantly struggling for space to grow all the things I love. Container growing is one solution - but the container needs somewhere suitable to stand, so still a challenge... Wild flowers, some aka weeds, are also valid here and are very important for wildlife, especially bees and other pollinators and insects for bird food. They are also pretty with colour and interesting foliage. Seed heads of most plants are left as long as possible over winter and whilst it may look dishevelled, the reward has been watching birds feasting on them. My first ever sighting of Goldfinch was when six of them were feeding on the Lavender seeds. They also relish Evening Primrose. This year they are nesting in the Bay tree. One harsh winter I counted 14 Waxwings drawn to the hips on the wild, self-seeded dog-rose. This year I heard that Waxwings were around Sherwood but to my disappointment they didn't come here so eventually I had to prune (rein in) that rose. There is a small pond, somewhat neglected, but still providing a base for frogs - and I've seen them doing their duty around the beds ie pest control (not effective against cats and squirrels) This is patently not a 'straight line' garden, but I hope visitors will find it interesting and even inspiring with a few ideas for 'grow your own'.
50 WARREN AVENUE
We moved into our house twelve and a bit years ago, having fallen in love with the garden when we first saw it, and immediately set about big renovation projects inside and out. It sloped down towards where the old railway line would have run, and was still a good size,a sunny bank with swathes of lupin, evening primrose and fennel and clumps of marjoram, lavender and santolina belying its sandy soil. So it was free-draining, and pretty easy to dig, and terracing the slope was the time-honoured method of gardening on a slope, but we didn’t imagine the scale of the task when we started, with tons of soil dug out, graded into builders bags, and stacked one on the other, shoulder high, blooming in Summer with field poppies and alkanet like we’d planted them out.
Upto less than a year ago, it was a chaotic collection of stacked up brickand quarry tiles yet to be used, with the cement mixer that has been the faithful workhorse throughout and the inevitablebuildersbags of soil and plastic sacks with hardcore and pebbles stacked around the edges. We wanted brick beds and we wanted them curved – crinkle crankle walls.This obviously fitted our plan, as we were using reclaimed bricks that would have to be picked up in small amounts from skips, etc and the small space didn’t want to be overwhelmed with a mass of brick that might distract from the planting. Plus, we’d loved Andy Goldsworthy’s work with walls, bending them round trees, generally doing things that were more organic, blending into landscape, less straight and formal, and we’d been to Barcelona and loved the Gaudi stuff, which seemed similarly quirky, free-flowing, non-linear, etc.
The grapevine we found over a rotting pergola at the bottom of the garden was moved to the front of the house and wired up; within a year it had started covering the now freshly-painted orange walls and now reaches right to the eaves with purple fruit festooning it from August to picking time; the new greenhouse gave us all the cuttings and seedlings to populate the new beds, which, with, all those labour-intensive foundations now safely hidden away, have allowed us to garden the site as we wanted. The plan was always to have a formal structure with the greenery to soften it all, scrambling up it, tumbling over it, spilling out of it. We brought the close-planting tendency from our previous very small yard garden, and although we’ve tried to leave more space, the amount of self-set seedlings and plants that need to be divided or moved has always meant there is a cramming it in tendency that has good points and bad. The good is that, obviously, you create an effect of wild, untamed greenery (a kind of ‘cottage garden jungle’); the bad is that plants that don’t get out of the traps fast tend to get swamped and prized specimens can disappear if not carefully monitored.
We’ve avoided formal planting, have tried to plant things in swathes to create an effect but not been very successful; what we have done is create a tapestry of different textures, trying to pay as much attention to how leaf colour and shape go together as flowers, that, let’s face it, are fairly fleeting anyway. We try to have plants that will tie everything together, hence the sweet woodruff and small euphorbia that follow the curves of the brickwork and fill in the gaps between other plants, the welsh poppies and field poppies that pop out everywhere, the creeping thyme, oxalis and small succulents that are planted in the cracks between quarry tiles and down the side of the steps, and the rambling roses that clamber through trees and over walls. Although, in a lot of ways, the basic structure of the garden remains the same as when we first saw it, the changes to that basic structure have been huge.
Now as well as the brick terracing we have two small wildlife ponds, a brick arch, sandstone steps to different levels, three new buildings, one with a living roof, even a pizza oven! There will always be some things left to do, of course: the mosaics we wanted to set into the tiles with the old bits of tile we found under thee floor and under the soil probably won’t get done before the Open Gardens day; but they will get done, and meanwhile we can finally relax a bit, take it all in and…. Enjoy the garden.
Find out more about how our garden has developed , projects and planting on our blog http://kathyandpetegardens.blogspot.com/
Kathy & Pete
We moved into our house twelve and a bit years ago, having fallen in love with the garden when we first saw it, and immediately set about big renovation projects inside and out. It sloped down towards where the old railway line would have run, and was still a good size,a sunny bank with swathes of lupin, evening primrose and fennel and clumps of marjoram, lavender and santolina belying its sandy soil. So it was free-draining, and pretty easy to dig, and terracing the slope was the time-honoured method of gardening on a slope, but we didn’t imagine the scale of the task when we started, with tons of soil dug out, graded into builders bags, and stacked one on the other, shoulder high, blooming in Summer with field poppies and alkanet like we’d planted them out.
Upto less than a year ago, it was a chaotic collection of stacked up brickand quarry tiles yet to be used, with the cement mixer that has been the faithful workhorse throughout and the inevitablebuildersbags of soil and plastic sacks with hardcore and pebbles stacked around the edges. We wanted brick beds and we wanted them curved – crinkle crankle walls.This obviously fitted our plan, as we were using reclaimed bricks that would have to be picked up in small amounts from skips, etc and the small space didn’t want to be overwhelmed with a mass of brick that might distract from the planting. Plus, we’d loved Andy Goldsworthy’s work with walls, bending them round trees, generally doing things that were more organic, blending into landscape, less straight and formal, and we’d been to Barcelona and loved the Gaudi stuff, which seemed similarly quirky, free-flowing, non-linear, etc.
The grapevine we found over a rotting pergola at the bottom of the garden was moved to the front of the house and wired up; within a year it had started covering the now freshly-painted orange walls and now reaches right to the eaves with purple fruit festooning it from August to picking time; the new greenhouse gave us all the cuttings and seedlings to populate the new beds, which, with, all those labour-intensive foundations now safely hidden away, have allowed us to garden the site as we wanted. The plan was always to have a formal structure with the greenery to soften it all, scrambling up it, tumbling over it, spilling out of it. We brought the close-planting tendency from our previous very small yard garden, and although we’ve tried to leave more space, the amount of self-set seedlings and plants that need to be divided or moved has always meant there is a cramming it in tendency that has good points and bad. The good is that, obviously, you create an effect of wild, untamed greenery (a kind of ‘cottage garden jungle’); the bad is that plants that don’t get out of the traps fast tend to get swamped and prized specimens can disappear if not carefully monitored.
We’ve avoided formal planting, have tried to plant things in swathes to create an effect but not been very successful; what we have done is create a tapestry of different textures, trying to pay as much attention to how leaf colour and shape go together as flowers, that, let’s face it, are fairly fleeting anyway. We try to have plants that will tie everything together, hence the sweet woodruff and small euphorbia that follow the curves of the brickwork and fill in the gaps between other plants, the welsh poppies and field poppies that pop out everywhere, the creeping thyme, oxalis and small succulents that are planted in the cracks between quarry tiles and down the side of the steps, and the rambling roses that clamber through trees and over walls. Although, in a lot of ways, the basic structure of the garden remains the same as when we first saw it, the changes to that basic structure have been huge.
Now as well as the brick terracing we have two small wildlife ponds, a brick arch, sandstone steps to different levels, three new buildings, one with a living roof, even a pizza oven! There will always be some things left to do, of course: the mosaics we wanted to set into the tiles with the old bits of tile we found under thee floor and under the soil probably won’t get done before the Open Gardens day; but they will get done, and meanwhile we can finally relax a bit, take it all in and…. Enjoy the garden.
Find out more about how our garden has developed , projects and planting on our blog http://kathyandpetegardens.blogspot.com/
Kathy & Pete
4 NEWSTEAD STREET
This 1880’s cottage in the centre of Sherwood was refurbished in the 2000s. Hidden behind an old wall and beech hedge, the garden has a variety of shrubs and perennial plants and has colour in all seasons. It has been called an “oasis” and is unknown to many people!
OPEN SPACES
Sherwood also has many wildlife areas and spaces that are open to the public.
EDINGLEY SQUARE COMMUNITY GARDEN
Transition Sherwood’s second community garden was started in late 2014 on an unused patch of land tucked between the houses and the prison. The start-up coincided with a tenant and residents’ group being set up. Local residents garden a mix of small allotment plots and shared areas with fruit, flowers, and nature areas.
LITTLE HOLLY CORNER - 1 STAUNTON DRIVE
Little Holly Corner is a great example of an urban garden habitat - a local community space for wildlife in the heart of Sherwood.
This petite but valuable nature reserve has recently benefitted from a massive makeover, with new fencing, trees, nest boxes, benches and a new information panel. With both trees and grassy areas, it is a good place to go to sit and watch the garden birds and the butterflies flitting around, on a spring or summer day.
Sherwood Methodist Church Quiet Garden
This garden was inspired by the quiet spaces offered by churches in the City of London. It is a small landscaped garden just off the Mansfield Rd. The church is an Eco congregation and in this spirit, the plants have been chosen to attract pollinating insects well as to be pleasing to the senses. There is a labyrinth, and mosaics developed over the last few years. We have been pleased to share the space for activities during Sherwood Art week. From 2 to 4pm there will be art activities in the garden. There will be drinks and refreshments, as well as accessible toilet facilities available at this venue
This 1880’s cottage in the centre of Sherwood was refurbished in the 2000s. Hidden behind an old wall and beech hedge, the garden has a variety of shrubs and perennial plants and has colour in all seasons. It has been called an “oasis” and is unknown to many people!
OPEN SPACES
Sherwood also has many wildlife areas and spaces that are open to the public.
EDINGLEY SQUARE COMMUNITY GARDEN
Transition Sherwood’s second community garden was started in late 2014 on an unused patch of land tucked between the houses and the prison. The start-up coincided with a tenant and residents’ group being set up. Local residents garden a mix of small allotment plots and shared areas with fruit, flowers, and nature areas.
LITTLE HOLLY CORNER - 1 STAUNTON DRIVE
Little Holly Corner is a great example of an urban garden habitat - a local community space for wildlife in the heart of Sherwood.
This petite but valuable nature reserve has recently benefitted from a massive makeover, with new fencing, trees, nest boxes, benches and a new information panel. With both trees and grassy areas, it is a good place to go to sit and watch the garden birds and the butterflies flitting around, on a spring or summer day.
Sherwood Methodist Church Quiet Garden
This garden was inspired by the quiet spaces offered by churches in the City of London. It is a small landscaped garden just off the Mansfield Rd. The church is an Eco congregation and in this spirit, the plants have been chosen to attract pollinating insects well as to be pleasing to the senses. There is a labyrinth, and mosaics developed over the last few years. We have been pleased to share the space for activities during Sherwood Art week. From 2 to 4pm there will be art activities in the garden. There will be drinks and refreshments, as well as accessible toilet facilities available at this venue