News from Great Dixter

Matthew Padbury, the first recipient of the Adam Greathead Award, shares his experiences of the past six months spent at Great Dixter, East Sussex, the garden of the late Christopher Lloyd, now under the stewardship of Fergus Garrett. This followed on from six months spent working in John’s Garden at Ashwood Nurseries , the beautiful garden of nursery owner John Massey, where he was taught the practical skills of garden maintenance as well as being introduced to a rich diversity of plants, including Ashwood’s speciality crops.

Excerpts from Matthew’s diary:

Matthew outside Great Dixter’s famous front entrance.

I feel extremely privileged to have been given the first Adam Greathead Award. My time at Ashwood was amazing, getting to work with the legend John Massey, as well as Head Gardener Nigel Hopes and the rest of the team, was a joy. If you would like to read more about my experience at Ashwood please see my Diary.

I started at Great Dixter at the end of July.  I remember looking out of my living room window when I first arrived and seeing the view across the nursery with the Great House in the background, it felt completely surreal that I was here! 

Long Border

I have been given the responsibility of sweeping, deadheading and generally keeping an eye on the long border. I check this every morning and carry out any jobs as necessary. It’s a constant editing process, the bed is looked at and any brown material is removed that is detracting from the overall picture, but it is about a balance,  for example some of the browns, like the seed heads of Verbascum, are left to add structure and extend interest. It’s been very interesting to learn about how the border evolves and the ‘Planting Pockets’ which change throughout the year so that it’s always looking at its best. 

Meadows

Cutting the meadows…

I have been involved with cutting the meadows. For this we use a piece of machinery called a Tracmaster which is a powered scythe, we work up and down in a straight line and then collect the cuttings in ton bags. Depending on the area that has been cut and the species diversity within that, determines what happens to it; some is composted, some is strewn (spread in another area to distribute seed) and some is given away as a donation.

It has been particularly interesting to learn about how the soil quality can affect a meadow for example if an area is too high in nutrients this will encourage grass to dominate, which in turn will weaken and reduce the species we want to flourish. A few weeks after cutting, you can already see seedlings starting to germinate which is very exciting!

Hedges and Topiary

In the last couple of weeks, we have been cutting the 100-year-old yew hedges, this was a scary prospect at first but, once I had the feeling for it. I really began to enjoy it. Each section of the hedge is truly unique and has a lot of character. The yew is cut tightly so that it provides a strong structure in the garden into winter. 

My favourite thing to prune was one of the famous topiary peacocks, I have learnt really useful techniques that can be used to ensure that the cut is as sharp as possible.

Plant Fair

Trimming the yew hedge…

The Autumn Plant Fair was a very enjoyable weekend. My main duty was helping out with car parking but I also had plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere and talk with people from a range of different nurseries who all share a love of plants.

I, along with other students and staff members, helped Fergus prepare Venison for the Saturday evening. The meat was seasoned, apples and cranberry were added and wrapped in bacon and then finally it was parcelled up in banana leaves that were harvested from the Exotic Garden. It was then cooked for hours in a pit. It was delicious and this experience is something that will stay with me for a long time.

Glasshouses

Now the weather is starting to cool down I have been tasked with preparing three of the glasshouses and moving tender plants inside for the winter. This gives me scope to build up my knowledge of tropical plants, a group in which I have a real interest. Some plants which I have moved in there recently have been an amazing specimen of Geranium maderense, Cupressus cashmeriana, Echiums and Hedychiums, just to name a few. I will have to keep a close eye on the weather and water accordingly as you do not want plants soaking wet in cold conditions because it can cause issues. 

Planting

Moving tender plants into the glasshouses

When I first started, there was a planting opportunity in the Blue Garden which I got involved with. This was great fun and we used a range of unusual and structural conifers to make a real foliage statement. I think the finished article looks great. 

Another area of the garden needed the season extending, the plants in the bed had gone over, the seed heads still providing interest but it needed something more. It was decided that Salvia ‘Yvonne’s Giant’ should be drifted through the border to add an intense pop of colour.

Opportunities that have arisen

During my time at Dixter, I have had the opportunity to visit a number of different gardens and meet both owners and gardeners. I recently travelled to France to visit Le Jardin Plume with some of the other students, which was a great success. The Autumn garden blew me away and I was amazed by the amount of pollinators.

Plans for the future

After my time at Great Dixter, I hope to spend some time working in Japan and exploring the native Flora and then after that continue to build my knowledge as much as I can. 

Interested in applying for the Adam Greathead Award?

The Adam Greathead Award is a unique opportunity, sponsored in part by the Ashwood Charitable Trust, for an aspiring horticulturalist to spend twelve months working and learning in two renowned gardens John’s Garden at Ashwood Nurseries and Great Dixter in East Sussex.

For more information, including APPLICATION FORM, please read more