As soon as we arrived at Chanticleer, Bill Thomas Executive Director and Head Gardener, gave us a quick tour around the garden. It was apparent before long that we needed more than a day to fully appreciate this garden.
The placement of every plant, path, blade of grass felt like it had been considered. Pots, borders, beds were perfectly composed. When you have such a heightened awareness of everything, any imperfection or flaws stands out. But one has to give the gardeners merit for their bravery to take risks, play and experiment, as it was obvious from the offset that this wasn't your average garden, rare cultivars, unusual plant combinations, creativity and high artisanship was strongly prevalent as soon as you walk through the entrance.
It's a pleasure garden but I was surprised to hear that it was also a demonstration garden, showing what people have or can do in their own gardens but demonstrated at the highest level of course. Even if visitors didn't have such high skill sets, I thought that maybe they could still be encouraged to be more imaginative and use a wider range of plants and different techniques, like their examples of different things you can do with a lawn. Or if they have money, get help to create more interesting gardens.
The house and gardens belonged to the Rosengartens, and are modest compared to some of the grand estates we have seen so far. The garden has been gardened like this since 1990. There are 7 gardeners in total and uniquely they design and create their own sections, but overseen by Bill, to keep the unity of the garden as a whole. Whilst we were there, there was construction going on to build a elevated walkway because the garden has different contours and levels, some areas being quite steep. As well as making areas more accessible to disabled people, you can't help but feel that they would be doing it their own way and making it into an interesting feature.
As well as the garden they had craftsmanship in their furniture and hard landscaping, with their own facilities and resources, many things were made in-house.
Some things were clever, the dead form of Matteucia struthiopteris were selectively left as markers for the lawn can be mowed up to, as well at the same time giving a visual effect.
One of the pathways possible was threading through Pieris japonica in Minder Woods (looking like they have been pruned so the flowers faced and arched perfectly onto the path), giving a veiled view which then feels like it suddenly reveals and comes out to an impressive ruin, where everything inside was so manicured that things could be lifted and put straight into a slick magazine. It was the first time we had seen a snake bark maple espaliered against a wall. I was surprised that the ruin was not shabby, and it made me think that one thing the British can do well, is being able to poise that line and balance between something that's well cultivated and rough around the edges, which can give a space feeling and character. This is also a garden which even if you don't like elements of it you can still admire the quality and skill put into it.
My personal favourite sections were the Gravel garden and Asian Woods.
There were amazing fluffly banks of Equisetum sp. around the creek that ran through on the edge of the Asian Woodland, which made me wondered if it had already been growing there and that they had chosen to work with it or if they had been purposely planted.
It showed me that a garden can have a plant collection and look good. There were so many curiosities in this section - Cyprimedium japonica, Calanthe takane, rare Arisaema and Trillium cultivars, which were cleverly presented, so that they didn't get lost in that lush green understorey (e.g. planting rarities close or creeping them over the edge of the path, subtly defined and protected by a low bamboo fence).
I was very excited to see the Cutting Garden of my friend and very talented lady Emma Senuik, who I met whilst I was training. This time of year it was packed full with tulips and had different ground cover that she was playing with. I particularly like the Lamprocapnos spectabilis 'Gold Heart' which seem to glow like rivers of sunlight flowing through the bed even when it was in shadow.
We also had the opportunity to work with the different gardeners. I was put with Dan Benarcik, who looks after the front entrance and Teacup Garden. We helped him trim back a Salix sachalinensis 'Sunshine'.
As well as using interesting and unusual varieties, they placed well known familiar plants in different context. A good example were these Acer negundo 'Kelly's Gold' in pots, a Canadian visitor commented that how back at home these were weeds but seen like this made him appreciate them differently.
There are many more things I can say about this garden and more pictures that I can share, but I don't have enough time whilst we are on this trip. But I would like to end the post with this cheery picture of their native Aquilegia canadensis, Phlox divaricata and Mysotis, a combination not so readily found in Britain, but reminds me that we've got to use what we've got best.
Maggie Tran. Chanticleer, Wayne. 10/5/2015