West Dean Gardens

[JennieAtkinson]

I have just spent a long weekend at West Dean College, West Sussex which is set within a 4000 acre garden.

The arboretum walk and designed formal gardens were wonderful particularly in the freezing temperatures. The square cut box was fascinating to look at when covered with a heavy frost.

But my favourite place even though there was not much growing at the moment was the walled kitchen garden - WOW! I went there every morning for a brisk walk before breakfast. The cardooms were looking pretty impressive (can you grow them from seed?) even at this time of the year and the forcing pots for the rhubarb and sea kale looked fantastic covered with the frost. Small areas had been mulched with a fairly chunky looking farmyard manure and it was interesting reading the labels for the growing areas. I wasn't sure whether these were labels for last year's growth or what was going to be grown this year. It was the first time I had seen a kitchen garden (other than my own!). I was fascinated by the fruit espaliers growing on the south facing walls and the way in which apple trees had been forced to grow up a round frame.

I am now trying to find an excuse to visit in the summer!

If you have a chance to visit I would certainly recommend it.

[shirley]

Yes it is beautiful. They do a selection of garden open days in the summer concentrating on herbs, chilli, tomatos and apples. It is a great day out. The chilli fest is very busy and they have several people exhibiting. I could spend loads....and have in the past.

During the apple affair as they call it the walnut trees are just dropping their nuts at the back of the walled garden.

Doesn't it make you wish for a walled garden

[flowerofshona]

I am hoping to go to there chilli and tomato fiestas this year !! been wanting to go for about 5 years and never made it !
Its nice to know its worth the journey

[JennieAtkinson]

I am sure you will enjoy it flowerofshona. Be sure to tell us about it when you get back!

[shirley]

make sure you take plenty of cash....you will be tempted

[Flummery]

I can recommend a visit to the Helmsley Walled Garden in N Yorks. It's being restored and is coming on VERY NICELY. The garden was, I believe, the kitchen garden for the adjacent Duncombe Park - stately home - and grew the fruit, veg and flowers for the Big House. It's now run by one and a half staff and a load of volunteers. They started with the big stuff, fruit trees round the walls, long borders of flowers and perennial borders. They are now making raised beds for veg and have restored the orangery - they are growing asparagus at the moment in the pineapple pits but who knows? Whenever we go up there (we have a friend in the town) we visit and love to see the progress.

[jeannine]

Jennie, PM me your address and I'll ping you some seed from my cardoons - I'll have a look and see if there is a slip I can put in a jiffy bag as that might be a quicker way to grow them.

Visiting a walled kitchen garden has to be pretty high on my list of ideal ways to spend a weekend. Imagine having one of your own!

[JennieAtkinson]

Thank you Jeanine thats very kind. They looked such super plants. Any idea how well they would grow this far north? and are there any special requirements for soil, shelter etc.

[jeannine]

Wow! Only just realised how far north you are - I'm guessing they'd want a sheltered spot and free-draining soil - but I don't think they're as tender as artichokes. On my old lottie the cardoon I planted was 6ft tall in two years, and I've got them growing in my new garden too and have never have to bother with mulching or protecting them, but it might be different in the Shetlands!!!

I haven't got round to blanching and eating the stems yet, but the plants look fab and they are great for wildlife - it's lovely to see birds gathering the hairy seeds for their nests.