Those who know me, know I don’t travel.
And those who know me, know that there are very few gardens in Britain which I admire. But here is a garden we travelled from South Wales to Scotland to visit. (That’s 359 miles, which is a very long way in the UK) And I’m pleased to report that we were both thoroughly delighted. Amazing.
We were visiting Broadwoodside, https://broadwoodside.com/ which is not far from Edinburgh. Two good friends who know quality in gardens had recommended it and the makers of the garden, Anna and Robert Dalrymple, were kind enough to permit us a visit: they open to the general public once a year, and by appointment.
And despite that sky, it didn’t rain on us. (Charles’s photo. Thanks, Charles, for several of the pics.)
Above is a glimpse of the house, from the perambulation round the outside. Now, I’m not sure I’d recommend that perambulation, especially if there was a deluge the day before. There are interesting bits, but it was a long muddy way.
An interesting bit.
And this is the context, which makes you grateful that the interesting bit drew your attention.
On a less muddy day and in want of exercise, you may love perambulating and seeing the other interesting bits.
Here is another interesting bit, just in case you never get there:
I was really just wanting to get back to where we started, to visit the best bits all over again.
What was good?
Arriving:
For me the Broadwoodside pleasure is in the dramatic, pleasing simplicity with countless additional delightful details. The ideal in garden design.
If you’d like explanations and the history, please read the account, and the 1001 magazine and newspaper articles about it, on the website.
And you’ll also find regular updates on Instagram.
Meanwhile just enjoy this play on greens and shapes, and little splashes of colour. It is, as it has to be, given the nature of this part, maintained immaculately, mostly by the dedicated gardener, Guy Donaldson, who we were lucky enough to meet. A man who rises to the challenges, loves his job and the garden.
In this courtyard, tidily enclosed by beautiful buildings, there’s a loggia, providing shelter and pleasures.
And an ominous message:
Patterson Webster was understandably inspired to steal this quote for her own garden.
Which is fair enough, as Robert Dalrymple is also such a garden thief:
He says this aviary for the parrot is copied from Arabella Lennox-Boyd’s fruit cages at Ascott House, Buckinghamshire.
Delightful details:
It’s a lie. That is not a Walnut. All these trees are cheerfully mislabelled.
You could miss him.
The blue stand makes this vignette for me.
Each square is different but all are green.
This shamed me: showing how to put some pots together. Again there’s simplicity, coherence with contrast, and brilliant choices of the plants.
Then through to the next courtyard:
Though we weren’t so fond of the arrangement in the middle. The simplicity has been lost?
There’s this, in another part – a better big pot? Simplicity again.
And good gate in the background.
How about this for commitment? (And the ivy, of course.)
Above you see an example of the satisfying, delightful planting. Robert says ‘The planting seems to work best when the idea behind it is immediately apparent; where a limited palette of plants is repeated en masse.‘ And, of course, he is right.
Ferns crop up everywhere, simple pleasure.
Through to the next part:
and:
A Reflecting Pool! And not the too often murky grey water.
There is lots more, but this is especially great:
The drama of this long long planting is hard to capture in a photograph. Closer it looks like this:
Wonderful. A delight.
So, for those of you who may never have the joy of a visit to Broadwoodside, what is there for you?
Well:
Here is Robert, with weed, reading to Charles, and sounding embarrassingly as if he’s quoting me, though he had no idea or intention of doing that. He’s just – spot on. (This is enormously reassuring) He says, in the leaflet about Broadwoodside that visitors receive: ‘What no-one seems to tell you is that gardening is really really difficult. To get a group of plants to give a pleasing display over successive seasons, and from one year to the next, is a demanding skill.…… No wonder, in the sort of gardens you see illustrated in glossy magazines, that the role of the garden designer has gained such traction in recent years. By definition, experts can do it better. However it is widely perceived that the most interesting and atmospheric gardens are the most personal ones. And personal means DIY.’ See what Tim Richardson has to say about this – here.
Most garden tours in the UK visit dead people’s gardens, widely revered as the best. But Broadwoodside has made its way on to that visiting list. How many more such brilliant, personal and contemporary gardens are there? Made and being made right now, by the maker? If you know of more, please let me know.
I think Robert Dalrymple feels a little in the shadow and influence of Little Sparta, which is not far from Broadwoodside. But Broadwoodside tops it aesthetically and in the accessibility of the words and ideas. If you had to choose to see one or the other, visit the live person’s garden. (Here is Tim Richardson on Little Sparta.)
Why is Broadwoodside so good? Clearly it is well gardened. And it has been designed by a graphic designer, as the maker of another brilliant UK garden, Ridler’s Garden, (sadly, no longer open) was. I believe that kind of background helps. And I think it may help if the maker dislikes gardening, as Robert Dalrymple acknowledges he does. You are less likely to get distracted by collecting plants and wanting to faff around with them.
There are also three influences – I’m not sure what the gardener, Guy Donaldson contributes to the design, but inevitably he must. And I understand that Anna Dalrymple adds the touch which helps to undermine potential rigidities.
The garden is full of fun, ideas, surprises, little treats for the mind and eye. Simplicity and detail. Most of all, it is beautiful.
Here is our tribute/theft. At Broadwoodside:
And now, at Veddw:
Yes.
Richardson, Pavord and Kingsbury love Broadwoodside, but a positive review carries more weight when Wareham weighs in. I’m a little biased. Thank you for the walk around.
I avoided reading that lot, so you simply got us, nudged into visiting by our friends. No magazine or newspaper sent us to write a ‘lovely garden’ piece. So you are biased in quite the right way.
While ‘designed’ gardens are lovely I find they lack soul. Every once in a while DYI people like Robert create magic. Thanks for the glorious tour. I’m glad the famous Scottish rain held off.
We were lucky – and you are so right.
A great review from Anne Wareham instantly puts a garden on my bucket list. But isn’t it true that some of those “dead people’s gardens” were originally DIY?
Many were, but I’m told it’s impossible to keep making and maintaining a garden when you’re dead. I guess I’ll find out about that one day?
But not TOO soon, I hope!
Ha! Me too!
Thank you for this. I’ve been mulling over ‘personal gardens’ – how they are the ones that really enchant, and how they take years and years to come into being. The late Frank Cabot’s Quatre Vents and ‘Marnas Garden’, Anne Spirn’s documentary about the life-long garden of Sven-Ingvar Anderson come to mind, but their makers are dead. As far as “brilliant, personal, and contemporary” gardens being made now by the maker: other than yours and Charles’, and Dan Pearson’s and Huw Morgan’s (which is still in the becoming), and other Garden Rant writers, the ones I know of are our own personal gardens, mine at least not grand or brilliant, but where we see what others don’t – their future selves.
And it is hard work.
It is hard, and the UK is full of dead people’s gardens and institutional gardens. People do enjoy going to see the plants though.
This was just lovely, the photos, the commentary. Thank you!
Thank you for telling me you enjoyed it.
Thank you for the fabulous tour! And Charles !
“And I think it may help if the maker dislikes gardening, as Robert Dalrymple acknowledges he does. You are less likely to get distracted by collecting plants and wanting to faff around with them. ”
I loved this sentence! So true! Have never heard the expression “faff around” but I intend to use it a
lot now. I fall into the category of the gardener who has to faff around with plants and find it hard to resist a species I don’t have, so I buy it and stuff it in somewhere…which is why my garden is a hodge-podge, but certainly personal! And it pleases me – most of the time. I always enjoy your articles — more, please!
Well, I confess I am a bit of a faffer myself. Thanks for this!
This garden looks like a combination of rigidity and playfulness, and it works. Thanks for the tour, Anne, and the beautiful photos, Charles.
I’m in love with the yellow building! I’d love to know more about what that style is called, and if it was added on later, even though it looks like it’s been there almost as long as the rest of the house.
You might find the answer on their website?
An excellent and generous review. Just for a little sense of balance and to reflect that though fabulous it wasn’t perfect the things that I didn’t think good were:
The planting around the Reflecting Pool – far too tall and vigorous and so missing the point somewhat of the pool.
The central long bed opposite the long crocosmia bed ( Robert D was open that he knew it was a fail)
The arbour with a pot in the middle not far from here. Fails in design, planting and purpose.
The roses stuck in the meadow by the hornbeam avenue. Awful . Can’t they see that?
Wabi Sabi eh!
Anne, thank you for this excellent review of an outstanding garden.
I’ve visited Broadwoodside twice and it is one of my favourites, combining fine design and plantsmanship with art and humour that appeal to me. I particularly appreciate the way colour is used throughout. But for me the best part is the use of words to make emotional, intellectual and humorous links that take the garden beyond its own garden boundaries, connecting it to a world of memories, personal and non.
I’ve reviewed or mentioned the garden almost a dozen times in my own website (www.glenvillaartgarden.com) and I’d happily visit a dozen times more, virtually or in person. It is definitely a garden in the top ranks.
Find me some more in the UK!?