Westbrooke House Joanne and Bryan

A large, locally forged arbour makes a fitting centrepiece for the Victorian walled garden at Westbrooke House.

Modern ANTIQUITY

Joanne and Bryan Drew bought Westbrooke House in Leicestershire having fallen for its neglected Victorian walled garden. Their sensitive restoration has added a contemporary touch

A formal arrangement of beds radiates from a central arbour, brimming with tulips, honesty and euphorbia, offset by hefty yew columns.

Few spectacles in the gardening south-facing walled garden was part of six acres calendar are as dramatic as the sight of that surround Westbrooke House, a late Victorian myriad tulips caressed by the slanting property built in 1887 on the outskirts of Market sunbeams that pierce the crisp first Harborough, and backing onto undulating arable light of a spring dawn. It is a dazzling land. “After lengthy discussions with the previous vision that unfolds annually in the walled garden at owners, we purchased the house – but primarily for Westbrooke House, when thousands of shimmering the walled garden,” she explains. tulips stand proud in colour-themed beds amid blue The walled garden had long been a grass tennis camassias, pink honesty and acid-green euphorbia. court, but over time the lawn had worn out and

“Planning our annual tulip display is my favourite attempts at putting in box hedging and planting task of the year,” explains owner Joanne Drew. borders were not very successful. The Drews “Every August, I spend a day sifting through a determined to restore it as a Victorian-style cutbulb catalogue, envisaging the different colour flower garden, with beds contained in period ropecombinations.” Planting the bulbs throughout the twist edging or low box hedges. “I wanted a design 30 beds and borders that comprise the walled that was in sympathy with the era of the house,” garden’s flower parterre lasts from November’s first Joanne maintains. Local garden designer Rebecca frosts until nigh-on Christmas Day. “With such a Winship suggested a formal arrangement focused high-maintenance garden as ours, you settle into on a circular arbour at the centre, which delighted a reassuring rhythm of doing the routine tasks for Joanne: “I loved the idea of a big circle in the middle, each season,” says Joanne. surrounded by curving paths and beds,” she says.

One of those tasks involves sorting the 9,000 bulbs By spring 2014, the intricate tracery of beds was into labelled baskets – one per bed according to her marked out on the ground and the beds dug and ground plan – ready to plant out. “In each bed we filled with imported top soil and compost. A metal plant between four to six different, mid- to late- arbour was commissioned from a local blacksmith, flowering varieties that will blend well together,” George James & Sons, and placed in the centre. “It Joanne explains. “The display is intended to peak was very exciting going out each day, and seeing how for our NGS opening; we love sharing the garden.” it was evolving,” Joanne recalls. “For permanent It falls to Joanne and her part-time structure, there are eight great yew gardener, Juliet Douglas, to then work Below Bryan and Joanne columns. They were bought at this systematically, one bed at a time, Drew in the walled garden they’ve restored size, and it took two men to inch each lifting, dividing and moving perennials over a decade at their one into position.” where necessary, in preparation for Leicestershire home. Hundreds of knee-high box plants planting the tulips. “We were positioned along make a good team. Juliet the perimeter of the digs the holes, and I beds and borders, while follow, dropping in the Bourbon and Gallica bulbs,” adds Joanne. roses were established

Faced with spring’s among perennials such fabulous array, it is as monarda, achillea, hard to picture the astrantia, thalictrum, scene almost a decade sea hollies, delphiniums ago when Joanne and and phlox. Finally, in late her husband Bryan, autumn, the tulips were a property developer, planted. “I love the depth first set eyes on the of colour that you find three-quarters-of-an- with tulips. Even when acre walled Victorian they are in bud, there are garden. “It was for sale still tinges of colour,” as a building plot with notes Joanne. planning permission, The tulips’ companion but it had such a special planting is key, providing feel that we fell in love fresh new growth for with it as a garden,” a textured backdrop. recalls Joanne, a dance “I find honesty is most teacher and examiner useful as it self-seeds who increasingly juggles everywhere, and simply her career with her pops up between the love of gardening. The tulips,” says Joanne.

Rope-twist edging is perfectly in keeping with the property’s era, while low hedges of box bring a fitting formality.

Mediterranean spurge is another wondrous plant, forming great outcrops at key axes between the borders. “Last year, I cut back 200 spent flowerheads from one plant,” she marvels. Drifts of tulips negotiate mounds of herbaceous peonies, angelica and shrub roses, while perennials such as aquilegias, geums and centaurea flower in tandem.

Inside the main doorway are four square beds with obelisks for clematis in which clumps of blue camassias and nectaroscordum mingle among tulips such as dusky ‘Ronaldo’, pinkish ‘Blushing Girl’ and ‘Shirley’. Joanne not only combines the colours, but also the different tulip forms, such as parrots with singles, or multi-flowered with doubles. “Pink ‘Cummins’ with deep-plum ‘Gorilla’, both fringed tulips, works rather well,” she muses.

In the first year the bulbs were left in the ground, but some rotted away while those remaining were smaller and not so prolific. “Now we always lift the bulbs, planting some out in the meadow, and last

Top To the east of the house, a contemporary garden takes its turn to supply colour in summer. Above Lunaria annua or purple honesty, makes a superb tulip partner. Right Joanne ties in clematis with part-time gardener Juliet Douglas.

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year we donated them to our local gold club for a border behind the putting green.” Once the tulips are lifted, dahlias take their place, and any gaps in the planting are filled with perennials and annuals that Joanne grows from seed: “Seeing the greenhouses packed with seeds and seedlings is a great joy to me – it puts a smile on my face.”

A doorway on the northern wall leads to a fruit and vegetable parterre laid out in a series of square raised beds overlooked by a greenhouse. In the central area are large, oak-framed cloches, built by a local cabinet maker, for brassicas and salads, plus a broad strawberry bed and a fruit cage. “It’s very productive and functional,” points out Joanne.

From the kitchen garden, a doorway leads to a natural lily pond, edged with hostas, ferns and Japanese maples. Nearby stands a huge weeping willow, dawn redwood, Ginkgo biloba and, under the kitchen window, an Acer davidii. “We are blessed with some magnificent mature trees – those near the house have tree preservation orders,” Joanne observes. The drive is flanked by giant

Top Next to the entrance, four square beds feature obelisks for clematis, and camassias with the tulips. Above A euphorbiaflanked doorway frames the fruit and vegetable parterre beyond. Left Limes and giant redwoods line the drive.

Above Bespoke oak redwoods alternating cloches protect crops in with lime trees. the kitchen garden with a Victorian-style It is no surprise to greenhouse from Alitex learn that Joanne’s and espaliered fruit. parents were keen gardeners. “My dad focused on vegetables, while my mum loved fl owers.” Previously, she and Bryan had a half-acre garden, but even there Joanne ran a greenhouse and developed a love of propagating which, with so many beds now to fi ll, is invaluable. “I’ve learned as I’ve gone along – you can’t beat hands-on experience.” While she masterminds the planting, it is Bryan who cares for the lawns, maintains the water features and prunes countless metres of box hedging. “Then Juliet prunes all the rose bushes and fruit trees,” says Joanne. “She has been involved from the outset, and we’ve worked together on every project.”

Once the walled garden was established, Joanne and Bryan looked at the lower garden, wedged between the house and a small river that marks the boundary. Twin perennial borders are inspired by the Great Broad Walk at Kew, and beyond them lie modern features such as a slate water feature and rill. “Although the borders were planted in 2016, they’ve fi lled out surprisingly quickly,” notes Joanne.

These features add a very di erent dimension to this traditional garden, bringing it fi rmly into the 21st century. And, a project that started out simply as a yearning to restore a Victorian walled garden has taken on a life of its own. “The garden is now so important to us,” says Joanne. “I’m out there most days. In fact, I plan more what’s happening in the garden than in the house, but then it was the garden that brought us here in the fi rst place.” ■

Westbrooke House, 52 Scotland Road, Little Bowden, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 8AX. Opens for the National Garden Scheme on 25 April and 20 June (10.30am to 5pm) by prior booking, but check ngs.org.uk for updates.

NOTEBOOK Old & New

Timeless accessories are carefully chosen to match this Victorian walled garden’s heritage and to complement its beautiful planting

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1 The hand-forged central arbour in the walled garden incorporates designs copied from pargeting on the house, with additional motifs such as English roses and twisting clematis. 2 A cistern panel lead fountain by Redfi elds English Leadwork adds the soothing sound of water. 3 Nicknamed ‘Sid the Stag’, this life-sized, bronze-fi nish sculpture stands in the shade of a mature copper beech. 4 Height is added in the walled garden with a screen of pleached crab apples, Malus ‘Evereste’.

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