GARDENS
Green Inspiration
WORDS by Rosemary FitzGerald PHOTOS by Martyn Rix & the writer
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The chapter heading for ‘The Soil’ quotes the poet Alexander Pope:
Sir Edward explains what plants from special habitats, for instance rocks or woodland, really need. He describes how the basics – water, light and nutrients – are utilised; how temperature affects growth; how plants reproduce. Any photographic illustrations are dim by modern standards, but it’s mostly illustrated with beautiful line drawings by Gwendy Caroe, and has charming quotations at the head of each chapter. It’s one of those books which change one’s life, often by clarifying unformulated knowledge – many gardeners must have moments of seeing something clearly explained which they know from their own experience without realising it?
These are the perfect key words for a fascinating garden hidden in the steep little valleys between Rose Ash and South Molton. Martyn Rix is an extremely distinguished botanist, currently editor of the superbly-illustrated Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, founded in 1787, which is still produced under the auspices of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. As well as holding this prestigious position, Martyn writes prolifically. Probably best known is his series of
early a century ago, in 1935, the great ecologist and botanist Sir Edward (E.J.) Salisbury published a book called The Living Garden. It’s about the science of gardens as living organisms rather than man-made artefacts, and, though serious, with no concessions to dumbing down, it is still enthralling and enlightening on a subject which we treat too casually as we reach for pest controls, lawn scarifiers, black plastic sheeting, chemical fertilisers, rooting powders and countless other gardening aids which we take for granted without knowing how they affect our garden world.
Where grows? Where grows it not? If vain our toil we ought to blame the culture not the soil…
garden books with Roger Phillips’ photographs. Bulbs (1989), Early Perennials (1991), Late Perennials (1991) and Shrubs (1994) are always the reference books closest to my desk, with the two Conservatory volumes (1997) next in line. These books are the most inspirational gardener’s companions imaginable, with the illustrations giving thumbnail essential information to enable growing as well as desiring the plants. Martyn was friends with another West Country hero, Kenneth Ashburner, plant collector and king of the birches (many still visible and available at Stone Lane Gardens, Chagford). After Mr Ashburner's death in 2010, Martyn edited his fine book,
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