It is an honour for me to be invited to write a
forward for this magnificent new book of Alain Le Toquin pictures.
Particularly so since I have spent my life as a gardener on a
domestic scale, rather than as a student of world-famous historic
gardens. That is not to say that any of us modern gardeners cannot
be influenced by the myriad ideas illustrated here of combining
plants with man-made features. Whatever the size of the garden, it
is the contrast of shapes, textures and forms, which make a
satisfactory picture. This may be achieved, as in truly great
gardens, by the use of imposing architectural features, combined
with clipped trees and shrubs as well as freestyle planting, to echo
or soften man-made shapes. Initially there was neither the money nor
inclination to introduce hard landscaping into my garden. I still
have only a minimum of structures, but rely on good foliage plants
to act as architectural features.
Alain comes into a garden as the artist behind the
lens. His eye picks out aspects, details, combinations that you may
never have noticed before. I am indebted to him for some of the most
sensitive pictures of my garden that he has taken over a number of
years. Yet in most ways it is the antithesis of the great gardens
that have survived over generations, and that are illustrated here.
My garden began in 1960. It began from a wilderness,
just wasteland, unfit for farming. It consisted mostly of areas of
dry gravel soil leading down to a boggy hollow, fed by springs.
Combined with the lowest annual rainfall in England, 20 inches – 50
cms (10 inches in summer and, 10 inches in winter) it appeared an
unlikely site for a conventional garden. But my late husband, Andrew
Chatto and I hoped to convert these problem areas into advantages.
His life-long study was researching the natural homes of garden
plants; not merely where they came from but the conditions, - the
soil, aspect, rainfall and associations. Another important influence
came from our friend the famous painter, the late Sir Cedric Morris
whose garden, an hour’s drive from here, consisting of species bulbs
and plants was legendary, at a time when mainly cultivars were
considered proper garden plants. The work of these two men has
inspired and influenced my entire approach to making a garden, by
using predominately species plants, and selecting plants adapted by
nature to survive and thrive in what may appear to be impossible
situations; such as too hot and dry, too dry and shady, ill drained
and soggy.
The third and perhaps surprising influence came from
the founding of Flower Arranging Clubs in England, in the mid
1950’s. There I was first introduced to the Japanese Golden Rule,
the Earth, Heaven, Man triangle, which taught me to value shapes,
foliage and form more than colour.
Gardening is a constant source of wonder. It can be
found in the simplest of ways. As a small child, about 5 years old,
I had my first intimate awareness of plant life. In a glass jam-pot,
lined with moist, pink, blotting paper, was put a large seed of the
Broad Bean. I can still recall the wonder of watching daily as the
first white roots emerged, followed by the palest green leaves. It
was magical. Today, after many years of propagation I still feel the
same elation as I lift out a newly rooted cutting or find that some
difficult seed has germinated.
Gardening gives us the opportunity to be creative,
unlike almost any other activity, even excluding music and painting,
both of which rank with gardening as perhaps the most civilised
thing left to do in our competitive world.
Increasingly it seems to
me that the time of large, private gardens open to a discerning
public may be hard to maintain, due to the cost of upkeep and the
need
to find plant minded, trained gardeners, who are able to cherish
them. Corporation run parks and gardens, as well as historic gardens
supported by charities will continue since they are the lungs of
many conurbations as well as providing space and freedom for all
kinds of healthy activities. Sadly, modern domestic architecture
reduces the area for a garden to little more than a few square
yards, sometimes less! Small wonder the interest in window boxes,
hanging baskets and pot gardens has spread like wild fire.
Since the last war there has been a tremendous
increase in the variety of plants, trees and shrubs newly introduced
and made available in garden centres, as well as in nurseries. Many
of these will continue to be cherished in average sized domestic
gardens where true plant lovers will always be found.
Many years ago, in New York, I was taken to see small
patches of land that had lain derelict while towering skyscrapers of
apartments had been built around them. I was told that a variety of
races and classes lived in these dwellings, which looked down onto
this enclosed space. At some stage, independently, a few of the
residents began to take over this waste-land. Initially they grew
mostly food crops, beans, tomatoes, peppers and salads. Soon flowers
were introduced, tall sunflowers and gay annuals. It seems those
first efforts drew down other residents, (intrigued by seeing the
bare land blossom), who also became involved in the caring and
nurturing. In the beginning the Horticultural Society helped with
the cost of tools and seed, and as the project developed they
organised shows and other events to enable these spontaneous gardens
to encourage the feeling of good neighbourliness.
Around the world multi-storey buildings can be made
to provide conditions suitable for the maintenance of sky-high
gardens complete with full-grown trees and shrubs, while roof tiles
are being replaced with a wide variety of cover plants. At present,
all these examples enhance the environment, but since irrigation is
inevitably a necessity, what will happen when the water supply dries
up, when we cannot afford to waste water on what could be considered
a luxury. Already this is happening in areas affected by year-long
droughts, where much loved green lawns cannot be maintained. In the
not so distant future water will be more precious than oil! We need
to be prepared to give up some of our present ideas of what makes a
garden. Then surely we must seek plants adapted by nature to survive
long periods without regular rainwater. Global warming may mean that
areas now affected by freezing temperatures in winter may become
frost-free. Then we could consider tender succulents, which are
adapted to survive drought.
Increasingly the art and craft of gardening is being
acknowledged as a beneficial therapy for promoting good health as
well as being a means of helping the disabled and deprived. Those of
us who are well, after only a few days kept indoors by bad weather,
have only to step outside into the garden, however small, to gulp
down energizing breaths of cool, fresh air, to feel our spirits rise
and turn thankfully to even the most mundane task. Various charity
associations, schools, even prisons are providing opportunities for
the blind, physically handicapped, those suffering from depression
or mental illness, enabling them to lose themselves for a while in
the joy of handling and caring for living plants. It is an
opportunity to be outside in fresh air and sunlight, in touch with
the good earth. The garden whether large or small is there all the
year round, helping us come to accept not only the seasonal cycle of
the year, but the cycle of our own lives.
Gardening enables us to look forward. Just the
thought of the first snowdrops carries us through the dark days of
winter, which can still stir us with the beauty of low sunlight
falling on comforting evergreen, vividly coloured stems, or the
black and white tracery of bare branches outlined with hoar frost.
Whether we grow only vegetables for food, or rare
plants for the pleasure of possessing them, we are following an
instinct to create beauty as well as preserve life. It comforts me
to remember the Chinese proverb. “If a man has two coins, with one
he buys a loaf, with the other he buys a narcissus”!!
Beth Chatto, 2009
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Beth Chatto Gardens, Essex, UK