In pictures: TV’s Gardeners’ World comes to Audley End House and Gardens
A touch of horticultural glamour came to the region as the BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, in association with English Heritage, was held at Audley End House and Gardens, near Saffron Walden, from last Friday (September 1) to Sunday (September 3).
Gardeners’ World presenters Frances Tophill (Friday), Arit Anderson (Saturday) and Adam Frost (Sunday) all shared seasonal gardening tips with the Gardeners’ World Magazine team at the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Stage.
The fair, which received around 18,000 attendees, also included creative designs and autumn colour, offering visitors ideas to try at home.
A Cambridge contribution came in the form of Downing College’s head gardener Jack Sharp and his team who designed ‘Rest to Follow Your Path’, a wellbeing garden highlighting the importance of gardens as supportive spaces for positive mental and physical health. The woodwork on the piece was built by members of the Phoenix Trust, a charity based in Milton.
The garden, which won a platinum award in the Showcase category, will now be rebuilt at the college towards the end of the year and will become a permanent feature at the college for the students to enjoy.
Jack, who felt the whole thing had been a great experience for the college’s gardens team, said: “The garden contains elements of Downing College’s tranquil rose garden, where students escape to study and reflect.
“Snapshots of the bright tropical border illustrate how a beautiful space can make us smile, expand our minds and strengthen our relationship with the wider world. The need for a system of mutual support to thrive and achieve wellness is reinforced by the presence of bees.”
On the creation of the show garden, he continued: “It has been a privilege to watch the team grow in confidence and knowledge while promoting Downing’s new student wellbeing centre – I am fortunate to have such a strong and enthusiastic team.
“I’d like to thank the Phoenix Trust, Cats Protection and Eco Beehive Ltd for generously supporting the show garden.
“The striking pagoda, the Downing cat and the beehive were all appreciated by everyone who visited the show garden and the craftsmanship was outstanding.”
Jack was understandably pleased at winning an award. He said: “The platinum award is the highest you can achieve.
“Each garden is judged against a set of criteria, such as overall impression, design and planting. The grade you are awarded is dependent on how well you have met the criteria.”
[Read more: Open Garden scheme offering a bumper weekend around Cambridgeshire, Cambridge garden nominated for BBC magazine award]
Also from Cambridge, award-winning dahlia grower Kim O’Brien’s ‘Life-Force Garden’ was inspired by water moving through hollow dahlia stems, signifying the similarities between plant systems and the human body.
