Uppark garden and countryside

Summer skips by; it’s August already and there’s an autumn feel in the air. In the surrounding fields the harvest is well underway.

This is the view at the end of the South drive. A mature beech tree growing too close to a power line was recently removed. Beech trees don’t respond particularly well to severe pruning. That’s what was required here to ensure there was adequate clearance between the tree and power line. Compliance cutting is carried out by the utility company in this area every four years, in my time here, the frequency of power failures has dropped significantly; it can’t be a coincidence. The regrowth on the beech tree would have been regularly pruned as part of this compliance cutting regime. I considered this to be an unsatisfactory way of managing this tree so the decision to remove the tree and open up the view was taken.

Above: The newly created view from the end of the South drive. Take a moment to admire as you leave Uppark.

The head gardener position I hold here is frequently described by colleagues as “more of a ranger role” in truth I’m not sure what to make of this. I have such admiration for my ranger colleagues within the National Trust, but would never describe myself as a ranger. The depth of knowledge required for such a role is extensive and I think I’m only scratching the surface; I’m a gardener first, with a keen interest in trees and the natural environment. The woodland at Uppark holds a fascination for me and I feel the woodland margins, especially the areas that border the visitor car park are really benefiting from the approach we’re taking. Hedges are being layed by the garden team and the dark, oppressive, arboreal landscape is gradually being thinned, creating new habitats for both wildlife and wildflowers.

Below: Completion of a successful day of compliance cutting on 7 July 2015.

Garden

 

Above: The Wednesday garden and countryside team.

We’re making great progress in the garden, the newly opened cutting garden has been drawing much comment and admiration.

Below: Gypsophilla ‘Covent Garden’ flourishing in the cutting garden.

Credit here goes to Jenny and the highly creative cut flower team she’s assembled. At the weekend, I decided to work near the cut flower garden to see how much interest there was in this new area. There was a steady flow of visitors keen to see this lovely collection of flowering plants.

Above: An impromptu bunch of flowers from the cutting garden.

Last weekend, the South meadow was transformed into a “flying arena”, local bird of prey experts Hawking About put on a fabulous flying demonstration, it was great to see so many people utterly enthralled by this mesmerising avian display and skilful handling. My favourite quote from the weekend came from head falconer Kevin as the peregrine falcon banked around Uppark House at terrific speed:

Mind the windows!

I’m so pleased the house manager Sarah wasn’t in that day! If you missed the opportunity to see the falconry displays, Hawking About are at Hinton Ampner on Sunday (16/8) as part of their Tudor sports day.

Above: Image courtesy of Clare Seaman Photography

The last word has to go to the countryside. We’ve been making posts for a new dead hedge in the West copse in the South meadow (above). We’d like to turn this area into a natural play area and the new installation is shaping up well. If you do visit this area – please don’t move the hosepipe! We’re using this to mark the lines of the dead hedge.

Gardeners…we’re recruiting!

 

Above: Grasshopper on Achillea ‘Fanal’

 Would you like to join the garden team as a gardener?

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Uppark garden team as a full-time (grade 9) gardener. The vacancy is live on the National Trust jobs website from 20 July until 3 August (IRC26464 – Gardener). Interviews will be taking place at Uppark House and Garden on 10 August.

Above: Hemerocallis ‘Summer Wine’ near the scented garden.

In preparation I thought I’d ask the garden team what they feel are the necessary skills, experience and attributes for the role:

Sam (left):

Very diverse – the variety of tasks is a good thing.

Alan (above right):

Versatile and adaptable, able to take on a variety of different roles. They’ll need a wide range of skills; land and asset management, people resources, bit of everything really!

Liz (below):

As volunteers, we need the gardener to have the experience and enthusiasm to be able to support and inspire us in the wide range of tasks we do. And effective teamwork is at the heart of making volunteering rewarding – it’s the way to get the best out of us!

Rae Mc (below):

Team working, sense of humour, adaptability, willingness to work in all weathers, ability to laugh at corny jokes (head gardener’s!) ability to remain calm in the middle of winter when your lunch (limp sandwich) doesn’t quite match up to a delicious smelling lovely stew/soup being warmed up in the microwave.

Rae C

Ability to think on their feet, to be able to prioritise the important tasks. Creative in terms of events – as in the gardening, organised!

Judy (below):

A love of plants and a desire to learn more, a willingness to do a variety of tasks.

Joy (below left):

Adaptable, flexible, good people and communication skills, sense of humour, energetic and good decision making skills.

David (below right):

Relevant recognised formal qualifications or at least an ongoing or future commitment to formal training. Fundamental grasp of plant nomenclature and naming structure. Previous experience as a gardener or as a professional/volunteer assistant gardener or gardener at a recognised nursery, college, National Trust, Royal Horticultural Society or other place.

Strong work ethic and commitment to potentially erratic and/or unsociable hours. Willing to go the extra mile (apologies for the cliche!).

Outgoing personality and the strong inter-personal skills required to relate to National Trust colleagues, volunteer team and visitors.

Curiosity and willingness to learn, display knowledge of, interest in and research into the National Trust in general and Uppark House and Garden in particular within application and at any subsequent interview.

Empathetic approach to and understanding of the position and value of National Trust volunteers.

Understanding of the National Trust team ethic.

So there you go….if you’d like more information email: uppark@nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01730 825415

Get outside and closer to nature…

As we approach the New Year and thoughts of New Year’s resolutions – could yours be “Get outside and closer to nature?” This tale might just inspire you to do so…

He was a real country man, and taught son Bertie lots about nature, how to catch fish, walks by the river… a quiet and gentle man. his wife was the worrier.

Author Tessa Boase on Joseph Wells, talking about his relationship with his son Bertie also known as H.G. Wells who spent some of his childhood at Uppark. Joseph’s wife and Bertie’s mother, Sarah Wells served as housekeeper at Uppark for twelve years from 1880.

From Tessa Boase’s book a housekeeper’s tale:

Joe’s years on his own had not been spent entirely unhappily. At Atlas House ‘My father camped, so to speak, amidst its disorder very comfortably,’ wrote HG Wells. ‘He cooked very well, far better than my mother had ever done.’ On moving close to Uppark he gave up all pretence at work and was kept by his wife, who he would see for the occasional afternoon tea, overnight stay in her rooms or walk in the woods. Mrs Wells felt both guilty and exasperated.

‘JW left after breakfast he sounded sadly depressed.’

‘Sent JW £1-00 being the last. What will they do when I am gone’

From Tessa’s research:

Joseph Wells was under-gardener at Uppark in 1853 and this is the year Sarah neé Neal joined the household as Fanny Bullock’s lady’s maid. With their engagement announced in 1857, they both left Uppark. Joseph found it very hard to get work elsewhere. He had a spell at Trentham Hall in Staffordshire but he was a rather feckless man, going from one thing to another. For a while he tried his hand as a market gardener, then bought an ailing chinaware shop off a cousin in Bromley, which never really took off.

More from Tessa’s book:

Joseph Wells worked as a haphazard market gardener then as a shopkeeper and china salesman, but above all he was a cricketer. He was an extraordinarily fast round-arm bowler, and he played for the West Kent Club and the County of Kent, travelling the country each summer and earning what he could, bowling on village greens under scudding clouds and blue skies. The indoors life of his wife stood in stark contrast to his own. ‘Busy preparing the children’s winter clothes,’ she would write in her diary. ‘I feel I cannot work fast enough.’ Or, ‘Char woman ill, had all my work to do myself – very tired – oh how hard I work, others have servants.’

On 26 June 1862 Joseph Wells made history when he bowled out four Sussex batsmen in successive balls. It turned him into something of a local celebrity. People visited his china shop in Bromley just to see this bowling legend in the flesh. Working in the background was Sarah Wells, long resigned to never learning French, never owning a silk dress or being waited on by a maid while genteelly entertaining relations in the front room. There was no front room: it was given over to the shop.

Cricket in the South meadow – grab a cricket set and keep the Uppark cricket tradition going.

Uppark House and Garden opens for the new season on 7 March 2015.

Thanks to Tessa Boase for her research, her book a housekeeper’s tale is widely available in bookshops or online.

Fancy joining the garden team at Uppark House and Garden?

Do you fancy becoming a gardener at Uppark House and Garden?

If so click here and apply – the deadline is 15/6/12 so hurry!

You can also join the garden team as a volunteer gardener if so e-mail me at

andy.lewis@nationaltrust.org.uk

Either way I look forward to hearing from you.