Barum, Open Garden

<body bgcolor="#E7F8AD"> <h1 align="center">Barum, a Garden open for the National Garden Scheme</h1> <hr> <h2><a name="top">Contents</a> </h2> <menu> <li><a href="#welc"><font color="#0000FF"><strong><u>Welcome to our Garden</u></strong></font></a></li> <li><a href="#envir"><font color="#0000FF"><strong><u>The Garden Environment</u></strong></font></a></li> <li><a href="#garden"><font color="#0000FF"><strong><u>The Garden</u></strong></font></a></li> <li><a href="#opens"><font color="#0000FF"><strong><u>Openings for the N.G.S.</u></strong></font></a></li> <li><a href="#ngs"><font color="#0000FF"><strong><u>The National Garden Scheme</u></strong></font></a></li> </menu> <hr> <p> </p> <h2><a name="welc">Welcome to our Garden</a></h2> <table border="0"> <tr> <td><img src="MandR_360.jpg" width="360" height="264"></td> <td><p>We are Marian and Roger Peacock. BARUM is our house and garden in Clevedon, a small town in North Somerset, UK, 15miles west of Bristol, on the Severn Estuary.</p> <p>The garden is our hobby, so we open up the garden in support of the National Garden Scheme (see <a href="#opens">Openings for the N.G.S.</a> for openings).</p> </td> </tr> </table> <p><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></p> <hr> <h2><a name="envir">The Garden Environment</a></h2> <p>The garden is at the top of a hill, slightly sloping towards the South-East, and away from the Bristol Channel. This provides a naturally mild site.</p> <h3>The Climate</h3> <p>The naturally clement maritime site is enhanced further by 8ft beech hedges, providing an unusually mild micro-climate. The lowest temperature during the last 7 years is -7�C.</p> <p>It can be very windy, also the rainfall is high in this part of the country.</p> <h3>The Soil</h3> <p>This is shallow overlaying limestone bedrock and very light. Many wheelbarrow loads of compost and leaf-mould have been dug in each year to try to preserve moisture; farmyard manure is not an option as the dogs roll in it as a coat conditioner, and use it to supplement their diet.</p> <p>You would expect the soil would be alkaline, but as we are on top of a hill the Calcium salts tend to leech away - the pH is neutral at the top and increases down the slope.</p> <h5><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></h5> <hr> <h2><a name="garden">The Garden</a></h2> <p>The garden is about one third of an acre in size. We moved here in 1991, when the garden had not been touched for 4 years, and 10 years towards the bottom. By hacking our way through the overgrowth, we discovered several plants that must have been there since 1939, when the house was built.</p> <p>These include a 15ft Acer palmatum, a Sophora, a Hibiscus syriacus that has sent up some shoots from below the graft so it is part double ('Comte de Flandres') and part single.</p> <p>The resultant garden has separate sections (NOT "rooms" - these are for eating, sitting, sleeping and drinking gin with people that need to be impressed - not for enjoying a creative hobby that involves a fair amount of hard work with the occasional gin and tonic):-</p> <ul> <li>A lawned area with large borders and beds, terminated by an arch and trellis;</li> <li>A set of beds separated by stone paths, which allow the many plants to be viewed from all aspects;</li> <li>The Under Gardeners section where he is pleased to provide the Head Gardener with kitchen produce in accordance with Her extreme demands;</li> <li>A fruit cage, and an area that is a bit wild, where He is sneakily planting his choices, without managerial permission.</li> </ul> <p><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></p> <h3>Plants of interest in the Garden</h3> <p>The garden contains a wide variety of trees, shrubs, climbers and herbaceous plants, most of which are recognisable to even the Under Gardener. However, the Head Gardener has made full use of the mild environment to include unusual and tender plants from many parts of the world, particularly South Africa, South America, Australia and New Zealand.</p> <p>Here are a few of our favourites:-</p> <p><strong>Trees and Shrubs</strong>:- Acacia dealbata, Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' (now planted in the garden), Arbutus inuedo (strawberry tree), Azara, Callistemon citrinus (bottlebrush), Cornus (alternifolia and controversa), Crinodendron hookerianum, Lavatera maritima, Nandina domestica, Neillia thibetica, Romneya (tree poppy), Styrax japonica. There are inevitably several roses, but the soil is too thin and well drained for them to do well.</p> <p><strong>Climbers</strong>:- Clematis (mainly vitifolium), Dregea sinensis (fantastically scented), Actinidia deliciosa (Kiwi - under threat id it doesn't fruit soon), Lonicera (more scent), Trachelospernum (variegated form).</p> <p><strong>Architectural </strong>(odd sticky-up-in-the-air):- Bamboos, Cordylines, Dicksonia antarctica, Phormiums(phormia?), Grasses (several types), Trachycarpus fortunei, and Yuccas.</p> <p><strong>Other plants</strong>:- Echeveria; In pots:- Agaves, Furcraea, Aeoniums, Musa and Ensetes.</p> <table border="0"> <tr> <td><img src="Fountbed_320.jpg" width="320" height="240"></td> <td><img src="To_Boat_th.JPG" width="360" height="270"></td> </tr> </table> <p>The <strong>vegetable patch</strong> is reviewed annually for cost-effectiveness. In 2000 it only just passed the strict criteria set for this section - mainly due to the whole carrot crop being scoffed one night by a badger.</p> <p>In 2001 the following mouthwatering selection is being offered for Her table:-</p> <ul type="disc"> <li>Aubergine F1 'Moneymaker' - they worked well last year in a col-frame with the top removed once they were too large).</li> <li>Beans (Dwarf, and 2 varieties of Runner - 'Scarlet Emperor' and 'Painted Lady');</li> <li>Brassicas (Broccoli, Brussels and Summer Cabbage);</li> <li>Carrot 'Nantes' early type - these have been sown between the garlic and onions in the hope of defying the badger;</li> <li>Chard (Ruby and Bright Lights) - very colourful and tasty;</li> <li>Cucumber (ridge type out of doors);</li> <li>Garlic, sown in Autumn - these usually produce a better crop, but this year look pretty rusty owing to the wet winter;</li> <li>Leek 'Musselburgh';</li> <li>Lettuce (loose leaf types as they seem to defy the slugs and snails);</li> <li>Onions (Autumn only - they are ready before the soil dries out causing stress and mildew, demanding daily watering);</li> <li>Peas 'Sugar Snap';</li> <li>Potatoes 'Foremost' and 'Charlotte';</li> <li>Sweet corn 'Early Xtra Sweet';</li> <li>Tomatoes (in green house).</li> <li>Other crops are sneaked in when the Boss isn't looking. </li> <li>Tagetes are littered around, as they provide colour and help to deter white and carrot fly.</li> </ul> <p>We built a willow arch 3 years ago, to support peas and cucumber - the peas grow to 8ft in this garden despite the packet stating 4ft. The arch has been destroyed by the winds this last Autumn, so a replacement made from pressure treated timber has been constructed.</p> <h5><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></h5> <hr> <h2><a name="opens">Openings for the National Garden Scheme</a></h2> <h3>Dates for 2001</h3> <p>Visitors are always welcome by appointment. Our open days are the following</p> <p><strong>Sundays:- May 6th, July 1st, July 29th and August 19th.</strong></p> <p>Times are: 2:00 to 5:30pm on each day.</p> <p>Directions can be found under:</p> <p><strong>Barum</strong>, </p> <p>in the <strong>Bristol and South Gloucestershire</strong> section.of the </p> <p>'<strong>Yellow Book</strong>' (published by the N.G.S.).</p> <p>Entrance is �1.50 (children free). </p> <p>No dogs please, it isn't fair on ours which have to be locked indoors during open hours..</p> <p><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></p> <h3>Plants for sale</h3> <p>Some plants are for sale when we open. They have been produced either from seed, or propogated from suttings from lpants in the garden.</p> <h5><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></h5> <hr> <h2><a name="ngs">The National Garden Scheme</a></h2> <p>This charity administers the opening of many thousands of private gardens throughout the UK in support of many charities.</p> <p>For more information, visit their Web site at:</p> <p><a href="http://www.ngs.org.uk/">http://www.ngs.org.uk/</a> </p> <h5><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></h5> <hr> <h5>Last revised: July 20, 2001.</h5> </body>