Kevin Line is a Horticulturist/Plantsman, contributing to restore the garden at Swarthmoor Hall. In this blog, he tells us about the new plantings he has done and how they will make a beautiful addition to the Swarthmoor Hall garden.
The restoration of the Swarthmoor Hall garden
New life is starting to breath back into the garden at Swarthmoor Hall as we start to restore the garden in readiness for spring/summer 2024. Lavandula angustifolia Hidcote has been planted in the borders in the front of the 16th Century House. Hidcote Lavender is highly scented comprising plump violet /blue flower spikes complimented with grey/ green aromatic foliage. The next significant project to be undertaken at the front of this charming and unique 16th century Hall is to reinstate the Box hedge ( Buxus sempervirens ) lining either side of the path leading up to the Hall.
The bulbs of Allium unifolium that were planted will be planted further within the border to create an interesting spring display to compliment the Buxus hedge next year, around late spring and early summer. The creeping Thyme : Thymus serpyllum that lines the edges of the path will take up residence in the kitchen garden, and the Buxus will be planted along the vacated space.
The Aquilegia, perennial in the image is absolutely stunning, it grows amidst the array of interesting planting combinations in the Quiet garden which is immediately behind Swarthmoor Hall. This one in question looks like one of the forms of Aquilegia : Early bird.
At the time of writing this first blog, various projects are underway, and I will be sharing those with you in due course each month.
A little bit more about Kevin
Kevin has worked for the National Trust, BBC Gardeners World, Head Gardener in the Cotswolds, and currently Head Gardener/Plantsman at the Lakeside Garden, in Cumbria. Kevin is also a freelance Plantsman for the Field Studies Council.
He is a member of a number of Horticulturally related Societies & Trusts, including the Gardens Trust (formerly Garden History Society ), the Butterfly Conservation, RSPB, and Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
Kevin writes for the specialist Horticultural journals, including the RHS Plant Review, ( formally RHS Plantsman ).
