Nettlestead Place in September splendour
Above: Elegant magnolia grandiflora bloom
Above: The russet tones of the maple echo the weathered tiles of the historic manor house
Above: Layers of green foliage by the sunken pond blend into the countryside beyond
Above: Placing massed plantings of perennials and grasses in large islands allows you to wander around the beds
Above: A froth of molinia, salvias and verbena
Above: Towering miscanthus combined with rudbeckias
Above: Spires of miscanthus
Above: Dense blooms of sunny helenium
Above: Golden rudbeckias and candy-pink echinaceas
As you first glimpse Nettlestead Place, you are immediately drawn into its sense of heritage. The site itself is ancient, it borders a prehistoric trackway and the atmospheric manor house was listed in the Domesday Book. In the 1920s the medieval house, with its adjacent Saxon church, was refurbished and enlarged. At the same time, the structure of the gardens was laid out, including a large sunken pond and formal rose garden.
The gardens stretch out from behind the house, on different levels, with beautiful views of the surrounding farmland in the picturesque valley of the River Medway. During and after the Second World War, as with many large estates, the gardens fell into a state of decline.
Catalyst for change
Another detrimental episode was the hurricane of 1987, when 46 mature trees were lost. This, however, became the catalyst for change. “This was a challenge. It was decided to take the gardens seriously, and since 1988 the gardens have been both redeveloped and greatly extended,” explain owners Annabel and Roy Tucker.When the couple arrived in 1977 to the property, the garden was rather run down. To the south there was a large orchard but, unfortunately, many of the apple trees were diseased.
After the hurricane, with more focus placed on the garden, Roy decided to take the opportunity to remove the orchard and extend the garden, more than doubling it in size.
“I had always been interested in land and nature and, with the help of head gardeners, Ted Shepherd and, more recently, Norman Edgar, we designed it ourselves,” he explains.
The first step was planting a native woodland at the farthest end, creating more hedges and taking the opportunity to develop new island beds. Today, the 10-acre garden offers a wide selection of plants in different areas, all sitting well
in the landscape and blending with the mellow tones of the architecture.
In September, shades of green are mixed with tawny russets, muted crimsons and transparent parchments. Sinuous movement from swaying grasses and late-season perennials contrasts with a backdrop of evergreen hedges,
trees and shrubs.
From the church lawn, with its high protective wall, you pass borders of tender plants before entering the rose garden. Shrub, musk, tea and floribunda roses are at their peak in June, filling the air with wafts of scent. Lavender edges
the beds and a lime tree creates a focal point in the centre of the formal arrangement. To the south of the rose
garden is an understated evergreen garden with camellias, pines and oaks.
Take time to enjoy the views of Nettlestead Place reflected in the large pond, especially the foliage of an acer on the turn, echoing the tones of the roof tiles. You can walk around the water’s edge admiring the different aspects
and the diverse plantings of phormiums, hostas and salix.
Island bed design
Other areas of interest include terraces of alpines, island beds, a pinetum and a collection of acers. At its exuberant peak is the herbaceous garden, with large clumps of textural plants within a hedged framework. “The beds are planted in an island bed design, giving a chance to wander among the plants rather than along a straight edge,” explains Roy.
Towering miscanthus catch in the slightest breeze, their feathery seedheads backlit by soft sunlight. Purple heads of cynara and echinops, golden rudbeckias, candy-pink echinacea and massed dusty sedum flowers
form an interwoven tapestry.
The relaxed, dreamy quality of late summer as it turns to autumn is particularly atmospheric when surrounded by such an array of plants. “It is important to have late-season interest, especially from the grasses and perennials,” says Roy.
“I like a slightly wild look and am more interested in the form of the plant, rather than the flowers.”
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