Flower farmer Charlie Ryrie achieved stunning outcomes in his garden despite reducing his efforts
Garden Owner Bids Farewell to Herfordshire Garden, Welcomes New Adventure
After two decades of nurturing a beautiful garden in Herefordshire, its owner is preparing to move on, passing the torch to renowned gardening expert Joe Swift. The garden, which has been a haven for a variety of wildlife, including voles, shrews, weasels, toads, grass snakes, hedgehogs, and occasional deer, will undergo a new balance.
The owner, who started growing in Herefordshire by planting perennials, foliage, bulbs, and annuals, has watched the garden transform over the years. She dug new beds and removed non-cutting plants and conifers, creating a space that accommodated a variety of flowering plants such as libertia, Iris sibirica, Veronicastrum, Baptisia, foxgloves, poppies, verbascum, clematis, and roses. The Herefordshire light clay soil proved to be accommodating to the variety of plants, offering a rich and fertile ground for growth.
The owner's garden was not just a place of beauty, but also a place of peace and tranquility. The air filled with birdsong, and the owner took time to listen. The first massed tulips and blocks of dancing white corncockles brought her immense joy.
The pandemic led to a news focus on making the garden more sustainable, with the owner sowing yellow rattle beneath the orchard trees to control the growth of grass and promoting biodiversity. The owner's garden was also home to her cut-flower business, which she moved from Herefordshire to the garden.
However, changes were inevitable. The owner moved to warmer, damper Dorset, which forced changes to the garden's palette. The owner spent two years planning a writing school to combine with personal writing after stopping the cut-flower business. Unfortunately, an unexpected eye problem made it difficult for the owner to drive and recognize faces, forcing her to make the difficult decision to leave the garden.
The new owner of the garden is designer Joe Swift, who plans to keep the gardens partly wild but will also sharpen up bits and smarten up the house. The owner hopes the new place will welcome her as readily as the previous one, and she plans to create and maintain wilder areas in the new garden and hopes to write more about gardening.
As the owner prepares to leave, she reflects on the joy and peace the garden has brought her. She remembers the garden as a place where she could connect with nature, listen to birdsong, and watch her plants grow. The garden in question was purchased by the owner after it refused to sell following her mother's death, and it has been a cherished part of her life ever since. The owner leaves the garden with a heavy heart, but she is excited for the new balance that awaits her.
