Comments on: highgrove_garden11 http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/2009/10/25/prince-charles-highgrove-postmodern-garden-design/highgrove_garden11/ News and debate from Gardenvisit.com Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:08:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Adam Hodge http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/2009/10/25/prince-charles-highgrove-postmodern-garden-design/highgrove_garden11/comment-page-1/#comment-6075 Adam Hodge Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:40:23 +0000 http://www.gardenvisit.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/highgrove_garden11.jpg#comment-6075 I visited Highgrove this week. It is an intriguing amalgam of HRH's own preferences and interests with an assortment of influences from other,no doubt eminent advisers, most obviously the Bannermans of Hanham Court near Bristol. It is evident HRH loves trees especially Fagus, as there were many interesting varieties throughout the grounds we had access to. He also loves Hosta's as there are areas where they were planted a-plenty ! He also has the task of placing a myriad of well-meaning gifts around the estate such that they sit well in the landscape. To that effect one is aware of a plethora of assorted ornaments throughout. In some instances i.e. a column from a station he,as imaginately recommnended by the Bannermans, has added a fine sculpture of a large bird, wings in full spread. It works ! Amusingly as one advanced around the woods and areas where the Bannermans have had considerable influence I couldnt help being reminmded of Marie Antoinette and her various garden amusements. It seems the Bannermans have a delightfully charming, agressively romantic perspective on gardens such that the various temple-like structures ,stumperies and other fancies pull one into a la la land adrift of today's reality of life. There were many good features all over the gardens , and yet my one abiding sense was that within the expanse he has to play with it was some all somehow rather intense and tight. One wanted to just prize open the avenues to be wider,moderate some of the Yew hedges of the intense and almost excessive ornamentation, broaden the paths and views in the woods, use his passion for ferns as a counterbalance to the Hosta fest's ..perhaps using one or two types of fern as an underplanting of textural background to the substantial leaves of Hostas, to name a few. All in all it was a pleasing garden because of the richness of planting, but I would tend to exercise a margin of restraint when it comes to the shabby chique looks the Bannermans have probably recommneded on some of the paved terraces. Whilst Alchemilla ,Thymus and other plants growing amongst the paving looks relaxed it also errs on looking a mess [and I'm not the tidiest person] . At the end of the day it is his garden, it is managed and developed with a generous wallet and he's been good enough to let us punters look around it. So, Thanks ! I visited Highgrove this week. It is an intriguing amalgam of HRH’s own preferences and interests with an assortment of influences from other,no doubt eminent advisers, most obviously the Bannermans of Hanham Court near Bristol.

It is evident HRH loves trees especially Fagus, as there were many interesting varieties throughout the grounds we had access to. He also loves Hosta’s as there are areas where they were planted a-plenty ! He also has the task of placing a myriad of well-meaning gifts around the estate such that they sit well in the landscape. To that effect one is aware of a plethora of assorted ornaments throughout. In some instances i.e. a column from a station he,as imaginately recommnended by the Bannermans, has added a fine sculpture of a large bird, wings in full spread. It works !

Amusingly as one advanced around the woods and areas where the Bannermans have had considerable influence I couldnt help being reminmded of Marie Antoinette and her various garden amusements. It seems the Bannermans have a delightfully charming, agressively romantic perspective on gardens such that the various temple-like structures ,stumperies and other fancies pull one into a la la land adrift of today’s reality of life.

There were many good features all over the gardens , and yet my one abiding sense was that within the expanse he has to play with it was some all somehow rather intense and tight. One wanted to just prize open the avenues to be wider,moderate some of the Yew hedges of the intense and almost excessive ornamentation, broaden the paths and views in the woods, use his passion for ferns as a counterbalance to the Hosta fest’s ..perhaps using one or two types of fern as an underplanting of textural background to the substantial leaves of Hostas, to name a few.

All in all it was a pleasing garden because of the richness of planting, but I would tend to exercise a margin of restraint when it comes to the shabby chique looks the Bannermans have probably recommneded on some of the paved terraces. Whilst Alchemilla ,Thymus and other plants growing amongst the paving looks relaxed it also errs on looking a mess [and I'm not the tidiest person] .

At the end of the day it is his garden, it is managed and developed with a generous wallet and he’s been good enough to let us punters look around it. So, Thanks !

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