Comments on: Hyde Hall RHS Garden in Essex

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:13:37 +0000

Architects often seem to do a better job when converting old buildings than when creating new buildings – and I think the same is often true for landscape and garden designers.

By: Marta Ratajszczak

Marta Ratajszczak — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:36:15 +0000

I believe Hyde Hall has great potential – with proper planning it can become a truly beautiful place in the upcoming years. It still needs plenty of design work, and it is much more difficult to re-design an existing garden than designing the area from scratch. Moreover, each designer will have his own views on the way the space should look like. However, given time and commitment, Hyde Hall might develop into a true gem.

By: Marian

Marian — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:52:32 +0000

Yes Tom I agree that you can’t have a good design without a good designer. My criticism of the use of a ‘briefly helicoptered in designer’ was really bemoaning the prevalence of poor, or perhaps lazy design which produces the seried ranks of repeated layouts along a border, when it begins to look like a wallpaper pattern repeat rather than a carefully balanced planting plan. The balanced plan (eg at Dixter) usually comes with more time and tinkering. The RHS advanced horticulture and diploma courses do teach design principles and some history as part of the curriculum, in the same way as a landscape architecture degree teaches some plant knowledge. As you know from my path I believe you need both.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:59:22 +0000

I agree: the planting design at Hyde Hall gets better every year and in my view it is better than the ‘average’ standard in National Trust gardens. But the whole place could be a great deal better than it is if they had a talented garden designer in charge of the project. This is how great gardens were originally made: either by owners who were also designers (like Hidcote) or by owners who were willing to put their trust in a talented designer (like Chatsworth). You can’t have a good design without a good designer – or a good meal without a good chef.

By: Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:54:11 +0000

Yes but the roses at this time of year are marvellous.

My wife is a keen amateur gardener and RHS member. We enjoy our occasional visits to Hyde Hall and see it evolving with the present construction of the new Visitors Centre. RHS Harlow Carr is the lesson to amateurs in garden design – Gardens Through Time – but, to be fair, do these gardens operate at a different level of landscape design to that of the great gardens of the National Trust?

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:01:21 +0000

The alternative to an owner-designer managing a garden is of course to have gardens and parks managed by designers. Unless the owner happens to be a designer, the normal practice is to have the garden managed by the outdoor equivalent of handyman – normally someone from a horticultural background. Of course you need these skills, just as you need a decorator to apply paint and wallpaper to your front room, but to achieve a high quality result you MUST have someone with design judgement and design ability. You might think such a person would cost more, but they are often cheaper – because they know exactly what to do. Similarly, if you want an expert opinion on the law, it is much cheaper to ask a barrister than to ask a general lawyer, I think.

Similarly, all public parks should be run by people with design ability.

By: Marian

Marian — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:48:27 +0000

I couldn’t agree more about owner-designers doing the best work. I visited 7 Kent gardens open for charity last week and could easily spot the ‘briefly helicoptered in designer-designed’ ones with repeat planting along a border followed as a military mantra. The last garden I visited, Boyton Court in Sutton Valence Kent, was a privately owned and privately gardened one – the owners have designed and built it over the last 23 years and have gardened it alone for the last 6. It was refreshing in its variety and inner vibrancy. The borders were balanced but not blandly repetitive. The owners are also glad to share their knowledge and their mistakes, which is a whole different learning experience to the National Trust information boards.

The National Garden Scheme has lots of these wonderful gardens opened by public spirited owners and there is a real public thirst for them. The owners of Boyton Court had nearly 300 visitors on their last open day – with all proceeds to charity.
http://www.ngs.org.uk/