A sprawling nursery garden in the Essex countryside
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A sprawling nursery garden in the Essex countryside
Rolling out towards the Essex countryside, the garden alongside Long House Plants offers a beautiful foretaste of how its plants will mature. Words John Hoyland, photographs Annaick Guitteny.
Just a mile or so from the traffic of the M25, near the picturesque village of Noak Hill, nurseryman Tim Carter has created a garden that sits in the rolling landscape of fields and copses, with layers of plants melding seamlessly into the meadows of the family farm. Tim has long been growing, collecting and selling plants and 14 years ago he set up Long House Plants, named after a converted heavy horse stable, and began working on the garden.
The land had been used to graze cattle for decades so he spent five years clearing it, before he began making borders for his wide-ranging collection of shrubs, grasses and herbaceous perennials. “The most important function of this garden is to provide propagation material for the nursery – but that doesn’t mean I can’t lay it out with an eye to making a beautiful space,” says Tim. A series of winding paths circle back on themselves to form beds that are filled with different cultivars of the same plant. The shape of the beds and the route of the paths have been designed looking from the house across to the fields. “I can’t see the paths because they go diagonally across and they are hidden by the planting.” The effect is to create layers of planting that roll out towards the countryside in waves. Discover more about the garden and plants below.
The garden in brief
What A garden alongside a nursery. Where Essex. Soil Slightly acidic clay. Size One and a half acres. Climate The county has lower than average rainfall. Hardinesszone USDA 9
16 key plants from Long House Plants
Setaria macrostachya A grass with millet-like panicles that are fresh green when young, and mature to a dull copper colour. Drought tolerant, it grows best in full sun. Except in very mild areas, it is best treated as an annual. 50cm. RHS H3
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Lachsglut’ The intense pink flowers are similar to the cultivar ‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’, but with strong stems that make it a striking plant during the early autumn when it is in flower. 1.5m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.
Panicum virgatum ‘Red Cloud’ An upright grass that grows to 1.2m tall and is best in soil that does not dry out. ‘Red Cloud’ is a cultivar with russet leaves in the autumn and a froth of tiny rust-coloured flowers. 1.5m. RHS H4.
Symphyotrichum ‘Ann Leys’ The flowers resemble a green pompom with a plum centre. Originally bred for the cut-flower market, this unusual aster is becoming popular with gardeners. 75cm. RHS H4, USDA 4a-8b
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’ A dwarf variety of aster that makes a mound of bright-purple flowers in September and October. On cloudy days the flowers close up but reopen as soon as the sun appears. 60cm. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b
Kalimeris incisa ‘Madiva’ A tough and undemanding herbaceous perennial that is smothered in daisy-like flowers from June through to September. Although it will grow in dappled shade it flowers most profusely in full sun. 50cm. RHS H7.
Hesperantha coccinea ‘Cindy Towe’ A relatively recent introduction, this is a strong-growing cultivar with glowing scarlet flowers that many growers consider to be the brightest of the genus. To retain their vigour, hesperanthas are best divided every three or four years. 65cm. RHS H4, USDA 7a-9b.
Hesperantha coccinea ‘Mrs Hegarty’ An Irish cultivar that has a reputation for blooming into November in mild autumns. Like all hesperanthas the flowers provide a contrast to the usual russet and gold tones of autumn. 50cm. RHS H4, USDA 7a-9b.
Hesperantha coccinea ‘Jennifer’ The clear pink, open flowers have helped make this cultivar one of the most popular hesperanthas. It flowers in September and October and needs plenty of moisture in summer. 50cm. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 7a-9b.
Fuchsia ‘Grayrigg’ A deciduous, long-flowering hardy shrub, with flowers that have pale-pink sepals and pale mauve corolla. Prefers full sun or part-shade. 1.2m. RHS H4.
Hesperantha coccinea ‘Major’ A vigorous and floriferous cultivar with willowy stems and slim buds that open to flowers that are about 5cm wide. Few plants have flowers of such a pure red as these. 60cm. AGM*. RHS H4, USDA 7a-9b.
Symphyotrichum ‘Sunhelene’ A recently introduced hybrid that forms a dome of blue-mauve flowers that open from grey buds. It is reputedly far less susceptible to mildew than other asters. 60-90cm. USDA 4a-8b.
In the garden of Long House Plants nursery cultivars of the same genus are grouped to allow easy comparison. Groups of New England asters and forms of Miscanthus sinensis seem to roll out towards the surrounding meadows and woodlands.
Winding paths that circle back on themselves allow Tim to create beds that are filled with a range of cultivars of the same genus. In early autumn a patchwork of colourful sedums and low growing grasses spill over the paths.
Tim has designed the garden with paths of differing widths. Where the paths are more expansive it is possible to step back and see the plants growing in a garden setting and enjoy the landscape beyond.
Since the age of 12 I’ve been totally immersed in plants. I love looking over this garden and the fields around us. It feels a privilege to do this job.
In the foreground a hardy bamboo that reaches only one metre tall, Pleioblastus viridistriatus, grows against the giant leaves of Gunnera manicata. On the opposite side of the path is a collection of Hesperantha. Formerly known as Schizostylis, this is a South African plant that produces colourful flowers late in the year.
Useful information
Address Long House Plants, Church Road, Noak Hill, Romford, Essex RM4 1LD, 01708 371719, longhouse-plants.co.uk
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Open The nursery is open March to September, Friday to Saturday and Bank Holidays, 10am-5pm; Sundays, 10am-4pm, and by appointment. Tim also opens his garden on selected dates throughout the year, see website for details.
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