insideKENT Magazine Issue 110 - June 2021 | Page 157

What ’ s your favourite part of the garden ?
Is it a cliché to say all of it ? The gardens are divided into 11 individual rooms , but the reason they are fantastic and the reason they are significant is because of each other . They work and flow from one another so it ’ s hard to pinpoint a favourite area when doing so would leave out the gardens that paved the way for it .
What ’ s your least favourite part of the garden and how would you change it ?
There ’ s nowhere that hasn ’ t been planted with consideration for how it interacts with the rest of the garden . It ’ s not my garden to change , my job is to ensure the garden ’ s longevity and to make suggestions that help that purpose .
What ’ s the best time of year for visitors to see the garden ?
It really depends on what our visitors are interested in ! If it ’ s structure , the autumn is a fantastic time as you can easily see how the garden walls were designed and laid out . If it ’ s seasonal blooms we have a huge variety of plants and trees that flower throughout the year , including the blossom , tulips and wildflowers in the spring , thousands of roses and the 100-metre peony border in the early summer , the herbaceous borders and flag garden in late summer to autumn , and lots of golden tones and crisp reds just before we close for the season .
Do you have a favourite plant / tree ?
If I ’ m forced to choose , it would be the roses but I can ’ t be more specific than that ! There ’ s a huge collection of varieties here at Penshurst Place and I think every member of staff probably has a favourite one . When they all bloom , they provide such a sight for our visitors , with great differences in size , colour and texture across the 11 garden rooms .
What ’ s your favourite season in the garden ?
Definitely spring , not only are the spring blooms a real pleasure , but they also herald the arrival of more colour in the summer . As soon as the spring flowers bloom , the rest of the garden begins to wake up .
What is your favourite spring / summer plant ?
The spring to early summer brings blossom to the garden – first the cherry , then the pear , and finally the apple . Then nearly as soon as the last petal drops , the peony border blooms with four varieties of beautiful pink peony . Once that border has bloomed , you know it won ’ t be long until the herbaceous borders and the rose beds burst into colour .
What ’ s your biggest achievement as a gardener ?
Despite working in the cold climate of Northern Ireland , I still managed to cultivate pineapples in our greenhouse ! More professionally speaking , it ’ s my work with people – I ’ ve been lucky enough to hold positions where training was a large part of my role and to date have trained over 25 people in horticulture .
What ’ s the one plant / tree everyone should have in their garden ?
An iris – they don ’ t seem to be all that common but they ’ re a really great flower for year-round colour as there ’ s usually a variety that blooms in each month of the year .
Penshurst Place is open in line with Government restrictions . Visit www . penshurstplace . com for more information .
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