The Art of Architecture - The Art of the Garden on Sky Arts

 Episode 1   Dan Pearson - Lowther Castle, Cumbria

I should have known Dan Pearson from his landscaping at King's Cross and Coal Drops Yard. But I didn't. That goes for all the garden designers in this series. Lowther Castle has been abandoned since 1957, everything has gone except for the castle walls. The gardens were let go after 1935. Here they are in their heyday when formal manicured gardens like these needed an army of gardeners.

It was the latest heir to the estate, Jim Lowther, who commissioned, and worked in partnership with Dan Pearson to create a sustainable, manageable and naturalistic landscape, bringing in the Lake District in a scaled down form. And to "stop it being a frightening place". The inspiration for Dan Pearson came form his time working in Italy and the gardens of Ninfa near Rome.

We were told about the castle, a neglected picturesque ruin, there was spruce everywhere, "better as a ruin than a house".  But now the remains look wonderful surrounded by the new gardens.

The clearance of the site enabled the designers to put their own imprint on the estate.

The transformation is amazing, "a re-interpretation of the lost gardens for the 21st century". 

Even the courtyard has the style of an Italian piazza, You can sit under umbrellas and enjoy a glass of wine. We saw the new rose garden and a Japanese garden looks down form above. Obviously, we were told a lot about Dan Pearson's other work, notably the landscaping around King's Cross and Coal Drops Yard. There is even a clip of the path I walked down, and the terrace next to the canal. My photos from September 2021.

Episode 2  Arrabella Lennox- Boyd - Gresgarth Hall, Lancashire

Arabella Lennox-Boyd is an international garden designer. Her own garden at Gresgarth Hall near Lancaster is influenced by her Italian roots. It has been developed over 40 years and is open to the public on certain days. A huge woodland surrounds the more formal garden. 

We hear about her horticultural education and a portfolio of eight hundred gardens with which she has been associated. We are shown some spectacular examples such as Kew, Chelsea Physic Garden and

those for English Heritage. Eaton Hall (below) is especially amazing.

The programme goes to Italy to see how the landscape of her childhood influences her work. We see the gardens at Ninfa, an Italian Natural Monument.

Arabella Lennox-Boyd has won six gold medals at Chelsea. In 1998 she won best in show for a contemporary water garden. 

Episode 3  Tom Stuart-Smith - Hepworth Wakefield Gallery Garden 

Surrounded by Victorian multi storey mill buildings and the new gallery dedicated to Barbara Hepworth, Tom Stuart- Smith's garden is situated on waste land with a bust six lane highway as it's neighbour. we are shown how the designer draws and draws everything before he starts on site, The aerial view below demonstrates the layout of formal beds and the snaking paths between. 

I skipped his history and all the other gardens he has designed over thirty years, including eight Chelsea gold medals. 

Along one side is a tall concrete screen that you can just see above at the back to hide and buffer the noise of the traffic. The planting of the beds is superb, especially the yellow achillea and the purple verbena. Excellent.

Episode 4 Tania Compton - Fonthill House, Wiltshire

Fonthill has been transformed from a sad 16th century garden into something modern. The new owners moved in during 2005 and wanted something that needed to respect the original but be easy to maintain.

There were aspects of the old walls and other original features that whilst being preserved, needed a modern update.

The surrounding landscape is particularly beautiful, there are lovely changes in level and different types of soil to contend with.

Compton remarks "I have, unwittingly, changed a lot of people's engagement with nature". This garden is a prime example and not too far away for a visit.

Episode 5 Cleve West - Horatio's Garden, Salisbury

In the grounds of Salisbury District Hospital, next to the spinal injuries unit, is now a garden that patients and carers can enjoy. Cleve West, a winner of six gold medals, has created a landscaped garden from scratch. With two metre wide resin bonded gravel paths and space for families to gather next to an apple arch, we were shown designs of dry stone walls that represent the spine and radiating features.

Horatio was seventeen when he was killed by a polar bear and his parents have been instrumental in in realising his dream of a garden for the spinal injuries unit. And here it is. 

Cleve West is just as happy in his allotment, but the inspiration of this garden in Salisbury has travelled to other hospital units around the country.

Episode 6 James Alexander- Sinclair - Northamptonshire Gardens

This episode showed two gardens designed by RHS Vice President Janes alexander Sinclair. The first was a bare site for new owners Polly and Giles Wilson. So a brand new garden from nothing. Just an old farmyard and fields, a brand new mansion with a view.

There is some spectacular planting around the house (unfortunately not available on the net) but this disappears as you move away with something altogether more natural. There are two lakes created from a stream running through the site and the long winding drive has trees planted either side which in the future will look great.

The other garden in Preston Capes, this time a mature garden for the old rectory next to the church.

Nothing much to say except the idea was to remove the leylandii hedge and add as much colour and excitement as possible.