Master Gardener

Head Gardener Edward Flint near the start of his guided tour of the garden at Tidebrook Manor, between Wadhurst and Mayfield in the Sussex Weald, open this afternoon under the National Gardens Scheme.

The evolution of the garden here over the past ten years is largely the result of Edward's skill and vision, and the result - like his tour this afternoon - is a real tour de force of contemporary garden design.

My 'Extras' today are an attempt to capture the essence of the garden, in both its 'formal' and 'informal' aspects: along with a close up of an Allium head in the small vegetable patch as a companion piece to my photograph of a head of Chives yesterday!

The house (not open to the public) has, in its time, been owned by Sir Rex Harrison, Sir Michael Tippett (Edward Flint reckons that the woodland part of the garden inspired his creation of The Midsummer Marriage, which he wrote while living here!) and, more recently, the former ITN Newscaster Reginald 'Reggie' Bosanquet.

A visit to Tidebrook when it opens to the public again on 15th September this year is highly recommended, as is the optional tour with Edward Flint that day (as today) at 1:00pm.