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Shop S Museum Teashop (Miss H’s) Car Park Toilets N Gallery Gift Barn The Old Potting Shed Garden Entrance Amphitheatre Virgin’s Walk Sebbs Garden & Rock Garden Herbaceous Border Island Beds Foliage Border Herbaceous Nursery Alpine Garden Waterlily Canal (Caution Deep Water) Miranda’s Border Arboretum Formal Garden 29 Allotment Garden Cordon Avenue Pear Walk Yew Henge Colour Border Mary Rose Garden Contemporary Border Riverside Walk (Caution Deep Water) Rock Garden Bridge The Cut Boat House Spinney Saxifrage Collection Exit (no wheelchairs) Orange Tree House (Exhibition) Church
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8 Sebbs & Rock Garden
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Contents
Waterperry Gardens
20 Long Walk 27 People at Waterperry Virgins Walk 7
32 Buildings at Waterperry
21 Island Beds
10 River walk
28 Orchards
Herbaceous Border 16
28 30 12
13 33
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35 9
14 Saxifrage Collection
Waterperry House
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12 Formal Garden
Nursery Stockbeds 22
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10 7
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1 6
2 5
Beatrix Havergal 36
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24 Mary Rose Garden
19 Spring Bulbs
26 Canal & Miranda’s Border
Private Areas Water Plant Sales
Coach Park Main Entrance
Designed and Produced by Ziggurat Design email: info@zigguratdesign.co.uk. Photography: Andrew Lawson, Mark Bolton, Angela Marsh/Robert Grocott (Ziggurat) Archive photography: Waterperry Gardens
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Welcome
Waterperry today
Waterperry Gardens stands for friendliness, tranquility, beauty, and horticultural expertise. 4
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Virgin’s Walk The heritage of the horticultural school, run by the redoubtable Beatrix Havergal with her partner Avice Sanders, remains at the core of what we do at Waterperry. Teaching and learning are essential elements, whether through our educational courses or sharing the knowledge of staff with visitors and apprentices. The gardens themselves are evidence of Beatrix’ horticultural virtuosity, in particular the classical herbaceous border. This remains an object of admiration to visitors by virtue of the gardeners’ continuing faithfulness to its original conception. Although the teaching school left its mark on the gardens, these were principally established for educational purposes, including the striking ‘living catalogue’ of herbaceous plants. Yet, since the closure of the school, extensive developments have taken place in the gardens under the auspices of the present owners, far beyond their scope when purchased in 1971. The gardens now occupy 8 acres.
At its best in late spring and early summer, this shady border shows what a wide range of plants you can grow in less sunny areas of the garden. Plants to note include the Judas Tree - Cercis siliquastrum, Hydrangea villosa, Astrantia major ‘Claret’, Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’, Lunaria rediviva, Ferns such as Dryopteris cristata ‘The King’ and Hostas. At the end of the walk is a serene sculpture by Nathan David.
Bernard Saunders and Mary Spiller are responsible for this development through their combination of artistic and horticultural expertise. This has resulted in a number of planted spaces that bring together geometrical and aesthetic principles with brilliant plant selection. The result is an uplifting and often surprising experience for visitors. These elements will remain uppermost in developments that are currently in the design stage and as the gardens continue to develop in the future.
We welcome you to Waterperry Gardens and hope that you will discover the spirit of Waterperry with us.
Julian Hubbersgilt, Managing Director 6
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Left: Tulipa australis, Ajuga and the grey leaved Dianthus. Right: Gentiana septemfida.
Sebbs & Rock Garden Known as Sebbs after Miss Ebbs who originally planted this area with lilies in the 1960s, it’s now a haven for bulbs like Snowdrops, as well as Euphorbias, Hellebores and Geraniums, all nestling under the large Metasequoia glyptostroboides - the fossil tree, Cupressus arizonica and other Conifers. The plant with umberella-like leaves is Petasites japonicus. The rock garden area contains a range of rock plants and shrubs, including Pyracantha ‘Teton’, Thuja plicata ‘Rheingold’, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, Alpine Phlox and Rock Roses. 8
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The River Walk The river in front of you is the Thame, a tributary of the Thames. It’s a wonderful area to spot local wildlife. Fish, otters, swans, badgers and kingfishers have all been observed here over the years. The riverside walk is a haven in high summer, providing a cool and calm refuge from the sun and heat. In spring you’ll find here Snowdrops and Aconites (February), Daffodils, Primroses and Narcissi (March) followed by 10
Fritillaries (April). During Beatrix Havergal’s time at Waterperry it took on a peaceful role as a playground for the students, making the most of their precious time off during the summer. They regularly messed about on the river in Piglet, a rowing boat with its own boathouse, sadly long gone, which was situated just beyond where you see the little stone bridge. Starting from the amphitheatre, look out also for the new riverside trail which links together connecting statements of ancient wisdom. 11
The Formal Garden The Formal Garden was conceived by Bernard Saunders and Mary Spiller in 1986 as a counterpart to the house whose history goes back more than 500 years. The central feature derives from Tudor knot garden designs consisting of a knot of traditional box and a garden containing herbs for medicinal and culinary use, as well as for strewing. Along each side there are plants representing the historical periods of the Waterperry estate from Tudor times through to the present day. The Formal Garden is also home to a magnificent blue and white Wisteria tunnel and a sculpture by Nathan David entitled ‘Girl holding the Lamp of Wisdom’. This area looks lovely all year round, offering visitors a haven of peace and tranquility. This long period of interest is mainly due to the inclusion of the knot hedge which provides backbone and colour throughout the year. Plants of note in this area are Vitis purpurea, Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’, Choisya ternata, Rosa gallica ‘Officinalis’.
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Saxifrage collection The Plant Heritage National Collection of Kabschia Saxifrages is housed at Waterperry. The Saxifrage Garden of today has been enlarged thanks to financial help from the trustees of the Alpine Garden Society and Plant Heritage. It provides a lovely sanctuary for these beautiful plants. Dedicated curator, Adrian Young, has been looking after the collection for many years and organises a Saxifrage event each March when the plants are flowering and looking their best. Rather like Snowdrops, Saxifrages have a huge band of followers who are attracted by their size and compact habit as well as the beautiful flowers. Several are easy to grow, coming from mountainous areas where the cold, wind and rain are just part of everyday life, and they’re a great size for modern gardens where space is often limited.
From top: S. ‘Allendale Charm’ S. ‘Allendale Bravo’ S. ‘Bizourtouse’ S. ‘Sancta’ Far left: S. burseriana ‘Mangart’
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Herbaceous Border Between May and October, Waterperry’s famous herbaceous border fills the eye with its glorious palette of colours covering three distinct periods of flowering. The ingenious planting and aesthetics applied in Beatrix Havergal’s border recognise principles of border design popularised by Gertrude Jekyll several years earlier. Using only herbaceous perennials, Beatrix cleverly designed the planting to maximise the display of colour and form without the aid of shrubs. The first display starts in May and June with Lupins, Anchusa, Geraniums, Pyrethrum and Veronica. As these fade they are hidden by Delphinium, Achillea, Verbascum and Phlox which are cultivated to reach a peak of brilliance on 7th July, Miss Havergal’s birthday. With September comes the third flush of colour from Michaelmas daisies, Goldenrod and Heleniums up until the first frosts in late October or early November.
Left: Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’. 16
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Spring Bulbs
The Pear Orchard The apple and pear trees are a reminder of a time when these gardens were used more for food production, and some are more than 70 years old. The trees now provide a still fruitful screen between different areas of the gardens and are also useful for showing different pruning methods and a wide range of varieties.
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From early spring, areas of the gardens are carpeted with jewel-like flowers that never fail to amaze. In early January come the first of the Crocuses, the Tomasinianus followed by various hybrids. Alongside the river from early February you will find yellow winter Aconites among the drifts of Snowdrops. There are well over 30 Snowdrop varieties in the gardens with new varieties being regularly added. Snowdrop enthusiasts should look out for ‘Primrose Warburg’, ‘Wendy’s Gold’, and ‘Diggory’. Elsewhere at this time you will come across Scillas, followed in March by Irises, Fritillaries in April, and latest of all, Tulips, with Tulipa sprengeri marking the season’s final flourish for spring bulbs. The Fritillary Meadow (pictured) abounds with Snakeshead Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris), the county flower of Oxfordshire. Every April, thousands of these beautiful, delicate flowers make their appearance here and all along the riverside walk. They are allowed to set seed before the meadow is mown, to multiply their numbers. 19
Long Walk
Island Beds
These colour co-ordinated mixed borders make use of perennials, shrubs, bedding and bulbs to give all year round colour and interest. Notable plants here are Callicarpa ‘Profusion’, a collection of Buddleia davidii and Sambucus ‘Black Beauty’. In the silver leaf area you can see Atriplex halimus, Cardoons and Salix argentea. In season Dahlias such as ‘Bloodstone’, ‘Lilactime’ and ‘Bishop of Llandaff ’ and bedding plants Verbena ‘La France’, Tagetes ‘Jolly Jester’ and Rudbeckias add to the riot of colour in these 100m long double borders.
Designed by nurseryman Alan Bloom in 1968, the island beds were an innovation on the traditional idea of herbaceous border, in that the beds are of an informal shape with the planting viewed in the round. It was thought that plants would not grow as tall as those with a walled backdrop, but we have found that there is little difference between open and walled borders in this respect. Bloom was ahead of his time in including grasses in his designs, such as Helictotrichon sempervirens which you will find in these beds. Other plants of interest here are Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, and Asphodeline.
Alpine Garden The enclosed alpine garden shows that raised beds are an ideal way of growing a range of these mountain plants, even in the smallest garden. They require free drainage and hate winter wet and by filling the stone walled beds with a gravelly mixture, we are able to provide perfect conditions. Colourful and interesting all summer, plants such as Aubretia, Hypericums, Campanulas, Helianthemums and, late in the season, Zauschneria ‘Dublin’ can all be admired. Less colourful but still interesting is the small bed filled with Sempervivums and Sedums.
Left: Sambucus ‘Black Beauty,’ Marigold Tagetes ‘Jolly Jester.’ 20
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Nursery Stockbeds The stockbeds are a living catalogue of plants where form, colour, and habits can be assessed, and different varieties compared. This feature developed during Beatrix Havergal’s time at Waterperry as an educational resource to teach students about propagation. They, coincidentally Below: Sedum ‘Frosty Morn’, Sedum ‘Iceberg’, Sedum ‘Meteor’, Sedum ‘Ruby Glow’.
provided a source of propagation material for the gardens, and, now, for the plant centre. At the same time they produce eye-catching swathes of colour in the gardens for several months of the year. 22
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Mary Rose Gardens The Mary Rose Garden comprises two sections; the main area, enclosed by yew hedging, which contains modern, flowering cultivars, and, nearby, the lower garden, containing species, shrub, and oldfashioned roses, located adjacent to the bottom of the Long Border. There, amongst the collection of wonderfully-scented plants that are at their best throughout June, are to be found some roses that flower only once a year. Notable varieties to look out for in this lower garden are ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’ and ‘Madame E. Calvat’, both of which are repeat-flowering. In the main garden you will find hybrid teas, floribundas, climbers and ground cover roses. The latter may vary in size, ‘Pheasant’ covering a large area, whilst the pink ‘Surrey’ is much smaller, and free-flowering. The roses are grown both by themselves and as companions to other plants like Irises, which provide early interest before the roses are in full bloom.
HT. ‘Just Joey’
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Canal & Miranda’s Border
People at Waterperry Bernard Saunders came to Waterperry in 1971 as guardian of the estate. With an art and horticultural background he began to shape Waterperry into what it is today. Prior to his arrival, the gardens were open only five days a year for charity. When the Trust decided to open the gardens more often, Bernard needed to keep it vibrant and interesting for the visitors. He achieved this with the various gardens he and Mary Spiller designed together.
This still piece of water reflects the surroundings but doesn’t obstruct the view across to the countryside. In summer the water is studded with jewel-like Waterlilies including varieties like James Brydon, Escarboucle, Gladstoniana, Texas Dawn, Cromatella, Perry’s Pink.
Pat Havers (2nd right) with her team of gardeners: Mark Lamb, Bridget Barnes and David Taylor. The garden team are responsible for maintaining the gardens, much in the tradition of Miss Havergal’s day. Mary’s passion for the outdoors led her to become a student of Miss Havergal in 1942. She subsequently joined the staff, serving for over 50 years. She has been central to the teaching, designing, and responsibility of the gardens at Waterperry.
A statue of Miranda from Shakespeare’s The Tempest sculpted by Tanya Russell surveys the scene and at the back of the canal is an eye-catching border, whose vibrant reds and yellows of summer Dahlias and Rudbeckias are replaced by Tulips and Wallflowers in the spring.
In 1991 Mary and Bernard Saunders designed and developed the Mary Rose Garden. Together, they also developed the Formal Garden, which mirrors the historical perspective of the main house from the modern day back to Tudor times, hence the Tudor knot design.
From top: Bernard Saunders Mary Spiller Rob Jacobs Garden Team on the right.
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Rob Jacobs started as an apprentice at Waterperry in July 1979. He trained in all the departments; fruit, nursery stock production and horticultural retail. In 1982-83 he specialised in herbaceous and alpine plants and took charge of both areas. Rob became horticultural manager in 1993.
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Orchards The five acres of orchards at Waterperry Gardens date back to the days of Beatrix Havergal who ran her famous school of horticulture for ladies until 1971. In fact current orchard manager Chris Lanczak (pictured left) trained under Miss Havergal and has worked at Waterperry for forty years, helped by his ‘second in command’ Jules Watling. Between them they grow around sixty different varieties of apple - including more unusual types like Ashmead’s Kernel, Orleans Reinette and Kidd’s Orange. But they also grow old favourites like Cox’s Orange Pippin, Bramley and Egremont Russet. From the end of August until the new year, our garden shop is bursting with different apples alongside boxes of the good keeping varieties. Plums and pears are also available in season along with bare root Waterperry fruit trees from the end of November to late March. In the orchards we grow three different varieties of plum: Marjorie’s Seedling, Victoria and Opal as well as greengages and damsons. The ornamental gardens contain seven varieties of pear, namely Comice, Conference, Buerre Hardy, Williams, Gorham, Glou Morceau and Merton Pride. Waterperry’s ‘Family apple tree’ Beyond Yewhenge you’ll find a very unusual apple tree created by Chris in 2010. It’s a family apple tree onto which he is in the process of grafting around sixty different apple varieties grown at Waterperry. The twenty five year old Spartan ‘mother tree’ is in great health and has sufficient large branches to make it perfect for the tricky job of grafting on the new varieties. It’s an ambitious project but with early, mid and late season grafts, our family tree will provide fruit of different tastes and varieties over a very long season. Chris has dedicated this tree to Jean Manger, his former manager and teacher, from whom he learned so much of his fruit-growing craft. 28
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Waterperry Apple Juice Waterperry began producing juice in the mid 1990s in response to changing markets.We also began to develop heritage varieties on the five acre site. Chris and the team began making juice for outside customers bringing their apples to Waterperry. The first batch of juice was made off-site producing just a few hundred bottles. The first on-site batch produced 5,000 bottles. 30,000 bottles were produced in 2006 a bumper year. The most recent development in the orchards is the new Waterperry Cider. 30 42
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The Church
Left: Waterperry House. Below: left to right: Gravestone of Beatrix Havergal, Avice Sanders; 15th century brasses; the church interior with Saxon chancel arch. Opposite: Stained glass window inside the church; churchyard.
The parish church of St Mary the Virgin at Waterperry is widely considered to be an architectural gem. Nestling close to the manor house, the plain exterior including an unusual wooden tower, belies the beauty and history inside. In fact few small churches can boast such a wonderful collection of ancient glass, brasses and monumental plaques. Some of the highlights include: the original Saxon chancel arch; rare 12th Century floor tiles; three lancet windows containing glass dating back to 1220; Jacobean memorial wall tablet; 15th century brasses depicting ruling families of old. The FitzEly’s tomb, with its effigy lying beneath an ornate, carved stone canopy, is one of the finest examples of English mid-14th century sculpture.
The House The Henleys were the last family to own the manor house in the 20th century. In 1925 the whole estate was sold to Magdalen College, and eventually let in 1932 to Miss Beatrix Havergal, who finally bought the estate in 1948. Beatrix Havergal established the famous Waterperry School of Horticulture and laid the foundation of the gardens we see today. When she retired in 1971, and the Horticulture School was closed, the property was acquired by the School of Economic Science who run residential courses for its students of philosophy and economics. The house is open to visitors on a number of days each year. For further details please check the ‘Visitor Information’ pages on our website.
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Museum of Rural Life
The Gallery & Garden Shop
Could you find a better collection of ancient tools and implements than that housed in our Museum of Rural Life? The 18th century granary building provides the perfect setting for the wide range of horticultural and agricultural tools, which give a flavour of life in times gone by.
Housed in a restored 18th century barn, the Arts and Crafts Gallery offers affordable, contemporary pieces. We specialise in British work, including over 25 Oxfordshire-based artists, and exhibit a wide range of ceramics, glass, jewellery, wood, paintings and textiles.
Our friendly Museum Curator Gordon Dempster is often on hand to provide more information and anecdotes about some of the many fascinating things you’ll find.
Following many years of trading in Oxford’s historic Covered Market, business became concentrated at Waterperry from the 1980s. The Garden Shop now stocks a wide range of gardening products and staff offer well-informed gardening advice, based on firsthand knowledge and experience.
Amongst the collection are horse brasses, terrets, swingers, horse bells, shoes and bits - including the savage types banned in the early 20th century; veterinary implements and relics from household kitchens; a rare collection of brass stamps used in the workhouse at Purton; traps and alarm guns, plus a unique 19th century clockwork crow scarer which fired blank 12 bore cartridges; 70 different brass beer barrel bushes and unusual decorative skewers from the meat trade; medieval pottery found on the Waterperry Estate.
The Teashop prepares a selection of food each day on the premises, using the finest locally-sourced ingredients. From sumptuous patisserie to savoury tarts, farmhouse cakes to our famous fruit or cheese scones, warming winter lunches to summer salads we aim to cater for all dietary needs.
The Gift Barn & Plant Centre The Gift Barn places strong emphasis on ethically sourced, local (e.g. Cotswold Lavender) and overseas (Fair Trade) products. There’s a beautiful range of summer linens and garden gifts as well as more unusual presents. We have a fabulous plant centre selling plants from our nursery as well as other products to satisfy most of your gardening needs.We are especially well-known for our herbaceous plants and fruit trees, and aim to stock most of the flowering perennials you will see in the gardens. 34
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Beatrix Havergal & Waterperry Beatrix Havergal and Avice Sanders became friends in the early 1920s whilst on the staff of Downe House School. With the headmistress’ blessing they departed in September 1927 to establish the gardening school that Beatrix had dreamed of running. They rented a small cottage and 2 acres of walled gardens in the grounds of Pusey House near Faringdon where they received their first students. Their prospectus stated that ‘the training will consist of a theoretical and thoroughly practical training in the various branches of horticulture, including soils and manures, glasshouse management, pruning and garden construction’. In the early days before they established Waterperry Horticultural School, it was the willingness to surmount
A spiritual link with the soil
adversity with great fortitude and common sense that showed Miss Havergal to be a very singular woman of formidable determination. The prophesy The breakthrough came in the form of an enquiry made by a wealthy Swiss academic, Professor Reinhart. He prophesied a sound future for Miss H’s enterprise, telling her, “I see you in a large rectangular country house among trees, Miss Havergal. Look for it.” In 1931 came news that Magdalen College Oxford were looking for new tenants for Waterperry House, near Wheatley – the country house that the professor had prophesied. Miss H took over the Waterperry lease in September 1932 and spent the first five years preparing the land, felling and clearing trees, building glasshouses and improving the soil for production.
Beatrix in her study with asters and apples, two of the enduring emblems of her work at Waterperry. Left: Shovels at the ready, Beatrix and students select the right tools for the task. Pusey 1931. 36
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Waterperry and the War years With the outbreak of World War II Waterperry was turned by Miss H into a market gardening operation, producing much-needed food. The task was to keep the school operating as a going concern, whilst adding to the war effort by accommodating the arrival of the Women’s Land Army personnel. They were soon put to work ploughing and digging for victory. Land Army girls joined the existing staff and students and gardening courses were held on the last Saturday of the month called ‘Dig For Victory Demonstrations’ to teach people how to grow their own food. By now Waterperry had become an established and well-respected school. 1931. Autumn at Pusey.
The final years of the School and beyond The last decade of the Gardening School took its toll on the ageing Miss Havergal and Miss Sanders. Miss S died in her sleep at the age of 75 on 20th August 1970 and is buried in the churchyard at Waterperry. She is commemorated by a plaque in the church. Miss H was desperate to secure a continuity for Waterperry and in 1971 put the estate on the market for sale. There was interest from the Subud group, who remarked at the time: ‘As one enters the gate, one knows that here is an enterprise which has been the long preoccupation of the past forty years of a group of devoted people. Every plant in the ground and in the greenhouses proclaim this loving care, this spiritual link with the soil. Waterperry is a place to love – it needs love and it gives it back’. However it was the School of Economic Science who eventually bought the estate, and from August 1971 the Waterperry Horticultural School for ladies was no more.
Beatrix Havergal, 1951, admiring a prize Royal Sovereign strawberry plant.
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The new owners retained all the staff and continued the day courses established by Miss H which went on to form the basis of horticultural teaching which remains today. So her educational vision lives on.
Beatrix Havergal gives a public demonstration in the gardens at Waterperry. Beatrix Havergal pictures courtesy of Lindley Library.
Bicester
A40
Aylesbury
Oxford
Waterperry Gardens
Abingdon
A34 M4
Location Waterperry Gardens is located 7.5 miles from Oxford city centre; 50 miles from London and 62 miles from Birmingham. From the east take M40 junction 8 and from the north junction 8a. We are 2.5 miles from the A40: turn off at Wheatley and follow brown signposts with the Tourist Board ‘rose’ symbol. If using Satnav to find us, we recommend entering postcode OX33 1LG which will bring you to Waterperry. Drive to the end of the village through the entrance to Waterperry Gardens.
M40 Reading
Newbury
A40
M40 Holton
8a Wheatley
8 7 M40
Waterperry, Nr Wheatley, Oxford OX33 1JZ. (Satnav users enter OX33 1LG). www.waterperrygardens.co.uk